Collective agreements

Produced by Tolley in association with Hogan Lovells
Employment Tax
Guidance

Collective agreements

Produced by Tolley in association with Hogan Lovells
Employment Tax
Guidance
imgtext

Collective agreements are agreements negotiated between one or more trade union and one or more employer or employers' association. Collective agreements can affect almost all aspects of the employment relationship and the terms and conditions of an individual employment contract, including:

  1. remuneration

  2. working hours

  3. working conditions

  4. overtime

  5. disciplinary procedures

  6. grievance procedures

  7. training

  8. health and safety

TULR(C)A 1992, s 178(1)

Collective agreements can cover all employees, they are not limited to the union members.

Enforceability between union and employer

The provisions of TULR(C)A 1992 as well as the common law both hold that the existence of a collective agreement does not equate to an intention to create legal relations between the parties. In order for a collective agreement to be enforceable between the union and the employer it must:

  1. be in writing, and

  2. contain a provision clearly indicating that the parties intend it to be legally enforceable

This rule applies to collective agreements only where they relate to:

  1. terms and conditions of employment, or the physical conditions of work

  2. engagement

Continue reading the full document
To gain access to additional expert tax guidance, workflow tools, generative tax AI, and tax research, register for a free trial of Tolley+™
Powered by Tolley+
  • 18 Dec 2025 10:00

Popular Articles

Settlor-interested trusts

Settlor-interested trustsWhat is a settlor-interested trust?A settlor-interested trust is one where the person who created the trust, the settlor, has kept for himself some or all of the benefits attaching to the property which he has given away. A straightforward example is where a settlor

14 Jul 2020 13:38 | Produced by Tolley Read more Read more

Trade or hobby

Trade or hobbyInteraction of hobby farming rules and commercialityFarming has its own set of ‘hobby farming rules’, which historically have stated that a profit must be made every six years. This is known as ‘the five-year rule’, in that there can be five years of losses but there must be a profit

14 Jul 2020 13:50 | Produced by Tolley Read more Read more

Subsistence expenses

Subsistence expensesIntroductionSubsistence is the amount incurred as a consequence of business travel. Typically it relates to accommodation and meal costs incurred. These amounts are allowed because they are associated with the necessary travel which is not to a permanent workplace. See the Travel

14 Jul 2020 13:43 | Produced by Tolley in association with Philip Rutherford Read more Read more