The act provides for the following authorities for Investigation and Settlement of industrial disputes:
(i) Works Committee
(ii) Conciliation Officer
(iii) Boards of Conciliation
(iv) Court of Inquiry
(v) Labour Court
(vi) Labour Tribunals
(vii) National Tribunals
Let us discuss these authorities in detail:
WORKS COMMITTEE (Section 3):
The works committee is a committee consisting of representatives of employers and workmen (section3). The works committee is a forum for explaining the difficulties of all the parties.The main objective of the works committee is to solve the problems arising in the day-to-day working of a concern and to secure industrial harmony. The function of the working committee is to ascertain the grievances of the employees and to arrive at some agreement. The committee is formed by general or special order by the appropriate Government in an industrial establishment in which 100 or more workmen are employed or have been employed on any day in the preceding 12 months. It consists of the representatives of employers and workmen engaged in the establishment.
It shall be the duty of the working committee to promote measures for securing and preserving amity and good relations between the employers and workmen and, to that end, to comment upon matters of their common interest or concern and to endeavour to compose any material difference of opinion in respect of such matters and decision of the works committees are not binding.