Article 37. Procedures of collective bargaining

The participants in collective bargaining shall be free in choosing the issues of regulating socio-labor relations.

Should two or more labor union locals operate within an organization, they shall form a unified representative body for engaging in collective bargaining, preparing a single draft collective contract and concluding it. Formation of a unified representative body shall be done on the basis of proportional representation principle depending on the number of the labor union members. At this, a representative shall be delegated from each labor union local.

Should a unified representative body fail to be formed within five calendar days after the collective bargaining start, interests of all the employees shall be represented by the labor union local amalgamating over half of the employees.

Should no labor union local amalgamate over half of the employees, the employees' general meeting (conference) shall determine by a secret vote the labor union local entrusted with forming the representative body.

In the cases stipulated by paragraphs three and four of this article other labor union locals shall retain the right to delegate their representatives to the representative body prior to the moment of signing the collective contract.

The right to engage in collective bargaining, sign agreements on behalf of the employees at the level of the Russian Federation, a subject of the Russian Federation, and industry, a territory shall be granted to relevant labor unions (labor union associations). Should several labor unions (labor union associations) be in existence at the relevant level, each of them shall be entitled to representation within a unified representative body for collective bargaining formed with account for the number of labor union members they represent. In the absence of an accord on establishing a unified representative body for collective bargaining the right to engage in it shall be granted to the labor union (labor union association) amalgamating the largest number of the labor union (labor unions) members.

The parties shall provide each other, not later than two weeks after receiving the appropriate request, with the information at their disposal required for collective bargaining.

Participants in collective bargaining, other persons linked to collective bargaining shall not disclose the data obtained, if such data constitute the secrets protected by law (state, official, commercial and other). The persons disclosing said data shall be brought to disciplinary, administrative, civil, criminal responsibility in the manner set by federal laws.

Dates, venues and procedures of the collective bargaining shall be determined by representatives of the parties participating in said bargaining.