Article 143 — of this Proclamation;

c) to hear cases on prohibited actions referred to in Article 161 of this Proclamation; d) to require any person or organization to submit information and documents required by it for the carrying out of its duties; e) to require parties and witnesses to appear at its hearings; f) to administer oaths or take affirmations of persons appearing before it and examine any such persons after such an oath or affirmation; g) to enter the premises of any working place or undertaking during working hours in order to obtain relevant information, hear witnesses or to require the submission of documents or other articles for inspection from any person in the premises. 2/ An Ad hoc Board shall have the power to entertain labour disputes on matters specified in sub-article l (a) of Article 143 of this Proclamation, to conciliate the parties and to give orders and decisions. 3/ Except in cases of urgency the person in charge of the premises or the undertaking shall be given reasonable advance notice before any entry in accordance with sub-article 1(g) of this Article. 4/ Orders and decisions handed down by a permanent or Ad hoc Board shall be considered as any civil case decisions. 149. Rules of Procedure A Permanent or an Ad hoc board may adopt its own rules of evidence and procedure. In the absence of own procedure, the provisions of the Civil Procedure Code shall apply. 150. Hearings of cases 1/ Before disposing the case, a Permanent or An adhoc Board shall summon the parties concerned and provide them the opportunity to be heard. At least ten working days advance notice shall be given to the parties and the summons shall specify the date, time and place of the hearing. 2/ If any of the parties or any other person properly summoned fails to appear at the time and place, the Board may proceed with the hearing. If the failure to appear was not attributable to the person concerned, the Board shall grant that person another opportunity to appear before it. 3/ No appeal may be lodged solely against the Board’s ruling in accordance with sub-article (2) of this Article. 4/ All deliberations of the Board shall be public unless the Board, for good cause, decides otherwise. 5/ A Permanent or an Ad hoc board shall not be bound by the rules of evidence and procedure applicable to Courts of law and may apply any method as it thinks fit. 6/ Trade Unions, employers’ Associations and other parties summoned to appear at a hearing may be represented by their duly authorized representatives or legal counsel. The Board may limit the number of such representatives who may actively participate in a hearing on behalf of any party. 151. Consideration of Matters 1/ The permanent or the Ad Hoc Board shall exert all possible effort to settle the disputes before it amicably, and to this end it shall employ and make use of all conciliatory means as it deems appropriate. 2/ The Board may, in appropriate circumstances, consider not only the interests of the parties before it but also the interest of the community of which they belong and may in such circumstances call up on the Government to intervene as an impartial advisor. 3/ In arriving at decision, the Permanent or Ad Hoc Board shall take into account the main merit of the case, and need not follow strictly the principles of substantive law followed by Civil Courts. 152. Decisions 1/ A Permanent or An ad hoc Board shall give render a decision within 30 days from the date when the claim is filed. 2/ Decisions of a Permanent or an Ad hoc Board shall be made in writing and signed by the Board members who concur therein. Dissenting opinions, if any, shall also be made in writing and signed by the dissenting member. 3/ In every decision of a Board the decision shall contain the following: a) The issue or dispute identified for decision; b) The relevant testimony and evidence recorded together with their sources in the course of the proceedings; c) The findings of the B o a r d and the evaluation of the evidence which led the Board to make such findings; d) The disposition of each issue or dispute; e) The action to be taken on the basis of such decision. 4/ A copy of the decision of the Board shall be served to the parties concerned within five days from the date of the decision. 153. Effects of Decisions 1) Without prejudice to Article 155 of this Proclamation, any decision of a Permanent or an Ad hoc Board shall have an immediate effect. 2) Where the decision of a Permanent or an Ad hoc Board relates to working conditions, it shall be considered as the terms of the contract of employment between the employer and the worker, to whom it applies, and the contract shall be adjusted accordingly. 154. Finality of Board’s Findings of Fact All findings of facts made by a Board shall be final and conclusive. 155. Appeal 1/ In any labour dispute an appeal may be taken to the High Court by an aggrieved party on questions of law, within 30 days after the decision has been served to the parties. 2/ The High Court shall have the power to affirm, reverse or modify the decision of the Board. 3/ The High Court shall render its decision within 30 days from the date on which the appeal is submitted to it. 156. Offences against Permanent or Ad Hoc Board 1/ Whosever in the course of a board inquiry, proceeding or hearing in any manner disturbs deliberations shall be punishable with simple imprisonment not exceeding six months or with fine not exceeding Birr 1000. 2/ Where the offence described in sub-article (1) of this Article is not committed openly or out of court session, the punishment, except in more serious cases, shall be a fine not exceeding Birr 500. 3/ Proceedings of the Board shall be considered quasi-judicial proceedings and the Board a competent judicial tribunal for the purpose of Article 449 of the Criminal Code, and violations thereof shall be punishable as provided there under. 4/ The Board may punish any person who committed any offence described in this Article. 157. Annual Report A Permanent or an A dhoc board shall have the responsibility to submit to the Minister or competent authority annual report of its activities.