Doing Business in Greenland - Book - Page 11
5.4 Collective agreements
A collective agreement is an
agreement between a trade union
on the one hand and an individual
company or an employers' organization on the other hand.
Collective agreements regulate the
main working conditions of all
employees in a company or an
industry. The collective agreements
usually contain provisions on
working hours, pay, sick leave and
holiday.
Companies in Greenland are not
required to enter into a collective
agreement, or to join an employers'
organisation.
In Greenland, the main employers'
organisation is the Greenland
Business Association (GE). The main
trade unions are Sulinermik Inuussutissarsiuteqartut Kattuffiat (SIK)
and Atorfillit Kattuffiat (AK).
5.5 The Working Environment
Act
The Working Environment Act for
Greenland (Act No. 1048 of 26
October 2005) provides for
statutory requirements for the
working environment. The Danish
Working Environment Authority
(WEA) oversees compliance with
the regulations in Greenland
(onshore).
The Act aims at preventing
accidents and diseases at the
workplace and at protecting
children and young persons on the
labour market through special
rules.
The main areas of the regulation
are performance of the work,
design of the workplace, technical
equipment,
substances
and
materials, rest periods and minors.
5.5.1 Requirements for rest
periods
In the related legislation on rest
periods in Greenland (executive
order No. 32 of 23 January 2006),
minimum requirements for rest
periods are stipulated. Working
hours must be organised in a way
to allow a rest period of at least 11
consecutive hours every 24 hours,
and a weekly day off for every
seven days.
These
requirements
may
be
deviated from by agreement with
the relevant workers’ organisation,
subject to certain limitations. Also,
the Minister of Employment may
approve deviations from the
minimum requirements in relation to
certain activities, among other
things mineral resource activities.
Charlotte Pedersen
Partner, attorney-at-law
cp@nuna-law.gl
Iris Ohms Jørgensen
Attorney-at-law
ij@nuna-law.gl
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