See also ‘Collective Agreements’ - REAs may be defined as collective agreements that have been made between employers, or their representative organisations, and trade unions and which have subsequently been registered with the Labour Court. These agreements generally allow for more favourable terms and conditions than are provided for by national employment legislation.
While collective agreements are generally not legally binding on either party, once a collective agreement has been registered with the Labour Court it does then have legal effect and it is legally binding on the parties to that agreement. Importantly, if an industry employers’ body enters into negotiations on an REA, which is subsequently registered at the Labour Court, then all employers within that industry will be bound by that REA.
