Types of Collective Bargaining
Conjunctive / Distributive Bargaining:
Distributive bargaining is the most common type of
bargaining & involves zero-sum negotiations, in other
words, one side wins and the other loses.
Both parties try to maximize their respective gains.
They try to settle economic issues such as
wages, benefits, bonus, etc.
For Example, Unions negotiate for maximum wages &
the management wants to yield as little as possible –
while getting things done through workers.
• In distributive bargaining, unions and
  management have initial offers or
  demands, target points (e.g.: desired wage
  level), resistance points (e.g.: unacceptable wage
  levels) & settlement ranges (e.g.: acceptable
  wage level). Another name for this type of
  bargaining is conjunctive bargaining.
• Cooperative /Integrative Bargaining:
  Integrative bargaining is similar to problem
  solving sessions in which both sides are trying
  to reach a mutually beneficial alternative, i.e.
  a win-win situation.
• Both the employer & the union try to resolve
  the conflict to the benefit of both parties.
  Both sides share information about their
  interests and concerns and they create a list of
  possible solutions to best meet everyone’s
  needs.
• For Example, when companies are hit by
  recession, they cannot offer the kind of wages
  and benefits demanded by workers. At the
  same time they cannot survive without the
  latter’s support. Both parties realize the
  importance of surviving in such difficult times
  and are willing to negotiate the terms of
  employment in a flexible way.
• Productivity Bargaining:

• The concept of productivity bargain involves a
  good understanding of the following concepts.
  Based on these concepts both the parties
  must develop a productivity linked scheme.
• Difference between productivity & work intensity
• How to conduct work study
• ILO guidelines for work study – Personal needs
  allowance, Fatigue allowance, hazardous
  allowance , etc.
• Other Methods like MOST (Maynard Operational
  Sequence Techniques)
• Systems improvement and method improvement
• Required Skills and Knowledge for productivity
  settlement
• Composite Bargaining:

• Workers believed that productivity bargaining
  agreements increased their workloads.
  Rationalization, introduction of new
  technology, tight productivity norms have
  added to this burden and made the life of a
  worker some what uneasy. As an answer to
  such problems, labor has come in favor of
  composite bargaining.
• In this method, labor bargains for wages as usual,
  but goes a step further demanding equity in
  matters relating to work norms, employment
  levels, manning standards, environnemental
  hagards , sub-contracting clauses etc. This works
  in the favor of the workers, for e.g., when unions
  negotiate standards they ensure the workload of
  workers don’t exceed .
• Concessionary Bargaining:
• Quite opposite to the other forms of
  bargaining, where the unions demanded from
  the employers, in concessionary bargaining,
  the objective is to giving back to management
  some of what it has gained in previous
  bargaining.
• Why should labor be willing to give back what
  it has worked so hard to obtain?
• A good example is the agreement between
  General Motors & the International Union of
  Electric Workers that granted GM around the-
  clock operations, wages and benefits
  concessions for the new hires, and a two-week
  mass vacation. The concessions were made to
  save over 3,000 jobs.
• In some cases, despite a financial crisis, the
  union may not be willing to concede. This may
  be because the union doesn’t view
  management’s arguments as credible.
  Thus, the degree of trust and credibility
  between the management and the union may
  influence the extent to which concessionary
  bargaining occurs.

Types of collective bargaining

  • 1.
    Types of CollectiveBargaining Conjunctive / Distributive Bargaining: Distributive bargaining is the most common type of bargaining & involves zero-sum negotiations, in other words, one side wins and the other loses. Both parties try to maximize their respective gains. They try to settle economic issues such as wages, benefits, bonus, etc. For Example, Unions negotiate for maximum wages & the management wants to yield as little as possible – while getting things done through workers.
  • 2.
    • In distributivebargaining, unions and management have initial offers or demands, target points (e.g.: desired wage level), resistance points (e.g.: unacceptable wage levels) & settlement ranges (e.g.: acceptable wage level). Another name for this type of bargaining is conjunctive bargaining.
  • 3.
    • Cooperative /IntegrativeBargaining: Integrative bargaining is similar to problem solving sessions in which both sides are trying to reach a mutually beneficial alternative, i.e. a win-win situation. • Both the employer & the union try to resolve the conflict to the benefit of both parties. Both sides share information about their interests and concerns and they create a list of possible solutions to best meet everyone’s needs.
  • 4.
    • For Example,when companies are hit by recession, they cannot offer the kind of wages and benefits demanded by workers. At the same time they cannot survive without the latter’s support. Both parties realize the importance of surviving in such difficult times and are willing to negotiate the terms of employment in a flexible way.
  • 5.
    • Productivity Bargaining: •The concept of productivity bargain involves a good understanding of the following concepts. Based on these concepts both the parties must develop a productivity linked scheme.
  • 6.
    • Difference betweenproductivity & work intensity • How to conduct work study • ILO guidelines for work study – Personal needs allowance, Fatigue allowance, hazardous allowance , etc. • Other Methods like MOST (Maynard Operational Sequence Techniques) • Systems improvement and method improvement • Required Skills and Knowledge for productivity settlement
  • 7.
    • Composite Bargaining: •Workers believed that productivity bargaining agreements increased their workloads. Rationalization, introduction of new technology, tight productivity norms have added to this burden and made the life of a worker some what uneasy. As an answer to such problems, labor has come in favor of composite bargaining.
  • 8.
    • In thismethod, labor bargains for wages as usual, but goes a step further demanding equity in matters relating to work norms, employment levels, manning standards, environnemental hagards , sub-contracting clauses etc. This works in the favor of the workers, for e.g., when unions negotiate standards they ensure the workload of workers don’t exceed .
  • 9.
    • Concessionary Bargaining: •Quite opposite to the other forms of bargaining, where the unions demanded from the employers, in concessionary bargaining, the objective is to giving back to management some of what it has gained in previous bargaining. • Why should labor be willing to give back what it has worked so hard to obtain?
  • 10.
    • A goodexample is the agreement between General Motors & the International Union of Electric Workers that granted GM around the- clock operations, wages and benefits concessions for the new hires, and a two-week mass vacation. The concessions were made to save over 3,000 jobs.
  • 11.
    • In somecases, despite a financial crisis, the union may not be willing to concede. This may be because the union doesn’t view management’s arguments as credible. Thus, the degree of trust and credibility between the management and the union may influence the extent to which concessionary bargaining occurs.