PART 4NEGOTIATION OF THE EMPLOYEE INVOLVEMENT AGREEMENT

Negotiations to reach an employee involvement agreement14

1

In this regulation and in regulation 15 the competent organs of the participating companies and the special negotiating body are referred to as “the parties”.

2

The parties are under a duty to negotiate in a spirit of cooperation with a view to reaching an employee involvement agreement.

3

The duty referred to in paragraph (2) commences one month after the date or, if more than one, the last date on which the members of the special negotiating body were elected or appointed and applies—

a

for the period of six months starting with the day on which the duty commenced or, where an employee involvement agreement is successfully negotiated within that period, until the completion of the negotiations;

b

where the parties agree before the end of that six month period that it is to be extended, for the period of twelve months starting with the day on which the duty commenced or, where an employee involvement agreement is successfully negotiated within the twelve month period, until the completion of the negotiations.