An employer may voluntarily recognise a trade union to conduct collective bargaining by agreeing to a formal request for recognition from the union within a prescribed period.
Legislation provides that the union's formal request must comply with various requirements. It must, among other things, be in writing and define the part of the business in respect of which the request is being made.
An employer may also recognise a union by customarily negotiating with that union on one or more of a number of specified matters, including: employment terms and conditions and the allocation of work or duties between workers.
