Basic Elements of a Collective Agreement

Strengthening Social Dialogue in the Tourism Industry

National Training Seminar Estonia4 and 5 June 2007, Tallinn

What is a collective agreement

Between an employer, a group of employers or one or more employers’ organizations, on the one hand, and

One ore more representative workers’ organizations

All agreements in writing regarding working conditions and terms of employment,

concluded

Consultation of membersConsultation of members

identify issuesnew issues pending issuesissues for improvement

decide muscle and activities

endorse claim

approve/disapprovepartly

entirely

decision by union executive committee

coordination at confederal trade union level

Levels of Collective Bargaining

Collective bargaining can take place at national, at sector and/or at company level

mainly at national level: Belgium, Finland, Ireland

mainly at sector level: Austria, Cyprus, Denmark Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Sweden

mainly at company level: Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, United Kingdom

Content collective agreement

RecognitionJob ClassificationWagesHoursTransportLeaveVocational training Job securityOSHWelfareUnion-management relationsDuration and signatories

Wages

• Rates for day and night work

• Review wages

• Bonus system objective criteria– Special skills

• Wage corrections for inflation

Hours

• Normal hours of work per week

• Part-time work

• Over-time

Leave

three week summer holidaysone week winter holidays

1st Septemberadditional holidays for elderly workers3 days paid sick leavegraduation of children

Vocational training

• Annual and new staff training

• New working tools and new technology

• Language training

Job security

Transport

• Compensation for expenses –– Public transport– Private transport means

• Compensation in time

• Night travel – taxi vouchers

OSH

Safe working tools and chemicals

Ergonomical furniture and design

Risk analysis

Healthy working environment

Heavy weights

Anti-allergic chemicals (cleaning, laun dry, etc.

Improved regular health checks

Welfare

• Nutritive, healthy meals

• Regular lunch breaks

• Refreshments

Privacy

• Private lockers, accessibal only for the individual worker

• Private space

Union-management relations

• Clear

• Mutual respect and understandig

• Trade union office and equipment

• Time off fot trade union work

• Regular exchange of information

• Trade union observer in management meetings

Duration and signatories