Section 60: Commencement and conclusion of proceedings
Reviewed by Finin2min Editorial Desk · Last reviewed 30 August 2026
Section 60 — Governs commencement and conclusion of proceedings and the rights, duties, powers or procedure expressly stated in this section. Key operative text: (1) A conciliation proceeding shall be deemed to have commenced on the date on which the first meeting is held by the conciliation officer in an industrial dispute after the receipt of the notice of strike or lock-out by the…
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) A conciliation proceeding shall be deemed to have commenced on the date on which the first meeting is held by the conciliation officer in an industrial dispute after the receipt of the notice of strike or lock-out by the conciliation officer.
- (2) A conciliation proceeding shall be deemed to have concluded— (a) where a settlement is arrived at, when a memorandum of the settlement is signed by the parties to the dispute;
- (b) where no settlement is arrived at, and failure of conciliation is recorded by the conciliation officer; or (c) when a reference is made to a National Industrial Tribunal, under this Code, during the pendency of conciliation proceedings.
- (3) Proceedings before an arbitrator or a Tribunal or a National Industrial Tribunal under this Code shall be deemed to have commenced on the date of filing application or appeal or on the date of reference of the dispute for arbitration or adjudication, as the case may be, and such proceedings shall be deemed to have concluded on the date on which the award becomes enforceable.
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
Tribunal
Full statutory text — Section 60
60. Commencement and conclusion of proceedings.—(1) A conciliation proceeding shall be
deemed to have commenced on the date on which the first meeting is held by the conciliation officer in
an industrial dispute after the receipt of the notice of strike or lock-out by the conciliation officer.
(2) A conciliation proceeding shall be deemed to have concluded—
(a) where a settlement is arrived at, when a memorandum of the settlement is signed by the
parties to the dispute;
(b) where no settlement is arrived at, and failure of conciliation is recorded by the conciliation
officer; or (c) when a reference is made to a National Industrial Tribunal, under this Code, during
the pendency of conciliation proceedings.
(3) Proceedings before an arbitrator or a Tribunal or a National Industrial Tribunal under this Code
shall be deemed to have commenced on the date of filing application or appeal or on the date of
reference of the dispute for arbitration or adjudication, as the case may be, and such proceedings shall
be deemed to have concluded on the date on which the award becomes enforceable.How to apply this provision
- Primary statutory test — (1) A conciliation proceeding shall be deemed to have commenced on the date on which the first meeting is held by the conciliation officer in an industrial dispute after the receipt of the notice of strike or lock-out by the conciliation officer.
- Additional operative limb — (2) A conciliation proceeding shall be deemed to have concluded— (a) where a settlement is arrived at, when a memorandum of the settlement is signed by the parties to the dispute;
- Evidence file — retain facts and records proving the role/status of: 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 commencement and conclusion of proceedings. 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) A conciliation proceeding shall be deemed to have commenced on the date on which the first meeting is held by the conciliation officer in an industrial dispute after the receipt of the notice of strike or lock-out by the conciliation officer.”
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 60
What does Section 60 of the Industrial Relations Code cover?
Section 60 — Governs commencement and conclusion of proceedings and the rights, duties, powers or procedure expressly stated in this section. Key operative text: (1) A conciliation proceeding shall be deemed to have commenced on the date on which the first meeting is held by the conciliation officer in an industrial dispute after the receipt of the notice of strike or lock-out by the…
What is the main legal requirement or power in Section 60?
The first operative clause identified from the official text is: “(1) A conciliation proceeding shall be deemed to have commenced on the date on which the first meeting is held by the conciliation officer in an industrial dispute after the receipt of the notice of strike or lock-out by the conciliation officer.” Read it with the remaining subsections and any proviso below.
Does Section 60 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 60?
No explicit day/month/year/hour/percentage/rupee expression was detected in the official section text.
Which 2026 Central Rules are linked to Section 60?
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 60 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.