Glossary

Collective Bargaining

Negotiating on the setup or renewal of a collective agreement. This process takes place between one or more employers and the union representing the staff who work for those employers. The result of these negotiations is the establishment of the terms of employment for a set number of years.

Collective bargaining involves negotiating on a number of short-term and long-term issues and deciding how to proceed under the best circumstances. The Employment Relations Act 2000 sets out the rules and guidelines to follow at each stage of collective bargaining and ensures the process is carried out in good faith from start to finish.