The
Permanent Arbitration Tribunal was set up in 1973, following the enactment of
the Industrial Relations Act 1973, which was substantially borrowed, from
English Law.
Mauritius
became independent in 1968 and the necessity to meet the needs of parties in
industrial disputes were more apparent, especially at a time when strikes were a
major handicap for the taking-off of a newly independent economy.
Ad
Hoc Tribunals were therefore converted into a permanent one.
Mr
J. Vallet was appointed the first Presiding Judge of the Tribunal and Mr. G.
Desmarais became the first Vice-President.
After
the demise of the latter, Mr Balgobin was appointed Vice President before
becoming the second Presiding Judge.
The
Permanent Arbitration Tribunal was constituted with Mr. Rashid Hossen, as
President. The President and Vice-President must qualify for appointment as
Judges of the Supreme Court.
The
sittings of the Tribunal were at Astor Court Building, adjacent to the Supreme
Court, in Port Louis.
The
number of industrial disputes referred to the Tribunal since its setting up, be
it voluntary or compulsory, i.e by the Minister, is around a thousand, covering
key economic sectors, like Transport, Customs and Manufacturing. If some 170
cases had been disposed summarily, i.e by agreement of parties, the Tribunal was
called to deliver over 400 awards.
In
the application of the Industrial Relations Act, 1973 to the Public Service, the
functions of the Permanent Arbitration Tribunal were exercised by the Civil
Service Arbitration Tribunal. The President of the Civil Service Arbitration
Tribunal was Mr R. Hossen.
The
Permanent Arbitration Tribunal and the Civil Service Arbitration Tribunal merged
as one with the setting up of the Employment Relations Tribunal in February
2009. The first President of the Employment Relations Tribunal was thus Mr. R.
Hossen and the Vice-Presidents of the Tribunal are Messrs I Sivaramen and S.
Janhangeer.
