ISLAMABAD, April 29: The National Industrial Relations Commission, which was established in 1972 as the highest national judicial body to settle industrial disputes, register labour unions and determine collective bargaining agents , stopped functioning on Thursday with the expiry of the term of office of its last remaining Member, Syed Altaf Hussain Shah.

Representatives of workers and employers thronged the commission's office on the last working day of the retiring member of the NIRC, trying to get their cases finalised. Hundreds of cases of workers and employers were pending in the Commission awaiting decision.

The commission comprises eight judges, including a Chairman whose office has been lying vacant since the past two years. Posts of member judges falling vacant from time to time due to retirement or completion of tenure of a member judge have not been filled.

Labour federations and employers federations have been drawing the attention of the high-ups, including the federal labour secretary Humayun Farshori, to the prevailing state of affairs in the commission, but to no avail.

A last ditch effort was made by the labour and employers federations to retain the services of the last outgoing member judge Syed Altaf Hussain Shah, whom both labour and employers consider to be a man of integrity, honest, and competent, but again without any success.

The ministry of labour has been without a minister since the death of Abdul Sattar Laleka. Workers and employers bodies have appealed to the prime minister to take notice of the situation obtaining in the commission.