ABSTRACT
Collective bargaining is a rule-making process for contract-making and contractchanging (Welch and Leighton, 1996). Terms and conditions of employment are determined and regulated through the formal process of negotiation1 between representatives of management and employees. The outcome is a binding agreement for those employees within the bargaining unit, e.g. at national, enterprise or workplace level. It is based on management’s legitimization of employee involvement and influence over aspects of decision-making, and involves a power relationship in which employee representatives may regulate managerial authority. Acknowledgement of the right to strike is embodied within this process. Variations in the scope and coverage of collective bargaining are a reflection of different regulatory regimes across the world.
