LABOUR ACT, 2003 (ACT 651)
ARRANGEMENT OF
SECTIONS
Section
PART
I—PRELIMINARY
1. Scope of
application
PART II—PUBLIC
EMPLOYMENT CENTRES AND PRIVATE
EMPLOYMENT AGENCIES
2.
Establishment of Public Employment
Centres and registration of
private employment agencies
3. Functions
of the Centres
4.
Registration of unemployed persons
5. Employment
through Centres or Agencies
6. Employment
data
7. Private
Employment Agencies
PART
III—PROTECTION OF EMPLOYMENT
8. Rights of
employers
9. Duties of
employers
10. Rights of
a worker
11. Duties of
workers
12. Contract
of employment
13. Written
statement of particulars of
contract of employment
14.
Prohibition of restrictive
conditions of employment
15. Grounds
for termination of employment
16. Types of
contract of employment
17. Notice of
termination of employment
18.
Remuneration on termination of
employment
19. Exception
PART IV—GENERAL
CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT
Sub-Part
I—Annual leave with pay
20. Leave
entitlement
21. Continuous
service
22.
Interruption of work by public
holidays, sickness of worker etc.
23.
Interruption of work by voluntary
communal work, civic duties and
special leave.
24. Sick leave
not part of annual leave
25. Leave to
be uninterrupted
26. Employer
to bear cost of leave interruption
27. Record of
employment, leave
28. Worker may
take leave in two equal parts
29. Leave
entitlement to be restored to
suspended worker on reinstatement
30.
Termination of employment not to
affect leave entitlement earned
31. Agreement
to forgo leave to be void
32. Sub-Part
not applicable to family concerns
Sub-Part
II—Hours of work
33. Maximum
hours of work
34. Different
hours of work
35. Paid
Overtime
36. Shifts
37. Manual
labourers
38. Unpaid
overtime
39.
Commencement and closing of work
Sub-Part
III—Rest periods
40.
Undertakings to which this
Sub-Part applies
41. Daily rest
period
42. Weekly
rest period
43. Rest
periods not to include public
holidays
44. Exceptions
PART
V—EMPLOYMENT OF PERSONS WITH
DISABILITY
45.
Registration of persons with
disability
46. Special
Incentives
47.
Notification of employment of
persons with disability
48.
Particulars of contract of
employment
49. Persons
with disability in public service
posts
50.
Employment not to cease upon
disablement
51. Length of
notice of termination
52. Transfer
of persons with disability
53. Training
54. Part to
be read as one with other relevant
enactments
PART
VI—EMPLOYMENT OF WOMEN
55. Night
work or overtime by pregnant women
56.
Prohibition of assignment of
pregnant women
57.
Maternity, annual and sick leave
PART
VII—EMPLOYMENT OF YOUNG PERSONS
58.
Prohibition of employment of young
persons in hazardous work
59. Health of
young persons
60.
Registration of young persons
61.
Interpretation
PART VIII—FAIR
AND UNFAIR TERMINATION OF
EMPLOYMENT
62. Fair
termination
63. Unfair
termination of employment
64. Remedies
for unfair termination
65.
Redundancy
66.
Exceptions
PART
IX—PROTECTION OF REMUNERATION
67. Payment
of remuneration
68. Equal pay
for equal work
69.
Prohibited deductions
70. Permitted
deductions
71. Employer
not to compel workers to use its
store
72. Paid
public holidays
PART X—SPECIAL
PROVISIONS RELATING TO TEMPORARY
WORKERS AND CASUAL WORKERS
73. Right to
employ and application of this
part
74. Casual
worker
75. Temporary
worker
76.
Remuneration of temporary and
casual workers
77. Payment
of remuneration for public
holidays
78.
Interpretation
PART XI—TRADE
UNIONS AND EMPLOYERS'
ORGANISATIONS
79. Freedom
of association
80. Formation
of trade union or employers'
organisation
81.
