Negotiation in Collective Employment Relations

Negotiation is a critical process in collective employment relations and can lead to agreements on a range of issues of importance to employers and their workforce. Fraught negotiation is often a stereotype of collective employment relations, especially where unions are recognised. This has been evident in many high-profile and difficult negotiations held between employers and unions in many countries since the global pandemic. This chapter aims to take the reader through a series of steps to ensure negotiation is constructive and helps the parties to move towards an acceptable solution where possible. It focuses on practical issues such as planning, team selection, the main stages of a negotiation and the final agreement. It provides examples of how negotiation works in different industries. The chapter also helps practitioners and students reflect on their own style and the style of others. The chapter ends with a discussion on the difference between negotiating approaches which focus on win–win rather than win-lose.