Rule 42. Manner of holding conciliation proceedings under sub-section (1), full report under sub- section (4), and application and the manner of deciding such application under sub-section (6) of section 53

(1) Where any industrial dispute exists or is apprehended or a notice under section 62 has been given, the conciliation officer on receipt of such application shall examine the application and issue notice to the parties concerned declaring his intention to commence conciliation proceedings.

(2) The employer or the workers representative in the first meeting shall submit their respective statement in the matter of saiddispute.

(3) The conciliation officer shall hold conciliation proceedings for the purpose of bringing about a settlement of the dispute and may do all such things as he thinks fit for the purpose of inducing the parties to come to a fair and amicablesettlement. If a settlement of the dispute or of any of the matters in dispute is arrived at in the course of conciliation proceedings, the conciliation officer shall send a report thereof to the State Government or any officer authorized in this behalf by the State Government together with a memorandum of settlement signed by the parties to the dispute in Form-I.

(4) If no such settlement is arrived at in the conciliation proceeding, the conciliation officer shall submit a report to the State Government or the officer authorized within seven days from the date on which the conciliation proceedings are concluded.

(5) The report referred to in sub-rule (4) shall be made available to the parties concerned.

(6) The report referred to in sub-rule (4) shall contain inter-alia the submissions of the employer, worker or Trade union, as the case may be, and it shall also contain the efforts made by the conciliation officer to bring the parties to the amicable settlement, reasons for refusal of the parties to resolve the dispute and the conclusion of the conciliationofficer.

(7) Any dispute which is not settled during the conciliation proceedings, then, either of the concerned party may make an application in Form-XII, before the Tribunal electronically or otherwise within ninety days from the date of the report submitted under sub-rule(4) for adjudication.

(8) The Tribunal shall direct the party raising the dispute to file a statement of claim with complete details along with relevant documents, list of supporting documents and witnesses within thirty days from the date on which application is filed. A copy of such statement may be sent electronically or otherwise for service on each of the opposite parties in thedispute.

(9) The Tribunal after ascertaining that the copies of statement of claim and other related documents are furnished to the other side by the party raising the dispute, the Tribunal shall fix the first hearing as soon as possible and within a period of one month from the date of receipt of the application. The opposite party or parties shall file their written statement together with supporting documents and the list thereof and list of witnesses, if any, within a period of thirty days from the date of first hearing and simultaneously forward a copy thereof to the opposite party or parties forservice.

(10) Where the Tribunal finds that the party raising the dispute, despite its directions, did not forward the copy of the statement of claim and other documents to the opposite party or parties, it shall give directions to the concerned party to furnish the copy of the statement to the opposite party or parties, granting extension of fifteen days for filing the statement, if the Tribunal finds sufficient cause for not filing the statement of claim and other documents withintime.

(11) Evidence shall be recorded either in the Industrial Tribunal or may be filed on affidavit but in the case of affidavit the opposite party shall have the right to cross-examine each of the deponents filing the affidavit. Where the oral examination of each witness proceeds, the Tribunal shall make a memorandum of the substance of what is being deposed. While recording the oral evidence the Tribunal shall follow the procedure laid down in rule 5 of Order XVIII of the First Schedule to the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 (Central Act No. 5 of1908).

(12) On completion of evidence, arguments may be heard immediately or a date may be fixed for arguments, which shall not be beyond a period of fifteen days from the closure ofevidence.

(13) The Tribunal shall not ordinarily grant an adjournment for a period exceeding a week at a time, but not in any case more than three adjournments in all, at the instance of the parties to the dispute, shall begranted:

Provided that the Tribunal for reasons to be recorded in writing, grant an adjournment exceeding a week at a time but not in any case more than three adjournments, at the instance of any one of the parties to the dispute, shall be granted.

(14) In case any party defaults or fails to appear at any stage, the Tribunal may proceed with the case ex-parte, and decide the application in the absence of the defaulting party:

Provided that the Tribunal may on the application of either party filed before the submission of the award, revoke the order that the case shall proceed ex- parte, if it is satisfied that the absence of the party was on justifiable grounds, and proceed further to decide the matter as contested.

(15) The Tribunal shall communicate its Award electronically or otherwise to the parties concerned and the State Government within one month from the date of the pronouncement of the award.

(16) The Tribunal may summon and examine any person whose evidence appears to it to be material for deciding the case and shall be deemed to be a civil court for the purpose of sections 384, 385 and 386 of the BharatiyaNagarika Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (Central Act No. 46 of 2023).

(17) Where assessors are appointed to advise a Tribunal under sub-section (5) of section 49 in relation to proceeding before it, the Tribunal shall obtain the advice of such assessors, but such advice shall not be binding on such Tribunals.

(18) A party in an award, who wants to obtain a copy of the award or other document, may obtain a copy of the award or other document after depositing the fee electronically or otherwise in the Tribunal in the following manner, namely:-

(a) Fee for obtaining a copy of an award or the document filed in any proceedings of Tribunal be charged at the rate of two rupees per page.

(b) For certifying a copy of any such award or order or document, a fee of Rs. Two per page shall bepayable.

(c) Copying and certifying fees shall be payableelectronically or otherwise.

(d) Where a party applies for immediate delivery of a copy of any such award or document, an additional fee equal to one-half of the fee leviable under this rule shall bepayable.

(19) The representatives of the parties appearing before a Tribunal shall have the right of examination, cross-examination and of addressing the Tribunal when evidence has been called.

(20) The proceedings before Tribunal shall be held in open court:

Provided that the Tribunal may direct any proceeding before it to be held by video conferencing.

Provided further that Tribunal may at any stage direct that any witness shall be examined or its proceedings be held in-camera.