Organisational rights
82.
Independence of trade unions and
employers organisations
83.
Application for registration
84.
Certificate of registration
85. Rules of
trade unions and employers'
organisations
86. Register
of trade unions and employers'
organisations
87.
Protection against discrimination
88. Effect of
registration
89. Change of
name
90.
Amalgamation
91.
Registration of change of name and
amalgamation
92.
Alteration of rules
93. Federation
94. Accounts
and audit
95. Audited
financial statements
PART
XII—COLLECTIVE AGREEMENT
96.
Collective agreement
97. Duty to
negotiate in good faith
98. Contents
of collective agreement
99.
Collective bargaining certificate
100.
Variation of certificate
101.
Negotiating committees
102.
Negotiations by negotiating
committee or joint negotiating
committee
103.
Negotiations may be conducted by a
union officer or member
104. Failure
to negotiate
105. Effect of
collective agreement
106. Notice of
collective agreement to workers
107. Duration
of collective agreements
108. Provision
for dispute settlement
109. Power to
extend collective agreements
110. Effect of
extension of collective agreements
111. Union
dues
PART XIII—
NATIONAL TRIPARTITE COMMITTEE
112.
Establishment of National
Tripartite Committee
113. Functions
of the National Tripartite
Committee
114. Meetings
of the National Tripartite
Committee
115. Regional
and District Tripartite Committees
PART XIV—FORCED
LABOUR
116.
Prohibition of forced labour
117.
Interpretation of "forced labour"
PART
XV—OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH, SAFETY AND
ENVIRONMENT
118. General
health and safety conditions
119. Exposure
to imminent hazards
120. Employer
to report occupational accidents
and diseases
121. Specific
measures
PART XVI—LABOUR
INSPECTION
122. Labour
inspection
123.
Appointment of inspectors
124. Powers of
labour inspectors
125.
Inspectors to maintain
confidentiality
126.
Obstruction of inspectors
PART
XVII—UNFAIR LABOUR PRACTICES
127.
Discrimination
128.
Interference by employers in union
affairs
129. Employer
to facilitate workers trade union
business
130.
Interference that causes financial
loss
131. Union
activities during working hours
132.
Complaints
133.
Commission to make orders
134. Appeals
PART
XVIII—NATIONAL LABOUR COMMISSION
Sub-Part
I—Establishment and Functions of
the National Labour Commission
135.
Establishment of Commission
136.
Composition of the Commission
137.
Qualification of chairperson and
other members of the Commission
138. Functions
and independence of the Commission
139. Powers of
the Commission
140. Meetings
of the Commission
141.
Committees of the Commission
142.
Allowances for members of the
Commission
143. Tenure of
office of members
144. Regional
and District Committees of the
Commission
145. Functions
of a Regional or District
Committee
146. Meetings
of a Regional or a District
Committee
147.
Secretariat for the Commission
148.
Expenditure of the Commission
149. Accounts
and audit
150. Reports
from Regional and District Labour
Committees
151. Annual
reports of the Commission
152.
Regulations by the Commission
Sub-Part
II—Settlement of industrial
disputes
153.
Settlement by negotiation
154. Mediation
155. List of
mediators and arbitrators
156.
Appointment of arbitrators
157. Voluntary
arbitration
158.
Arbitration award
159. Notice of
intention to resort to strike or
lockout
160. Strike
and lockout
161.
Cooling-off period
162. Essential
services
163.
Prohibition of strike or lockout
in respect of essential services
164.
Compulsory reference to
arbitration
165. Powers of
arbitrators
166. Vacancy
in arbitration panel
167.
Publication of compulsory
arbitration award and effect of
arbitration awards on existing
employment contracts
PART
XIX—STRIKES
168. Illegal
strike and lockout
169. Legal
effect of lawful strike or lockout
170. Temporary
replacement of labour
171. Picketing
PART
XX—MISCELLANEOUS
172.
