ABSTRACT
The employment relationship and the terms of it can be developed in a number of different ways; through the process of collective bargaining between trade unions and employers or employers’ associations; or through legislation and its interpretation by the courts. The collectives, or trade unions as they became known, then proceed to negotiate with the employer, or a group of employers, over the terms and conditions of employment of their members. Collective bargaining can develop procedures to control the relationship within the workplace – procedural agreements. Employer attitude to trade unions is a key factor behind whether collective bargaining is likely to be accepted or not as a method of determining and adjusting the terms and conditions of employment in a particular workplace. A combination of factors influence the propensity of a particular culture to develop its preferred level at which collective bargaining will take place.
