Section 47: Decision of Tribunal or National Industrial Tribunal
Reviewed by Finin2min Editorial Desk · Last reviewed 30 August 2026
Section 47 — Governs decision of tribunal or national industrial tribunal and the rights, duties, powers or procedure expressly stated in this section. Key operative text: (1) The decision of a Tribunal or a National Industrial Tribunal, as the case may be, shall be by consensus of the members.
All provisions were brought into force from 21 November 2025 under S.O. 5320(E); use the current India Code consolidation because the Code also reflects the 2026 amendment/transition framework.
Provision / India Code ↗ · Official Act PDF ↗ · 2026 Central Rules ↗
Finin2min analysis — what the section actually does
Operative clauses
- (1) The decision of a Tribunal or a National Industrial Tribunal, as the case may be, shall be by consensus of the members.
- (2) If the members of a Tribunal or a National Industrial Tribunal differ in opinion on any point, they shall state the point or points on which they differ, and make a reference to the appropriate Government.
- (3) The appropriate Government shall, on receipt of a reference made under sub-section (2), appoint a Judicial Member of other Tribunal or a National Industrial Tribunal, who shall hear the point or points himself and such point or points shall be decided according to the majority of the members of a Tribunal or a National Industrial Tribunal, as the case may be, who have first heard the case, including the…
Provisos, explanations & qualifications
- No proviso/explanation was separately extracted from this section text.
Thresholds and timelines in the text
- No explicit day/month/year/hour/percentage/rupee expression was detected in this section text.
Actors expressly appearing in the text
Appropriate Government, Tribunal
Full statutory text — Section 47
47. Decision of Tribunal or National Industrial Tribunal.—(1) The decision of a Tribunal or a National Industrial Tribunal, as the case may be, shall be by consensus of the members. (2) If the members of a Tribunal or a National Industrial Tribunal differ in opinion on any point, they shall state the point or points on which they differ, and make a reference to the appropriate Government. (3) The appropriate Government shall, on receipt of a reference made under sub-section (2), appoint a Judicial Member of other Tribunal or a National Industrial Tribunal, who shall hear the point or points himself and such point or points shall be decided according to the majority of the members of a Tribunal or a National Industrial Tribunal, as the case may be, who have first heard the case, including the Judicial Member of the other Tribunal who heard the case thereafter.
How to apply this provision
- Primary statutory test — (1) The decision of a Tribunal or a National Industrial Tribunal, as the case may be, shall be by consensus of the members.
- Additional operative limb — (2) If the members of a Tribunal or a National Industrial Tribunal differ in opinion on any point, they shall state the point or points on which they differ, and make a reference to the appropriate Government.
- Evidence file — retain facts and records proving the role/status of: Appropriate Government, Tribunal.
Rules, forms and cross-references
Direct 2026 Central Rule mapping
Forms mapped
No prescribed form is directly mapped in the current concordance.
Other sections cited in this text
Related Labour Hub resources
A direct concordance is not exhaustive. Central/State jurisdiction, schemes, authority appointments, saved instruments and later notifications may change the practical route without changing the section wording.
Worked example
Suppose an industrial establishment reaches a step governed by decision of tribunal or national industrial tribunal. HR/IR should create a dated file showing coverage, the competent authority/union status, required notice or application, service proof and the result. One operative text point to test is: “(1) The decision of a Tribunal or a National Industrial Tribunal, as the case may be, shall be by consensus of the members.”
Illustration only; it is not statutory text or a substitute for applying the actual facts, jurisdiction, current rule/scheme and official instrument.
Q&A — Section 47
What does Section 47 of the Industrial Relations Code cover?
Section 47 — Governs decision of tribunal or national industrial tribunal and the rights, duties, powers or procedure expressly stated in this section. Key operative text: (1) The decision of a Tribunal or a National Industrial Tribunal, as the case may be, shall be by consensus of the members.
What is the main legal requirement or power in Section 47?
The first operative clause identified from the official text is: “(1) The decision of a Tribunal or a National Industrial Tribunal, as the case may be, shall be by consensus of the members.” Read it with the remaining subsections and any proviso below.
Does Section 47 contain a proviso or explanation?
No standalone proviso or explanation was extracted from this section text. Check the full text below for clause-level qualifications.
What time limit, percentage or amount appears in Section 47?
No explicit day/month/year/hour/percentage/rupee expression was detected in the official section text.
Which 2026 Central Rules are linked to Section 47?
No direct Central Rule is recorded in the current concordance. That does not exclude a relevant scheme, notification, State rule or enabling provision.
Is Section 47 currently operative?
All provisions were brought into force from 21 November 2025 under S.O. 5320(E); use the current India Code consolidation because the Code also reflects the 2026 amendment/transition framework.
Source & verification trail
Act: Industrial Relations Code, 2020 — official India Code PDF ↗
Central Rules: Industrial Relations (Central) Rules, 2026 — G.S.R. 342(E), 8 May 2026 ↗
Official library: Ministry of Labour & Employment — Labour Codes ↗
Source check: 20 August 2026. Individual professional interpretation should be re-reviewed when the section, rules, notification, scheme, State overlay or controlling judgment changes.