Collective Agreement

Services - Instructions for Submission

GOOD PRACTICE

Use the latest certified collective agreement as the starting point during your negotiations for a new collective agreement.

Use the Approved Softcopy of Collective Agreement (ASCA) from the Court in the preparation of the new collective agreement.

Follow the format, layout and tabulations to ensure conformity with Court's requirement.

Email at mom_iac@mom.gov.sg for a soft copy of the latest amended collective agreement ONLY as a last resort.

Certification of CAs

Annually, about 450 collective agreements are lodged with the Court for certification. Normally a CA would be certified within 7.5 weeks from date of filing.

Minimum requirements for certification:

The CA should not be less than 2 years nor more than 3 years in duration.

All the terms in the CA are to be in writing and duly signed by the union and the employer.

All pages of the original copy of the CA (to be printed on single page) submitted for certification must be initialled by both the union and the employer.

The original copy of the CA must be deposited with the Court within 1 week of its signing by the parties.

A softcopy of the CA in ASCA format must be emailed to IAC's generic account (mom_iac@mom.gov.sg) at least one day prior to the date of lodgement.

A certified CA is binding on the union and the employer and their lawful successors.

Non-Certification of CAs

The IAC may refuse to certify CAs :

on grounds of public interest, ambiguity or uncertainty
where amendment of the CA is required before certification.

Variation of CAs

Annually about 15 applications for variation of CAs are lodged with the Court - to vary or set aside any of the terms of an award for the purpose of removing ambiguity or uncertainty or to conform with the terms of any award made after the commencement of an agreement. Normally a variation order would be handed down within 2 weeks from date of filing of an application.