no-strike agreement

no-strike agreement

an agreement between an employer and a TRADE UNION in which the latter undertakes not to initiate or support STRIKE action by employees of the company. A number of Japanese companies which have recently established production facilities in the UK have reached agreements of this type. However, since collective agreements have no legal force in the UK there can be no absolute prohibition of strike action. Such agreements therefore can be viewed primarily as declarations of intent.

In fact most PROCEDURAL AGREEMENTS in INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS in the UK contain provisions which preclude strikes while issues are still under consideration within the COLLECTIVE BARGAINING procedures. Perhaps the main novelty of the new agreements is that most contain a provision for third party intervention, often in the form of pendulum ARBITRATION, should management and union be unable to resolve their differences. See SINGLE UNION AGREEMENT.