Who are Bargaining Representatives?
Generally, bargaining representatives act as an intermediary with an organization on behalf of employees or employers. A representative who speaks for workers or employers, negotiate wages and work conditions, and their goal is to achieve a fair agreement for both sides.
Who can be Bargaining Representatives?
Employer – Any employer under the agreement or their chosen representative.
Employer’s Appointee – Someone appointed by the employer to act as Bargaining representative for the agreement.
Employee – Any employee under the agreement or their chosen representative.
Employee’s Appointee – – Someone appointed by the employee to act as Bargaining representative for the agreement.
Trade union – A union that protects employees’ industrial interests and engages in negotiations with the employer may act as a bargaining representative.
How do they work?
Laying the Groundwork for Negotiation
The bargaining representatives gathers insights from employees or any concerned person who they are going to represent. From surveys to listening sessions and notes from Internal meetings, all the insights are essential. Once they get a clear picture of team’s expectation, they’ll come up with a negotiation strategy. It usually includes evaluating labour laws, industry pay benchmarks and company-specific practices.
Navigating the Negotiation Table
When discussions with the employer commence, the representative presents proposals that echo the workforce’s concerns—whether it’s salary structures, working hours, benefits, or job safety. The negotiation often unfolds over several rounds of back-and-forth dialogue, where both sides exchange viewpoints and aim to strike a balance. The goal of the representative is to secure terms that benefit the employees without alienating the employer, often requiring a mix of assertiveness and compromise.
Closing the Deal
Once both sides reach a tentative agreement, the bargaining representative circles back to the employees with the proposed terms. Workers typically vote to accept or reject the offer. If the majority gives the green light, the deal is formalized into a legally binding agreement. Otherwise, negotiations resume until a satisfactory compromise is reached.