Enforcement of orders of the
Commission
173. Offences
by body of persons
174.
Regulations
175.
Interpretation
176.
Modification of existing
enactments
177. Repeals
and amendment
178. Savings
and transitional provisions
179.
Commencement
SCHEDULES
Schedule
I—Written statement of particulars
of contract of employment
Schedule
II—Form of notice to employer
Schedule
III—Enactments repealed
Schedule
IV—Enactment amended
THE SIX HUNDRED
AND FIFTY-FIRST
ACT
OF THE
PARLIAMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF
GHANA
ENTITLED
LABOUR ACT,
2003
AN ACT to amend
and consolidate the laws relating
to labour, employers, trade unions
and industrial relations; to
establish a National Labour
Commission and to provide for
matters related to these.
DATE OF
ASSENT: 8th October, 2003.
BE IT ENACTED
by Parliament as follows:
PART
I—PRELIMINARY
Section 1—Scope
of Application.
This Act
applies to all workers and to all
employers except the Armed Forces,
the Police Service, the Prison
Service and the Security and
Intelligence Agencies specified
under the Security and
Intelligence Agencies Act 1996
(Act 526).
PART II—PUBLIC
EMPLOYMENT CENTRES AND
FEE-CHARGING EMPLOYMENT AGENCIES
Section
2—Establishment of Public
Employment Centres and
Registration of Private Employment
Agencies.
(1) The
Minister shall by Executive
Instrument establish Public
Employment Centres for the
discharge of the functions stated
in section 3.
(2) A Centre
established under subsection (1)
is answerable to the Minister.
Section
3—Functions of the Centres.
Each Centre
shall
(a) assist
unemployed and employed persons to
find suitable employment and
assist employers to find suitable
workers from among such persons;
(b) take
appropriate measures to
(i) facilitate
occupational mobility with a view
to adjusting the supply of labour
to employment opportunities in the
various occupations;
(ii) facilitate
geographical mobility with a view
to assisting the movement of
unemployed and employed persons to
areas with suitable employment
opportunities; and
(iii)
facilitate temporary transfers of
unemployed and employed persons
from one place to another as a
means of meeting temporary local
maladjustment in the supply of or
demand for unemployed persons;
(c) assist in
social and economic planning by
providing labour market
information to stakeholders to
ensure a favourable employment
situation;
(d) provide
vocational guidance facilities to
young persons;
(e) provide
arrangements for the registration,
employment, training and
retraining of persons with
disability; and
(f) provide
arrangements for the registration
of employed and unemployed persons
(i) with
recognised technical, vocational
or professional qualifications or
those without these
qualifications but have had
experience of a level higher than
that of an artisan;
(ii) who are
of the level of supervisors or
foremen;
(iii) with
experience at administrative,
managerial or senior executive
levels; and
(iv) who have
received training at the tertiary
level.
Section
4—Registration of Unemployed
Persons.
(1) An
unemployed person may make an
application in the prescribed form
to the appropriate Centre for
registration in the appropriate
register.
(2) On receipt
of the application, the officer in
charge of the Centre shall enter
the particulars of the application
in the appropriate register and
issue to the applicant a
certificate of registration in the
prescribed form.
Section
5—Employment through Centres or
Agencies.
An employer may
employ any worker either through a
Centre or a Private Employment
Agency.
Section
6—Employment Data.
(1) The Chief
Labour Officer or an officer
authorised by the Chief Labour
Officer shall, submit to every
employer a questionnaire relating
to employment of workers by the
employer within the respective
Centre.
(2) The
employer shall complete and return
the questionnaire to the Chief
Labour Officer or the authorised
officer within fourteen days after
the expiry of every three month.
(3) Where an
employer fails or refuses to
complete and return the
questionnaire as required under
subsection (2) the Chief Labour
Officer shall direct the employer
to do so within a specified time,
and the employer shall comply with
the direction.
Section
7—Private Employment Agencies.
