Collective agreement

See also Relevant agreement and Workforce agreement.

For the purposes of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 (TULRCA), an agreement or arrangement between an employer or employers' association and one or more trade union which may cover terms and conditions of employment and conditions of work; engagement, non-engagement, suspension or dismissal; allocation of work or duties; discipline; union membership; facilities for trade union officials; procedures and the other machinery of collective bargaining and trade union recognition (section 178, TULRCA). It is not legally binding as between the parties unless it is in writing and is stated to be legally enforceable (section 179, TULRCA). However, it may have binding consequences as between a worker and an employer if it is incorporated into the worker's contract. Many of the statutory consequences depend upon the collective agreement being in writing. But an agreement may be a collective agreement whether it is formal or informal, whether it is written or oral, whether indeed it is an agreement or merely an arrangement.

For further information, see Practice notes, Industrial action: is it lawful? and Employment contracts: Incorporated terms