The Transnational Information and Consultation of Employees Regulations 1999

Negotiation procedure

16.—(1) With a view to concluding an agreement referred to in regulation 17 the central management must convene a meeting with the special negotiating body and must inform local managements accordingly.

(2) Subject to paragraph (3), the special negotiating body shall take decisions by a majority of the votes cast by its members and each member of the special negotiating body is to have one vote.

(3) The special negotiating body may decide not to open negotiations with central management or to terminate negotiations. Any such decision must be taken by at least two thirds of the votes cast by its members.

(4) Any decision made under paragraph (3) shall have the following effects—

(a) the procedure to negotiate and conclude the agreement referred to in regulation 17 shall cease from the date of the decision; and

(b) a purported request made under regulation 9 less than two years after the date of the decision shall not be treated as such a request, unless the special negotiating body and the central management otherwise agree.

(5) For the purpose of the negotiations, the special negotiating body may be assisted by experts of its choice.

(6) The central management shall pay for any reasonable expenses relating to the negotiations that are necessary to enable the special negotiating body to carry out its functions in an appropriate manner; but where the special negotiating body is assisted by more than one expert the central management is not required to pay such expenses in respect of more than one of them.