Bombay Industrial Relations Act (extended to Gujarat), 1946
[Subject to the provisions of section 33A, the following shall be entitled] [to appear or act] in the order of preference specified as the representative of employees in an industry in any local area— (i) a Representative Union for such industry ; (ii) a Qualified or Primary Union of which the majority of employees directly affected by the change concerned are members ; (iii) any Qualified or Primary Union in respect of such industry authorised in the prescribed manner in that behalf by the employees concerned ; (iv) the Labour Officer, if authorised by the employees concerned ; (v) the persons elected by the employees in accordance with the provisions of section 28 or where the proviso to sub-section (1) thereof applies, the employees themselves ; (vi) the Labour Officer : Provided— Firstly, that the persons entitled [to appear or act] under clause (v) may authorise any Qualified or Primary Union in respect of such industry [to appear or act] instead of them ; Secondly, that where the Labour Officer is the representative of the employees, he shall not enter into any agreement under section 44 or settlement under section 58 unless the terms of such agreement or settlement, as the case may be, are accepted by them in the prescribed manner ; Thirdly, where in any proceeding the persons entitled [to appear or act] under clause (v) are more than five, the prescribed number elected from amongst them in the prescribed manner shall be entitled [to appear or act] instead.