the ongoing process of negotiation between representatives of workers and employers to establish the conditions of employment. The collectively determined agreement may cover not only wages but hiring practices, layoffs, promotions, job functions, working conditions and hours, worker discipline and termination, and benefit programs.

Collective bargaining existed before the end of the 18th century in Britain (United Kingdom); its development occurred later on the European continent and in the United States, where Samuel Gompers (Gompers, Samuel) developed its common use during his leadership of the American Federation of Labor (American Federation of Labor–Congress of Industrial Organizations). Collective agreements are probably least significant in developing countries that have large labour populations from which to draw.

The degree of centralization in the bargaining process and the functions performed by collective agreements vary. Contract negotiation may occur at the national, regional, or local level, depending on the structure of industry within a country. National agreements, which are more common in smaller countries, usually settle general matters, leaving more detailed issues for local consideration. An agreement may, for example, set actual wage rates, or it might simply establish minimum wage rates.

Collective agreements are not legally binding in all countries. In Britain their application depends on the goodwill of the signatories. In some countries—including Germany, France, and Australia—the government may require that the terms of negotiated settlements be extended to all firms in an industry. In the United States similar results have been achieved, albeit less formally, by unions that select a target employer in a particular industry: the negotiation of a new agreement with the targeted employer then sets the pattern for other labour contracts in the same industry.