Industrial Relations Act, 2012 — section 64

64. Conditions of service to remain unchanged while proceedings pending..—(1) No employer shall, while any conciliation proceedings or proceedings before an Arbitrator or the Commission in respect of an industrial dispute are pending, alter to the disadvantage of any workman concerned in such dispute, the conditions of service applicable to him before the commencement of such conciliation proceedings, or of the proceedings before an arbitrator, as the case may be, nor shall he save with the permission of the Conciliator, the Arbitrator or the Commission, discharge, dismiss or otherwise punish any workman except for misconduct not connected with such dispute.

(2)Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (1), an officer of a registered trade union shall not, during the pendency of any proceedings referred to in sub-section (1), be discharged, terminated, dismissed or otherwise punished for misconduct, except with the previous permission of the Commission. However, the terms and conditions of employment secured by the workers through collective bargaining agreements, awards and decisions of Courts shall continue to be binding upon the parties until revised for betterment of workers.