(1) A person
shall not establish or operate a
Private Employment Agency unless
that person is a corporate body,
has applied to, and has been
granted a licence by the Minister.
(2) A licence
granted by the Minister under
subsection (1) shall, subject to
the terms and conditions
stipulated in the licence, be
valid for a period of twelve
months.
(3) The licence
of an Agency may be renewed for a
period of twelve months upon
application made to the Minister.
(4) There shall
be paid by an Agency for the issue
or renewal of the licence such fee
as the Minister may by legislative
instrument prescribe.
(5) An Agency
may recruit workers for employment
in a country outside Ghana if it
is authorised to do so under its
licence and if there exists an
agreement between the Government
and that other country.
(6) An Agency
shall submit to the Minister not
later than fourteen days after the
end of every three months returns
in respect of workers recruited
for employment, whether in Ghana
or outside Ghana, during that
period.
(7) An Agency
shall refund fifty percent of the
fees paid by a client to the
Agency, if the Agency is unable to
secure a job placement for the
client after the expiration of
three months.
(8) The
Minister shall revoke the licence
of any Agency that fails to comply
with subsection (6).
PART
III—PROTECTION OF EMPLOYMENT
Section
8—Rights of Employer.
Subject to this
Act and any other enactment, the
rights of an employer include the
right to
(a) employ a
worker, discipline, transfer,
promote and terminate the
employment of the worker;
(b) formulate
policies, execute plans and
programmes to set targets;
(c) modify,
extend or cease operations; and
(d) determine
the type of products to make or
sell and the prices of its goods
and services.
Section
9—Duties of Employers.
Without
prejudice to the provisions of
this Act and any other enactment
for the time being in force, in
any contract of employment or
collective agreement, the duties
of an employer include the duty to
(a) provide
work and appropriate raw
materials, machinery, equipment
and tools;
(b) pay the
agreed remuneration at the time
and place agreed on in the
contract of employment or
collective agreement or by custom
without any deduction except
deduction permitted by law or
agreed between the employer and
the worker;
(c) take all
practicable steps to ensure that
the worker is free from risk of
personal injury or damage to his
or her health during and in the
course of the worker's employment
or while lawfully on the
employer's premises;
(d) develop the
human resources by way of training
and retraining of the workers;
(e) provide and
ensure the operation of an
adequate procedure for discipline
of the workers;
(f) furnish the
worker with a copy of the worker's
contract of employment;
(g) keep open
the channels of communication with
the workers; and
(h) protect the
interests of the workers.
Section
10—Rights of a Worker.
The rights of a
worker include the right to
(a) work under
satisfactory, safe and healthy
conditions;
(b) receive
equal pay for equal work without
distinction of any kind;
(c) have rest,
leisure and reasonable limitation
of working hours and period of
holidays with pay as well as
remuneration for public holidays;
(d) form or
join a trade union;
(e) be trained
and retrained for the development
of his or her skills; and
(f) receive
information relevant to his or her
work.
Section
11—Duties of Workers.
Without
prejudice to the provisions of
this Act, the duties of a worker
in any contract of employment or
collective agreement, include the
duty to
(a) work
conscientiously in the lawfully
chosen occupation;
(b) report for
work regularly and punctually;
(c) enhance
productivity;
(d) exercise
due care in the execution of
assigned work;
(e) obey
lawful instructions regarding the
organisation and execution of his
or her work;
(f) take all
reasonable care for the safety and
health of fellow workers;
(g) protect
the interests of the employer; and
(h) take proper
care of the property of the
employer entrusted to the worker
or under the immediate control of
the worker.
Section
12—Contract of Employment.
(1) The
employment of a worker by an
employer for a period of six
months or more or for a number of
working days equivalent to six
months or more within a year shall
be secured by a written contract
of employment.
(2) A contract
of employment shall express in
clear terms the rights and
obligations of the parties.
Section
13—Written Statement of
Particulars of Contract of
Employment.
