restrictive practice

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restrictive practice An industrial and commercial agreement or arrangement which operates in restraint of free competition even though it may be within the law. The term originates from political and managerial usage but has come to be quite commonly used in the study of labour relations. For example, restrictive practices might be agreements fixing the prices to be charged for goods, services, or labour, or the quantity supplied, or the conditions of supply. In relation to restrictive labour practices, a large degree of judgement and convention determines whether rules or procedures are regarded as proper safeguards for the customer and the wider public, or are regarded as unjustifiable and reprehensible restrictions. A typical example is the extent to which certain types of employment are restricted to people with specified qualifications and experience, or to those who are members of a closed shop. See also INDUSTRIAL CONFLICT.