Industrial Disputes Act, 1947

Section 13. Duties of Board

(1) Where a dispute has been referred to a Board under this Act, it shall be the duty of the Board to endeavor to bring about a settlement of the same and for this purpose the Board shall, in such manner as it thinks fit and without delay, investigate the dispute and all matters affecting the merit and the right settlement thereof and may do all such things as it thinks fit for the purpose of inducing the parties to come to a fair and amicable settlement of the dispute.

(2) If a settlement of the dispute or of any of the matter in dispute is arrived at in the course of the conciliation proceedings, the Board shall send a report thereof to the appropriate government together with a memorandum of the settlement signed by the parties to the dispute.

(3) If no such settlement is arrived at, the Board shall, as soon as practicable after the close of the investigation, send to the appropriate government a full report setting forth the proceedings and steps taken by the Board for ascertaining the facts and circumstances relating to the dispute and for bringing about a settlement thereof, together with a full statement of such facts and circumstances, its findings thereon, the reasons on account of which, in its opinion, a settlement could not be arrived at and its recommendations for the determination of the dispute.

(4) If, on the receipt of a report under sub-section (3) in respect of a dispute relating to a public utility service, the appropriate government does not make a reference to a 86[Labor Court, Tribunal or National Tribunal] under section 10, it shall record and communicate to the parties concerned its reasons therefor.

(5) The Board shall submit its report under this section within two months of the date 87[on which the dispute was referred to it] or within such shorter period as may be fixed by the appropriate government:

PROVIDED that the appropriate Government may from time to time extend the time for the submission of the report by such further periods not exceeding two months in the aggregate:

PROVIDED FURTHER that the time for the submission of the report may be extended by such period as may be agreed on in writing by all the parties to the dispute.

Section 14. Duties of courts

A court shall inquire into the matters referred to it and report thereon to the appropriate government ordinarily within a period of six months from the commencement of its inquiry.

15. Duties of Labor Courts, Tribunals and National Tribunals

Where an industrial dispute has been referred to a Labor Court, Tribunal or National Tribunal for adjudication, it shall hold its proceedings expeditiously and shall, 102[within the period specified in the order referring such industrial dispute or the further period extended under the second proviso to sub-section (2A) of section 10], submit its award to the appropriate government.

Section 16. Form of report or award

(1) The report of a Board or court shall be in writing and shall be signed by all the members of the Board or court, as the case may be :

PROVIDED that nothing in this section shall be deemed to prevent any member of the Board or court from recording any minute of dissent from a report or from any recommendation made therein.

(2) The award of a Labor Court or Tribunal or National Tribunal shall be in writing and shall be signed by its presiding officer.

Section 17.Publication of report and award

(1) Every report of a Board or court together with any minute of dissent recorded therewith, every arbitration award and every award of a Labor Court, Tribunal or National Tribunal shall, within a period of thirty days from the date of its receipt by the appropriate government, be published in such manner as the appropriate government thinks fit.

(2) Subject to the provisions of section 17A, the award published under sub-section (1) shall be final and shall not be called in question by any court in any manner whatsoever.

Section 17A. Commencement of the award

(1) An award (including an arbitration award) shall become enforceable on the expiry of thirty days from the date of its publication under section 17:

PROVIDED that-

(a) if the appropriate government is of opinion, in any case where the award has been given by a Labor Court or Tribunal in relation to an industrial dispute to which it is a party; or

(b) if the Central Government is of opinion, in any case where the award has been given by a National Tribunal, that it will be inexpedient on public grounds affecting national economy or social justice to give effect to the whole or any part of the award, the appropriate government, or as the case may be, the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, declare that the award shall not become enforceable on the expiry of the said period of thirty days.

(2) Where any declaration has been made in relation to an award under the proviso to sub-section (1), the appropriate government or the Central Government may, within ninety days from the date of publication of the award under section 17, make an order rejecting or modifying the award, and shall, on the first available opportunity, lay the award together with a copy of the order before the Legislature of the State, if the order has been made by a State Government, or before Parliament, if the order has been made by the Central Government.

(3) Where any award as rejected or modified by an order made under sub-section (2) is laid before the Legislature of a State or before Parliament, such award shall become enforceable on the expiry of fifteen days from the date on which it is so laid; and where no order under sub-section (2) is made in pursuance of a declaration under the proviso to sub-section (1), the award shall become enforceable on the expiry of the period of ninety days referred to in sub-section (2).

(4) Subject to the provisions of sub-section (1) and sub-section (3) regarding the enforceability of an award, the award shall come into operation with effect from such date as may be specified therein, but where no date is so specified, it shall come into operation on the date when the award becomes enforceable under sub-section (1) or sub-section (3), as the case may be.]

Section 17B. Payment of full wages to workman pending proceedings in higher courts

Where in any case, a Labor Court, Tribunal or National Tribunal by its award directs reinstatement of any workman and the employer prefers any proceedings against such award in a High Court or the Supreme Court, the employer shall be liable to pay such workman, during the period of pendency of such proceedings in the High Court or the Supreme Court, full wages last drawn by him, inclusive of any maintenance allowance admissible to him under any rule if the workman had not been employed in any establishment during such period and an affidavit by such workman had been filed to that effect in such court:

PROVIDED that where it is proved to the satisfaction of the High Court or the Supreme Court that such workman had been employed and had been receiving adequate remuneration during any such period or part thereof, the court shall order that no wages shall be payable under this section for such period or part, as the case may be.]

Industrial Disputes Act, 1947
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