COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AND ITS PROCEDURE FOLLOWED IN INDIA BHAVNI SAHAI BASICS OF LAW Mon, Dec 23, 2019, at ,01:28 PM “Where free Unions and collective bargaining are forbidden, freedom is lost” -Ronald Reagan Collective bargaining is a process of discussion and negotiation between an employer and a trade union culminating in a written agreement and the adjustment of problems arising under the agreement. The Supreme Court of India has defined the process of collective bargaining as a technique by which, the dispute as to conditions of employment is resolved amicably by agreement rather than coercion. Workers, who are generally represented by a trade union, use this medium to express their grievance about various issues such as wages and working conditions. Collective bargaining is a term used to describe the procedure, whereby employers must attempt to reach an agreement regarding terms of employment and the working conditions of labor with the trade unions, instead of with individual workers. Generally, it is a procedure by which employment-related disputes are resolved cordially, peacefully and voluntarily by settlement between labor unions and management. The collective bargaining in India remained limited in its scope and restricted in its coverage by a well defined legal structure. In reality, the labor laws systematically promoted and keep in existence a duality of labor-formal sector workers enjoying better space for collective bargaining and informal ones with no scope for collective bargaining. To understand this, I will discuss the labor legislation in India and its scope and coverage. Industrial disputes between the employee and employer can also be settled by discussion and negotiation between these two parties in order to arrive at a decision. This is also commonly known as collective bargaining as both parties eventually agree to follow a decision that they arrive at after a lot of negotiation and discussion. Procedure For Initiating Collective Bargaining 1. A charter of demands The trade union will notify the employer of initiating collective bargaining negotiations. The representatives of the trade union draft a charter of demands which contains issues related to terms of employment and the working conditions namely wages and allowances, bonuses, working hours, benefits, holidays. In some cases, an employer may also notify the trade union and initiate collective bargaining negotiations. 2. Negotiations Negotiation is the next step after the submission of the charter of demands by the trade union. Both the employer and the employee seek opportunities to suggest compromise solutions in their favor until an agreement is reached. If it impossible to reach out to an agreement, a third party (mediator/arbitrator) may be brought in from outside. If, even with the assistance of the third party, no viable solution can be found to resolve the parties’ differences, the trade union may decide to engage in strikes. 3. Collective Bargaining Agreement Pursuant to the negotiations between the parties, a collective bargaining agreement will be executed between the employer and workmen represented by trade unions, setting out the terms of employment and the working conditions of labor. 4. Strikes If both parties fail to reach an agreement because of mutual consensus, the union may go on a strike, which shall be in accordance with the provisions of the Industrial Disputes Act 1947 (“ID Act”). 5. Conciliation Once the conciliation officer receives a notice of strike or lockout, the conciliation proceedings shall commence. The State Government may appoint a conciliation officer or a Board of Conciliation to investigate disputes, mediate and promote a settlement. Workers are prohibited from going on strike during the pendency of such conciliation proceedings. Conciliation proceedings may have one of the three outcomes, namely (i) a settlement; or (ii) no settlement; or (iv) reference being made to the appropriate labor court or any other industrial tribunal. 6. Compulsory arbitration or adjudication When conciliation and mediation fail, parties may either resort to compulsory or voluntary arbitration. Arbitration and the recommendations of the arbitrator may be binding to the parties. Section 7A of the ID Act provides for a labor court or industrial tribunal within a state to adjudicate protracted industrial disputes such as strikes and lockouts. Section 7B of the ID Act provides for the constitution of national tribunals to resolve disputes involving questions of national interest or issues concerning more than two states. In the event, a labor dispute is not resolved by conciliation and mediation, the employer, and the workers may refer the case by a written agreement to a labor court, industrial tribunal or national tribunal for adjudication or compulsory arbitration.