(1)A pit committee shall not exceed ten in number and shall consist of representatives of the owners and management of the mine appointed by the owners and of workers employed in or about the mine selected by ballot of the workers in accordance with the regulations from amongst their own number, so however that the representatives of the workers shall constitute half of the number of the pit committee.
(2)The functions of a pit committee shall be to discuss and make recommendations with respect to—
(a)the safety, health, and welfare of the workers in connexion with their work at the mine;
(b)the maintenance and increase of output;
(c)reports made on an inspection under section sixteen of the Coal Mines Act, 1911, which reports shall be referred to the committee by the manager;
(d)disputes arising in connexion with the mine including disputes as to wages;
(e)any other questions and matters relating to the mine which may be prescribed by the regulations.
(3)In the case of a mine for which a pit committee is established the management of the accommodation and facilities for taking baths and drying clothes provided under section seventy-seven of the Coal Mines Act, 1911, shall be under the control of the pit committee instead of that of a committee established in accordance with subsection (5) of that section.
(4)The regulations shall provide for matters which cannot be satisfactorily disposed of by the pit committee being referred to the district committee, or, in the case of questions to which the Coal Mines Act, 1911, applies, to the inspector of the division.
(5)For enabling a pit committee to exercise, their functions under paragraphs (a) and (b) of subsection (2) of this section, the committee shall be entitled to be furnished by the manager of the mine with such relevant information as may be necessary for the purpose, and may appoint two of their members, one being a person concerned in the management of the mine and one being a worker, to make periodical inspections of the mine or any part thereof and to report the result of their inspections to the committee, and the persons so appointed shall have all such facilities for the purpose of making inspections as persons appointed to make inspections under section sixteen of the Coal Mines Act, 1911, and that section shall apply accordingly.
(6)Any recommendations of the pit committee, made on any report under section sixteen of the Coal Mines Act, 1911, which has been referred to the committee, and on any other matters to which that Act relates, shall be sent to the inspector of the division by the manager.