Question : PENDING CASES OF INDUSTRIAL DISPUTES

(a) the number of disputes pending for decision in the Central Government Industrial Tribunals and Labour Courts established under the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947 in the country, State-wise particularly in New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Jharkhand;

(b) the time taken by the Government to dispose off a industrial dispute;

(c) whether the Government propose to increase the number of Presiding Officers in the Central Government Industrial Tribunals and Labour Courts keeping in view the number of pending industrial disputes in the country; and

(d) if so, the details thereof?

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF LABOUR (SHRI ASHOK PRADHAN)

(a): A statement is annexed.

(b): The Central Government Industrial Tribunal-cum-Labour Courts are quasi-judicial bodies, the Ministry does not normally interfere with their functioning. However, it has from time to time, impressed upon the Presiding Officers the need to reduce the pendency in the disposal of cases. It has also made a specific provision in the Industrial Disputes Act by an amendment in 1982 to provide that the cases relating to individual workmen should be disposed of within a period not exceeding 3 months. Cases however, take a longer time for disposal as the parties seek repeated adjournments or obtain a stay from the Higher Courts of Law.

(c) & (d): At present there is no proposal to increase the number of Presiding Officers. However, approval has been received for setting up of 5 new Central Government Industrial Tribunal-cum-Labour Courts one each at Delhi, Chandigarh, Ahmedabad, Guwahati and Ernakulam.