Rule 56. Protected workers under sub-section (3) and (4) of section 90 of the Code

(1) Every registered Trade Union connected with an industrial establishment, to which the Code applies, shall communicate to the employer before the 30th April of every year, the names and addresses of such of the officers of the Union who are employed in that establishment and who, in the opinion of the Union should be recognised as protected workers. Any change in the incumbency of any such officer shall be communicated to the employer by the union within fifteen days of such change.

(2) The employer shall, subject to sub-section (3) and sub-section (4) of section 90 of the Code, recognise such workers to be protected workers for the purposes of section 90 and communicate to the Union, in writing, within fifteen days of the receipt of the names and addresses under sub-rule (1), the list of workers recognised as protected workers for the period of twelve months from the date of such communication.

(3) Where the total number of names received by the employer under sub-rule (1) exceeds the maximum number of protected workers, admissible for the industrial establishment, under sub-section (4) of section 90, the employer shall recognise as protected workers only such maximum number of workers:

Provided that where there is more than one registered Trade Union in the industrial establishment, the maximum number shall be so distributed by the employer among the Unions that the numbers of recognised protected workers in individual Unions bear practicably by the same proportion to one another as the membership figures of the Unions. The employer shall in that case intimate in writing to the President or the Secretary of each of the concerned Union the number of protected workers allotted to it:

Provided further that where the number of protected workers allotted to a Union under this sub-rule falls short of the number of officers of the Union seeking protection, the union shall be entitled to select the officers to be recognised as protected workers. Such selection shall be made by the Union and communicated to the employer within five days of the receipt of the employer‘s letter in this regard.

(4) When a dispute arises between an employer and any registered Trade Union in any matter connected with the recognition of ‘protected workers’ under this rule, the dispute shall be referred to Registrar or any authority notified by the State Government whose decision thereon shall be final.