Section 50 — Employment Relations Act 2000: Consolidation of bargaining

50 Consolidation of bargaining (1) This section applies if— (a) an employer receives 2 or more notices under section 42 from different unions; and (b) the notices relate, in whole or in part, to the same type of work. (2) The employer may, within 40 days after receiving the first notice, request each union concerned to consolidate the bargaining initiated by each notice into bargaining for a single collective agreement. (3) Each union receiving a request under subsection (2) must, within 30 days after receiving the request,— (a) agree to the request; or (b) withdraw the notice given under section 42 . (4) A union that does not comply with subsection (3) is to be treated as if it had withdrawn the notice given under section 42 . (5) If all the unions concerned agree to the request, the bargaining initiated by each notice is consolidated into bargaining for a single collective agreement.