The main responsibility of the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) is to interpret and administer the Industrial Relations and Occupational Health and Safety sections of the Canadian Labour Code. The CIRB also contributes to promote effect industrial relations to any work, undertaking or business that falls under the authority of the Parliament of Canada

Parliament of Canada

The Parliament of Canada is the federal legislative branch of Canada, seated at Parliament Hill in the national capital, Ottawa. Formally, the body consists of the Canadian monarch—represented by her governor general—the Senate, and the House of Commons, each element having its own officers and...

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Jurisdiction

The CIRB's jurisdiction is in regard to about a million employees who are engaged in industries under federal jurisdiction. The sectors under federal jurisdiction include inter-provincial transportation, broadcasting

Broadcasting

Broadcasting is the distribution of audio and video content to a dispersed audience via any audio visual medium. Receiving parties may include the general public or a relatively large subset of thereof...

, banking, longshoring, and grain-handling. Also, the CIRB's jurisdiction is private sector employees in Northwest Territories

Northwest Territories

The Northwest Territories is a federal territory of Canada.Located in northern Canada, the territory borders Canada's two other territories, Yukon to the west and Nunavut to the east, and three provinces: British Columbia to the southwest, and Alberta and Saskatchewan to the south...

, Yukon

Yukon

Yukon is the westernmost and smallest of Canada's three federal territories. It was named after the Yukon River. The word Yukon means "Great River" in Gwich’in....

, and Nunavut

Nunavut

Nunavut is the largest and newest federal territory of Canada; it was separated officially from the Northwest Territories on April 1, 1999, via the Nunavut Act and the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement Act, though the actual boundaries had been established in 1993...

. If an employee or employer is not in this jurisdiction then they fall under the jurisdiction of their provincial industrial relations board.http://www.cirb-ccri.gc.ca/about/role/index_e.asp

Activities

Certifying trade unions, investigating complaints of unfair labour practice, issuing cease and desist

Cease and desist

A cease and desist is an order or request to halt an activity and not to take it up again later or else face legal action. The recipient of the cease-and-desist may be an individual or an organization....

 orders in cases of unlawful strikes

Strike action

Strike action, also called labour strike, on strike, greve , or simply strike, is a work stoppage caused by the mass refusal of employees to work. A strike usually takes place in response to employee grievances. Strikes became important during the industrial revolution, when mass labour became...

 and lockouts

Lockout (industry)

A lockout is a work stoppage in which an employer prevents employees from working. This is different from a strike, in which employees refuse to work.- Causes :...

, rendering decisions on jurisdictional issues, and dealing with complex situations arising from a sale of business. The CIRB also help mediate disputes before they result in a strike or lockout.http://www.cirb-ccri.gc.ca/about/role/index_e.asp