collective bargaining

An employer may choose to 'recognise' a union on a number of different levels. It may decide, for example, to recognise the union as the appropriate representative for its employees in disciplinary and grievance hearings - although workers have the legal right to be accompanied by the union official of their choice, regardless of whether that union is the one their employer recognises.

Similarly, the employer may recognise the union as a channel through which it can communicate with its workforce. Some companies recognise unions for the purposes of collective bargaining, and negotiate with them on terms and conditions of employment or other issues of relevance to the workforce. In some circumstances, an employer may be compelled to recognise a union for bargaining purposes. Where a union has sufficient support amongst the workforce, it can use a legal procedure to secure recognition.