Industrial Disputes Act, 1947
17A. Commencement of the award
(1) An award (including an arbitration award) shall
become enforceable on the expiry of thirty days from the date of its
publication under section 17:
PROVIDED that-
(a) if the appropriate government is of opinion, in any case
where the award has been given by a Labor Court or Tribunal in relation to an
industrial dispute to which it is a party; or
(b) if the Central Government is of opinion, in any case where
the award has been given by a National Tribunal, that it will be inexpedient on
public grounds affecting national economy or social justice to give effect to
the whole or any part of the award, the appropriate government, or as the case
may be, the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette,
declare that the award shall not become enforceable on the expiry of the said
period of thirty days.
(2) Where any declaration has been made in relation to an award
under the proviso to sub-section (1), the appropriate government or the Central
Government may, within ninety days from the date of publication of the award
under section 17, make an order rejecting or modifying the award, and shall, on
the first available opportunity, lay the award together with a copy of the
order before the Legislature of the State, if the order has been made by a
State Government, or before Parliament, if the order has been made by the
Central Government.
(3) Where any award as rejected or modified by an order made
under sub-section (2) is laid before the Legislature of a State or before
Parliament, such award shall become enforceable on the expiry of fifteen days
from the date on which it is so laid; and where no order under sub-section (2)
is made in pursuance of a declaration under the proviso to sub-section (1), the
award shall become enforceable on the expiry of the period of ninety days
referred to in sub-section (2).
(4) Subject to the provisions of sub-section (1) and sub-section
(3) regarding the enforceability of an award, the award shall come into
operation with effect from such date as may be specified therein, but where no
date is so specified, it shall come into operation on the date when the award
becomes enforceable under sub-section (1) or sub-section (3), as the case may
be.]