Collective Bargaining evaluates how a company recognises and engages in good-faith negotiations with legitimate worker representatives or trade unions to determine wages, hours, benefits and working conditions across its operations and - where it has leverage - its supply chain. It covers:

• recognition procedures – transparent, timely processes for verifying worker representation (card checks, ballots) and formally acknowledging unions or elected committees;
• negotiation frameworks – clear bargaining schedules, information-sharing protocols, and ground rules that ensure meaningful dialogue free from coercion or undue delay;
• agreement coverage & content – scope of employees included, duration of contracts, and key provisions on pay scales, overtime, health & safety, grievance handling, and dispute-resolution mechanisms;
• implementation & compliance – joint committees, monitoring systems and training that translate contract terms into day-to-day practice, with mechanisms to address breaches or interpretive disagreements;
• supply-chain expectations – contractual clauses, audits and capacity-building that encourage suppliers to respect collective-bargaining rights in line with ILO Conventions 87 & 98;
• metrics & disclosure – percentage of workforce under collective agreements, number of negotiations concluded, work-stoppage data and corrective-action outcomes, reported in accordance with GRI 407, SA8000, OECD Due-Diligence Guidance and forthcoming EU ESRS S1 requirements.