Collective Agreements

Collective Agreements and Workers, Collective Agreements and Employees, Collective Agreements and Wages and Labour Laws on Mywage Ghana.

A collective agreement relates to terms and conditions of employment of workers and may be concluded between the trade unions on one hand and representative of one or more employers or employers’ organisations on the other hand. The representatives of the employees may include the following provisions in their collective:

  • The class or category of workers to which it relates
  • The conditions of work, including the hours of work, rest period, meal breaks, annual leave, occupational health and safety measures
  • The remuneration and the method of calculating the remuneration of workers
  • The period of probation and conditions of probation
  • The period of notice of termination of employment, transfer and discipline
  • The procedures for the avoidance and settlement of disputes arising out of the interpretation, application and administration of the agreement
  • The principle of matching remuneration with productivity.

A concluded agreement between the parties shall be in writing and signed by a duly authorised member of the committee representing each party. Two copies of the agreement shall be deposited with the Labour Commission and the Chief Labour Officer.

How is the collective bargaining certificate obtained?

A trade union which wants to obtain a collective bargaining certificate is required to make an application to the Chief Labour Officer for a certificate appointing that trade union as the representative to conduct negotiations on behalf of the class of workers specified in the collective bargaining certificate with the employers of the workers.

What should be included in the application?

The application should contain the description of the class of workers and the estimated number of workers of that class who are members of that trade union.

Can a collective bargaining certificate be issued to more than one union for the same class of workers?

No. A collective bargaining certificate is issued to a union for the same class of workers at a particular time. The Chief Labour Officer shall determine which union shall hold the collective bargaining certificate.

Can the issued collective bargaining certificate be amended to include other class of workers?

Yes. The Chief Labour Officer may, after consultation with the trade union, amend the certificate to cover other class of workers.

Can the trade union of the class of workers nominate persons or representatives to conduct negotiations on their behalf?

Yes. The trade union can authorise representatives to conduct negotiations on their behalf. The representative shall constitute a standing negotiating committee to negotiate on matters referred to it.

What happens if the trade union fails to enter negotiations with an employer?

If the trade union does not within fourteen days after the serve of the notice take any steps to enter into negotiations, the commission shall direct the union to enter into negotiations immediately and the party shall comply with the directive.

What happens if the collective bargaining certificate of a trade union is withdrawn?

The withdrawal of a certificate appointing a trade union will not affect the validity of a collective agreement made by the trade union before certificate was withdrawn. But any collective agreement which is made by another trade union after withdrawal of the certificate shall have effect notwithstanding anything in the previous agreement.

Is it necessary to inform a class of workers covered by the collective agreement after conclusion?

Yes. After the negotiation the trade union should communicate the terms of the concluded collective agreement to the notice of all the workers concerned.

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