An employer or union member can send a notice to start negotiations. It is a signed letter that: The initiation date is the date on which the negotiation process can begin. The initiation date is the date on which the negotiation process can begin. Both parties can enter into negotiations from 60 days before the collective agreement expires. An effective collective agreement implies that the expiry of a collective agreement does not necessarily mean the end of the collective agreement. A collective agreement runs until a 12-month period or until it is replaced, when the union or employer begins to negotiate before the expiry date. The terms of an employment contract must be respected. It is the current collective agreements that set the conditions for school principals, teachers and other staff in schools. The Employment Relations Act 2000 contains rules that ensure that collective bargaining is fair, easily understood by all parties, and gives parties the flexibility to achieve their own specific objectives. A person with a collective agreement may also agree with his employer additional terms and conditions. Additional conditions: Once an agreement has been reached, it must be ratified and signed by all parties involved to become a collective agreement. The decision on whether or not to negotiate an MECA is first made by a vote of the union members.
All union members covered by the safeguard clause in the collective agreement have the opportunity to participate in the vote. Each group of workers employed by an employer decides whether their employer should be included in the MECA. As soon as this is completed, the Union will enter into negotiations with employers for whom workers voted for inclusion in the MECA. The bargaining power between employers and workers is not the same in many labour relations. Workers may decide that their interests are best represented by unions and collective bargaining. When a union represents workers in a workplace, a collective agreement can be negotiated. An employer may opt out of negotiations for an MECA under one of the following conditions: When the employer offers individual terms to the employee, the employer must negotiate in good faith and give the worker the time and opportunity to advise himself independently, such as when an employer offers an individual employment contract to a worker. A collective agreement is the formal employment contract that was ratified and signed after collective bargaining. The agreement defines the terms of employment of union members whose work is covered by the coverage clause of the agreement.
Important collective agreements are available below as MDPs. If your collective agreement is not mentioned here and you would like a copy, please contact our Assistance Centre on 0800 28 38 48 or nurses@nzno.org.nz. Employment contracts contain more information about individual contracts.
