Collective bargaining agreement

A collective bargaining agreement is a written contract between a trade union and an employers' association or a non-affiliated employer, regulating at a collective level the conclusion, content and termination of employment contracts.

Concluding one requires the union to obtain an authorisation certificate by meeting the statutory sector and workplace majority thresholds. Its provisions have normative effect over the employment contracts within scope: clauses less favourable to employees are replaced by the collective terms. The agreement's duration is bounded by statutory minimum and maximum limits.

As a rule, members of the signatory union benefit from the agreement; non-members may benefit by paying a solidarity contribution. Where negotiations fail, mediation, strike and lockout procedures and, in certain cases, the High Board of Arbitration come into play.