Subject to the
terms and conditions of a contract
of employment between an employer
and a worker, the employer shall
within two months after the
commencement of the employment
furnish the worker with written
statement of the particulars of
the main terms of the contract of
employment in the form set out in
Schedule I to this Act signed by
the employer and the worker.
Section
14—Prohibition of Restrictive
Conditions of Employment.
An employer
shall not in respect of any person
seeking employment, or of persons
already in his employment
(a) require
that person to form or join a
trade union or to refrain from
forming or joining a trade union
of his or her choice;
(b) require
that person to participate or
refrain from participating in the
lawful activities of a trade
union;
(c) refuse to
employ the person because of that
person's membership of a trade
union;
(d) promise
the person any benefit or
advantage for not participating in
trade union activities; or
(e)
discriminate against the person on
grounds of gender, race, colour,
ethnic origin, religion, creed,
social or economic status,
disability or politics.
Section
15—Grounds for Termination of
Employment.
A contract of
employment may be terminated,
(a) by mutual
agreement between the employer and
the worker;
(b) by the
worker on grounds of ill-treatment
or sexual harassment;
(c) by the
employer on the death of the
worker before the expiration of
the period of employment;
(d) by the
employer if the worker is found on
medical examination to be unfit
for employment;
(e) by the
employer because of the inability
of the worker to carry out his or
her work due to
(i) sickness or
accident; or
(ii) the
incompetence of the worker; or
(iii) proven
misconduct of the worker.
Section
16—Types of Contract of
Employment.
Where by a
contract of employment a worker is
entitled to be paid,
(a)
remuneration at a monthly rate,
the contract is a contract from
month to month;
(b)
remuneration at a weekly rate, the
contract is a contract from week
to week; or
(c)
remuneration at a rate other than
monthly or weekly rate, the
contract is a contract
determinable at will.
Section
17—Notice of Termination of
Employment.
(1) A contract
of employment may be terminated at
anytime by either party giving to
the other party,
(a) in the case
of a contract of three years or
more, one month's notice or one
month's pay in lieu of notice;
(b) in the case
of a contract of less than three
years, two weeks' notice or two
weeks' pay in lieu of notice; or
(c) in the case
of contract from week to week,
seven days' notice.
(2) A contract
of employment determinable at will
by either party may be terminated
at the close of any day without
notice.
(3) A notice
required to be given under this
section shall be in writing.
(4) The day
on which the notice is given shall
be included in the period of the
notice.
Section
18—Remuneration on Termination of
Employment.
(1) When a
contract of employment is
terminated in the manner stated in
section 15, the employer shall pay
to the worker,
(a) any
remuneration earned by the worker
before the termination;
(b) any
deferred pay due to the worker
before the termination;
(c) any
compensation due to the worker in
respect of sickness or accident;
and
(d) in the case
of foreign contract, the expenses
and necessaries for the journey
and repatriation expenses in
respect of the worker and
accompanying members of his or her
family in addition to any or all
of the payments specified in
paragraphs (a), (b) and (c) of
this subsection.
(2) The
employer shall pay to the worker
not later than the date of
expiration of the notice all
remuneration due to the worker as
at that date.
(3) Where no
notice is required, the payment of
all remuneration due shall be made
not later than the next working
day after the termination.
(4)
Notwithstanding section 17(1),
either party to a contract of
employment may terminate the
contract without notice if that
party pays to the other party a
sum equal to the amount of
remuneration which would have
accrued to the worker during the
period of the notice.
Section
19—Exception.
The provisions
of sections 15, 16, 17 and 18 are
not applicable where in a
collective agreement there are
express provisions with respect to
the terms and conditions for
termination of the contract of
employment which are more
beneficial to the worker.
PART IV—GENERAL
CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT
Sub-Part
I—Annual Leave with Pay
Section
20—Leave Entitlement.
