law: Industrial Disputes Act, 1947
  10. Reference of disputes to Boards,
  
  courts or Tribunals
  (1) 63[Where the appropriate government is of opinion
  
  that any industrial dispute exists or is apprehended, it may at any time], by
  
  order in writing-
  (a) refer the dispute to a Board for promoting
  
  a settlement thereof; or
  (b) refer any matter appearing to be connected
  
  with or relevant to the dispute to a court for inquiry; or
   64  [(c) refer the dispute or any matter
  
  appearing to be connected with, or relevant to, the dispute, if it relates to
  
  any matter specified in the Second Schedule, to a Labor Court for adjudication;
  
  or
  (d) refer the dispute or any matter appearing
  
  to be connected with, or relevant to, the dispute , whether it relates to any
  
  matter specified in the Second Schedule or the Third Schedule, to a Tribunal
  
  for adjudication:
  PROVIDED  that where the dispute relates to any
  
  matter specified in the Third Schedule and is not likely to affect more than
  
  one hundred workmen, the appropriate government may, if it so thinks fit, make
  
  the reference to a Labor Court under clause (c):]
   65  [PROVIDED FURTHER that] where
  
  the dispute relates to a public utility service and a notice under section 22
  
  has been given, the appropriate government shall, unless it considers that the
  
  notice has been frivolously or vexatiously given or that it would be
  
  inexpedient so to do. make a reference under this sub-section notwithstanding
  
  that any other proceedings under this Act in respect of the dispute may have
  
  commenced:
   66  [PROVIDED ALSO that where the dispute in relation
  
  to which the Central Government is the appropriate government, it shall be
  
  competent for that government to refer the dispute to a Labor Court or an
  
  Industrial Tribunal, as the case may be, constituted by the State Government]
   67  [(1A) Where the Central Government is of opinion that any
  
  industrial dispute exists or is apprehended and the dispute involves any
  
  question of national importance or is of such a nature that industrial
  
  establishments situated in more than one State are likely to be interested in,
  
  or affected by, such dispute and that the dispute should be adjudicated by a
  
  National Tribunal, then, the Central Government may, whether or not it is the
  
  appropriate government in relation to that dispute, at any time, by order in
  
  writing, refer the dispute or any matter appearing to be connected with, or
  
  relevant to, the dispute, whether it relates to any matter specified in the
  
  Second Schedule or the Third Schedule to a National Tribunal for adjudication.]
  (2) Where the parties to an industrial dispute apply in the
  
  prescribed manner, whether jointly or separately, for a reference of the
  
  dispute to a Board, court, 68[Labor Court, Tribunal or National
  
  Tribunal], the appropriate government, if satisfied that the persons applying
  
  represent the majority of each party, shall make the reference accordingly.
   29  [(2A) An order referring an industrial dispute to a Labor
  
  Court, Tribunal or National Tribunal under this section shall specify the
  
  period within which such Labor Court, Tribunal or National Tribunal shall submit
  
  its award on such dispute to the appropriate government:
  PROVIDED  that where such industrial dispute is
  
  connected with an individual workman, no such period shall exceed three months:
  PROVIDED FURTHER  that where the parties to an industrial
  
  dispute apply in the prescribed manner, whether jointly or separately, to the
  
  Labor Court, Tribunal or National Tribunal for extension of such period or for
  
  any other reason, and the presiding officer of such Labor Court, Tribunal or
  
  National Tribunal considers it necessary or expedient to extend such period, he
  
  may for reasons to be recorded in writing, extend such period by such further
  
  period as he may think fit:
  PROVIDED ALSO  that in computing any period specified in this
  
  sub-section, the period, if any, for which the proceedings before the Labor
  
  Court, Tribunal or National Tribunal had been stayed by any injunction or order
  
  of a civil court shall be excluded:
  PROVIDED ALSO  that no proceedings before a 
  
   Labor Court , Tribunal or National
  
  Tribunal shall lapse merely on the ground that any period specified under this
  
  sub-section had expired without such proceedings being completed.]
  (3) Where an industrial dispute has been referred to a Board,68[Labor
  
  Court, Tribunal or National Tribunal] under this section, the appropriate
  
  Government may by order prohibit the continuance of any strike or lock-out in
  
  connection with such dispute which may be in existence on the date of the
  
  reference.
   34  [ (4) Where in an order referring an industrial dispute to
  
  68[a Labor Court, Tribunal or National Tribunal] under this section
  
  or in a subsequent order, the appropriate government has specified the points
  
  of dispute for adjudication, 68[the Labor Court or the Tribunal or
  
  the National Tribunal, as the case may be,] shall confine its adjudication to
  
  those points and matters incidental thereto.
  (5) Where a dispute concerning any establishment or
  
  establishments has been, or is to be, referred to a 69[Labor Court,
  
  Tribunal or National Tribunal] under this section and the appropriate
  
  government is of opinion, whether on an application made to it in this behalf
  
  or otherwise, that the dispute is of, such a nature that any other
  
  establishment, group or class of establishments of a similar nature is likely
  
  to be interested in, or affected by, such dispute, the appropriate government
  
  may, at the time of making the reference or at any time thereafter but before
  
  the submission of the award, include in that reference such establishment,
  
  group or class of establishments, whether or not at the time of such inclusion
  
  any dispute exists or is apprehended in that establishment, group or class of
  
  establishments.]
   70  [ (6) Where any reference has been made under sub-section
  
  (1A) to a National Tribunal, then notwithstanding anything contained in this
  
  Act, no Labor Court or Tribunal shall have jurisdiction to adjudicate upon any
  
  matter which is under adjudication before the National Tribunal, and
  
  accordingly-
  (a) if the matter under adjudication before
  
  the National Tribunal is pending in a proceeding before a Labor Court or
  
  Tribunal, the proceeding before the Labor Court or the Tribunal, as the case
  
  may be, insofar as it relates to such matter, shall be deemed to have been
  
  quashed on such reference to the National Tribunal; and
  (b) it shall not be lawful for the appropriate
  
  government to refer the matter under adjudication before the National Tribunal
  
  to any Labor Court or Tribunal for
  
  adjudication during the pendency of the proceeding in relation to such matter
  
  before the National Tribunal.
   18 [Explanation:  In this sub-section
  
  "Labor Court" or "Tribunal" includes any court or Tribunal
  
  or other authority constituted under any law relating to investigation and
  
  settlement of industrial disputes in force in any State.]
  (7) Where any industrial dispute, in relation to which the
  
  Central Government is not the appropriate government, is referred to a National
  
  Tribunal, then, notwithstanding anything contained in this Act, any reference
  
  in section 15, section 17, section 19, section 33A, section 33B and section 36A
  
  to the appropriate government in relation to such dispute shall be construed as
  
  a reference to the Central Government but, save as aforesaid and as otherwise
  
  expressly provided in this Act, any reference in any other provision of this
  
  Act to the appropriate government in relation to that dispute shall mean a
  
  reference to the State Government.]
   29  [(8) No proceedings pending before a Labor Court, Tribunal
  
  or National Tribunal in relation to an industrial dispute shall lapse merely by
  
  reason of the death of any of the parties to the dispute being a workman, and
  
  such Labor Court, Tribunal or National Tribunal shall complete such proceedings
  
  and submit its award to the appropriate government.]