Among these three types of unionization agreements, the agency`s enterprise agreement allows for the greatest possible flexibility. Workers may choose not to remain members of the indicated union as long as they pay the necessary taxes to the union. It is clear why an employer would choose not to enter into such an agreement. Most employers consider store contracts to be reprehensible, perhaps fairly so. Why should we give a union the right for all our employees to become members who ask for it; and why should we accept what becomes more of a condition of employment? The store contracts are included in Section 26 of the Labour Relations Act (LRA) and are perhaps among the most sensitive and controversial provisions of the LRA in terms of the constitutionality of these agreements that I concern. In the early 1990s, store contracts were not included in the original LRA project. But they were then welcomed under pressure from trade union federations, although they were ostracized in many other Western democracies. Also known as pre-open store contracts, store contracts are entered into to protect union workers. Under this type of agreement, a particular company may require all of its employees to be part of a particular union or union. In short, a store contract is a collective agreement in which a majority union and an employer agree that it is a condition of employment that all workers must be members of the majority union. In some cases, unions have a monopoly on a certain industry and companies in that sector. If that is the case, all businesses in an area must hire union workers, and they call it a ”closed business.” Under the terms of an employment contract, a store agreement is reached.

You will find here that you must be a good member of the union mandated to remain employed by the mandated company. This means that the company is required to dismiss any employee who decides to leave the union or lose his or her reputable status. Such agreements attract attention for a wide range of reasons, and some quarters are presumed to violate the LRA`s freedom of association provisions and Section 18 of the consitution, which deals with the right to join or leave groups of their choice. On the other hand, they do have virtues. That is why we have recently seen a kind of relaunch of on-site store contracts. Why can you ask for that? However, the provisions of the LRA on store agreements include, at best, guarantees when an employer and a majority union are considering entering into a store contract. For example, a store contract can only be entered into with a majority union. In addition, workers who are not members of the union at the signing of the contract must not become unionized, although all new workers are required to join the union to secure employment with the employer. A two-thirds majority of union members in place to support the store agreement is required. The only compelling reason why an employer can accept and, if necessary, welcome a store agreement reached is to limit union competition on the ground, since the existing union essentially monopolizes the employer`s union affiliation through the store agreement.