Estonia: unions mobilize against the bill on collective agreements

A bill that doesn’t favor negotiations.  The current Collective Agreements Act was adopted in 1993 and amended in 2009.  It provides that collective agreements come into force the day they are signed unless they plan otherwise.  They apply for one year, unless the parties agree differently.  While the collective agreement applies, the parties have to comply with its terms and cannot do a strike or a lockout to change them.  When the agreement expires, the parties launch new negotiations.  However, the existing agreement applies until the parties have signed a new, with no deadline.  Thus, at any time, employees can demand the respect of the conditions of the previous collective agreement as long as it hasn’t been replaced. 
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e parties agree differently. While the collective agreement applies, the parties have to comply with its terms and cannot do a strike or a lockout to change them. When the agreement expires, the parties launch new negotiations. However, the existing agreement applies until the parties have signed a new, with no deadline. Thus, at any time, employees can demand the respect of the conditions of the previous collective agreement as long as it hasn’t been replaced.

This last point is what...

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