Bombay Industrial Relations Act

Objects of the Act: In the preamble of the Bombay Industrial Relations Act, 1946, important objects of the passing of the Act are given. In the preamble it is stated, “An Act to regulate the relations of employers and employees to make provision for settlement of industrial disputes and to provide for certain other purposes. Whereas it is expedient to provide for the regulations of the relations of the employers and employees in certain matters, to consolidate and amend the law relating to the settlement of industrial disputes and to provide for certain other purposes.” Thus the basic objective of the Act is to regulate the relations of employers and employees in the industries to which this Act applies and also to make provisions for settlement of industrial disputes. For the purpose of the Act, different authorities have been appointed or constituted under this Act. Chapter III of the Act provides for the registration of unions while Chapter V deals with the representatives of employers and employees and appearance on their behalf. Besides these, provisions have been made in the Act relating to standing orders (Chapter VII), joint committees (Chapter XI), Wage boards and State Wage boards (Chapter XII-A), illegal strikes and lockouts (Chapter XIV), etc.

Definitions: In Bombay Industrial Relations Act, 1946, unless the context requires otherwise, (1) Central Act means the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947, XIV of 1947; (2) Concern means any premises including the precincts thereof where any industry to which the Central Act applies is carried on (3) Court for the purposes of Chapters VI and VII means the Industrial Court, or as the case may be, the Labour Court : (4) Employee in relation to an industry to which the Bombay Act for the time being applies, means an employee as defined in clause (13) of section 3 of the Bombay Act; and in any other case, means a workman as defined in clause(s) of section 2 of the Central Act (5) Employer in relation to an industry to which the Bombay Act applies, means an employer as defined in clause (14) of section 3 of the Bombay Act; and in any other case, means an employer as defined in clause (g) of section 2 of the Central Act; (6) Industry in relation to an industry to which the Bombay Act applies means an industry as defined in clause (19) of section 3 of the Bombay Act, and in any other case, means an industry as defined in clause (j) of section 2 of the Central Act (7) Industrial Court means an Industrial Court constituted under section

(8) Investigating Officer means an officer appointed under section 8; (9) Labour Court means a Labour Court constituted under section 6; (10) Member means a person who is an ordinary member of a union, and has paid a subscription to the union of not less than 50 paisa per calendar month: Provided that, no person shall at any time be deemed to be a member, if his subscription is in arrears for a period of more than three calendar months during the period of a six months immediately preceding such time, and the expression "membership" shall be construed, accordingly. Explanation: A subscription for a calendar month shall, for the purpose of this clause, be deemed to be in arrears, if such subscription is not paid within three months after the end of the calendar months in respect of which it is due (11) Order means an order of the Industrial or Labour Court (12) Recognised Union means a union which has been issued a certificate of recognition under Chapter III (13) Schedule means a Schedule to this Act (14) Undertaking for the purposes of Chapter III, means any concern in industry to be one undertaking for the purpose of that Chapter : Provided that, the State Government may notify a group of concerns owned by the same employer in any industry to be undertaking for the purpose of that Chapter (15) Union means a trade union of employees, which is registered under the Trade Unions Act, 1926

Authorities under the Act: Provisions have been made to appoint or constitute following authorities, their jurisdiction, duties and powers in the Bombay Industrial Relations Act, 1946. These provisions are as under: (a) Commissioner of Labour (b) Registrar, Additional Registrar and Assistant Registrars (c) Conciliators (d) Board of Conciliation (e) Labour Officers and Assistant Labour Officers (f) Labour Courts (g) Industrial Courts (h) Court of Inquiry (a) Commissioner of Labour: The State Government appoints the Commissioner of Labour by notification in the Official Gazette and imposes certain powers and entrusts certain duties on him, whether generally or for any local area. [Section 4 (2)] (b) Registrar, Additional Registrar and Assistant Registrar: The State Government appoints the Registrar, Additional Registrar and Assistant Registrar by notification in the Official Gazette to be the Registrar, Additional Registrar and Assistant Registrar of Unions respectively for the whole state of Maharashtra. An Additional Registrar is not a subordinate to the Registrar, except in the matters where, by general or specific order, certain orders are given to the Registrar. [Section 5 (1) & (2)]

(c) Conciliators: Section 6 of the Act provides for the appointment of the Chief Conciliator, Additional Chief Conciliator and Special Conciliator. They are appointed by the State Government. (d) Board of Conciliation: The State Government is empowered to constitute a Board of Conciliation for promoting the settlement of industrial disputes. The provisions relating to the constitution of a Board of Conciliation have been made in the Section 7 of this Act. (e) Labour Officers and Assistant Labour Officers: The State Government by notification in the Official Gazette appoints the Labour Officers and Assistant Labour Officers for any local area/s. The job of the Labour Officers and Assistant Labour Officers is to see to it that that there is a cordial relationship between the employers and the employees. (f) Labour Courts: Section 9 lays down that, “the State Government shall, by notification in the Official Gazette, constitute one or more Labour Courts having jurisdiction in such local areas as may be specified in such notification and shall appoint persons having certain qualifications to preside over such courts.” (g) Industrial Court: Section 10 (1) of the Act empowers the State Government to constitute the Court of Industrial Arbitration. The Industrial Court consists three or more members, and one of them functions as its president.

(h) Court of Enquiry: The State Government has empowered under Section 100 (1) to constitute one or more courts of enquiry consisting of such number of persons as the State Government may think fit.

Bombay Industrial Relations Act, 1946 Industrial Relations & Labour Laws

Submitted to:

Mrs. Neha Dixit

Submitted By:

Prajakta Hebbar (17) Pooja Rudrawar (49) Nandan Gilda (15)