Section 3. Works Committee
(1) In the case of any industrial establishment in which one hundred or more workmen are employed or have been employed on any day in the preceding twelve months, the appropriate government may by general or special order require the employer to constitute in the prescribed manner a Works Committee consisting of representatives of employers and workmen engaged in the establishment, so however that the number of representatives of workmen on the Committee shall not be less than the number of representatives of the employer. The representatives of the workmen shall be chosen in the prescribed manner from among the workmen engaged in the establishment and in consultation with their trade union, if any, registered under the Indian Trade Unions Act, 1926 (16 of 1926).
(2) It shall be the duty of the Works Committee to promote measures for securing and preserving amity and good relations between the employer and workmen and, to that end, to comment upon matters of their common interest or concern and endeavor to compose any material difference of opinion in respect of such matters.
Section 4. Conciliation officers
(1) The appropriate. government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, appoint such number of persons, as it thinks fit to be conciliation officers, charged with the duty of mediating in and promoting the settlement of industrial disputes.
(2) A conciliation officer may be appointed for a specified area or for specified industries in a specified area or for one or more. specified industries and either permanently or for a limited period.
Section 5. Boards of Conciliation
(1) The appropriate government may as occasion arises by notification in the Official Gazette constitute a Board of Conciliation for promoting the settlement of an industrial dispute.
(2) A Board shall consist of a Chairman and two or four other members, as the appropriate government thinks fit.
(3) The Chairman shall be an independent person and the other members shall be persons appointed in equal numbers to represent the parties to the dispute and any person appointed to represent a party shall be appointed on the recommendation of that party:
PROVIDED that, if any party fails to make a recommendation as aforesaid within the prescribed time, the appropriate government shall appoint such persons as it thinks fit to represent that party.
(4) A Board, having the prescribed quorum, may act notwithstanding the absence of the Chairman or any of its members or any vacancy in its number:
PROVIDED that, if the appropriate government notifies the Board that the services of the Chairman or of any other member have ceased to be available, the Board shall not act until a new Chairman or member, as the case may be, has been appointed.
Section 6. Courts of Inquiry
(1) The appropriate government may, as occasion arises by notification in the Official Gazette, constitute a Court of Inquiry for inquiring into any matter appearing to be connected with or relevant to an industrial dispute.
(2) A court may consist of one independent person or of such number of independent persons as the appropriate government may think fit and where a court consists of two or more members, one of them shall be appointed as the Chairman.
(3) A court, having the prescribed quorum, may act not with standing the absence of the Chairman or any of its members or any vacancy in its number:
PROVIDED that, if the appropriate government notifies the court that the services of the Chairman have ceased to be available, the court shall not act until a new Chairman has been appointed.
Section 7. Labor Courts
(1) The appropriate government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, constitute one or more Labor Courts for the adjudication of industrial disputes relating to any matter specified in the Second Schedule and for performing such other functions as may be assigned to them under this Act.
(2) A Labor Court shall consist of one person only to be appointed by the appropriate government.
(3) A person shall not be, qualified for appointment as the presiding officer of a Labor Court, unless-
52[(a) he is, or has been, a judge of a High Court; or
(b) he has, for a period of not less than three years, been a District Judge or an Additional District Judge; or]
53[* * *]
54[(d) he has held any judicial office in India for not less than seven years; or
54[(e)] he has been the presiding officer of a Labor Court constituted under any Provincial Act or State Act for not less than five years.
Section 7A. Tribunals
(1) The appropriate government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, constitute one or more Industrial Tribunals for the adjudication of industrial disputes relating to any matter, whether specified in the Second Schedule or the Third Schedule 55[and for performing such other functions as may be assigned to them under this Act].
(2) A Tribunal shall consist of one person only to be appointed by the appropriate government.
(3) A person shall not be qualified for appointment as the presiding officer of a Tribunal unless-
(a) he is, or has been, a Judge of a High Court; or
56[(aa) he has, for a period of not less than three-years, been a District judge or an Additional District Judge; 57[* * *]
(4) The appropriate government may, if it so thinks fit, appoint two persons as assessors to advise the Tribunal in the proceeding before it.
Section 7B. National Tribunals
(1) The Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, constitute one or more National Industrial Tribunals for the adjudication of industrial disputes which, in the opinion of the Central Government, involve questions of national importance or are of such a nature that industrial establishments situated in more than one State are likely to be interested in, or affected by, such disputes.
(2) A National Tribunal shall consist of one person only to be appointed by the Central Government.
(3) A person shall not be qualified for appointment as the presiding officer of a National Tribunal 58[unless he is, or has been, a Judge of a High Court.
(4) The Central Government may, if it so thinks fit, appoint two persons as assessors to advise the National Tribunal in the proceeding before it.
7C. Disqualifications for the presiding officers of Labor Courts, Tribunals and National Tribunals
No person shall be appointed to, or continue in, the office of the presiding officer of a Labor Court, Tribunal or National Tribunal, if-
(a) he is not an independent person; or
(b) he has attained the age of sixty-five years.]
Section 8. Filling of vacancies
If, for any reason a vacancy (other than a temporary absence) occurs in the office of the presiding officer of a Labor Court, Tribunal or National Tribunal or in the office of the Chairman or any other member of a Board or court, then, in the case of a National Tribunal, the Central Government and in any other case, the appropriate government shall appoint another person in accordance with the provisions of this Act to fill the vacancy, and the proceeding may be continued before the Labor Court, Tribunal, National Tribunal, Board or court, as the case may be, from the stage at which the vacancy is filled.