(1) In any
undertaking every worker is
entitled to not less than fifteen
working days leave with full pay
in any calendar year of continuous
service.
(2) The
expression "full pay" means the
worker's normal remuneration,
without overtime payment,
including the cash equivalent of
any remuneration in kind.
Section
21—Continuous Service.
(1) Continuity
of service shall not be regarded
as interrupted by mere change of
ownership or management of the
undertaking.
(2) Where the
work is not regularly maintained
throughout the year, the
requirement of continuous service
shall be deemed to have been met
if the worker has worked for not
less than two hundred days in the
particular year.
Section
22—Interruption of Work by Public
Holidays, Sickness of Worker.
Public holidays
and absence from duty due to
sickness certified by a medical
practitioner, and pregnancy and
confinement, shall not affect the
annual leave entitlement of a
worker.
Section
23—Interruption of Work by
Voluntary Communal Work, Civic
Duties and Special Leave.
A period during
which a worker is absent from his
or her normal duties with the
permission of the employer on
account of the worker's
participation in voluntary
communal work, the discharge of
civic duties or the granting of
special leave with or without pay,
shall not be counted as part of
the worker's annual leave.
Section 24—Sick
Leave not Part of Annual Leave.
A period of
absence from work allowed owing to
sickness, which is certified by a
medical practitioner, and which
occurs after the commencement of
and during annual leave shall not
be computed as part of the leave.
Section
25—Leave to be Uninterrupted.
(1) Every
worker is entitled to enjoy an
unbroken period of leave but an
employer, in cases of urgent
necessity, may in accordance with
this section, require a worker to
interrupt his or her leave and
return to work.
(2) Where a
worker is required by the employer
to interrupt his or her leave in
the circumstances specified in
subsection (1) the worker shall
not forfeit the right to the
remainder of the leave but shall
take the leave anytime thereafter.
(3) Where a
worker takes his or her annual
leave at the end of a calendar
year, the leave may continue
except as provided in sub-section
(1) without interruption, into the
following year.
Section
26—Employer to bear Cost of Leave
Interruption.
Any employer
who requires a worker to interrupt
his or her annual leave in the
circumstances stated in section
25, shall make up to the worker
any reasonable expense incurred on
account of the interruption, and
also resumption of the leave by
the worker.
Section
27—Record of Employment, Leave.
(1) A worker
shall, as much as may be possible,
be given notice of the date of
commencement of his or her annual
leave, at least, thirty days
before the worker takes the leave.
(2) Every
employer is required to keep a
record showing the following
particulars,
(a) the date of
employment of each worker employed
by the employer and the duration
of the annual leave to which the
worker is entitled;
(b) the dates
on which the annual leave is taken
by each worker; and
(c) the
remuneration received by each
worker in respect of the annual
leave.
Section
28—Worker May Take Leave in Two
Equal Parts.
Without
prejudice to the provisions of
this Sub-Part, a worker may be
permitted to take his or her
annual leave in two approximate
equal parts.
Section
29—Leave Entitlement to be
Restored to Suspended Worker on
Reinstatement.
Where a worker,
suspended from the service of his
or her employer prior to
disciplinary or criminal
proceedings being taken against
him or her is reinstated, the
worker shall be entitled to take
the leave he or she would have had
if he or she had not been
suspended.
Section
30—Termination of Employment not
to Affect Leave Entitlement
Earned.
(1) Where the
employment of a worker is
terminated, the worker is entitled
to annual leave in proportion to
the period of service in the
calendar year.
(2) The worker
shall not be deprived of any other
grants or awards to which the
worker is entitled including
payment in lieu of notice of
termination.
(3) Subsections
(1) and (2) do not apply to cases
where the employer has the right
to dismiss a worker without
notice.
Section
31—Agreement to Forgo Leave to be
Void.
Any agreement
to relinquish the entitlement to
annual leave or to forgo such
leave is void.
Section
32—Sub-Part not Applicable to
Family Concerns.
This Sub-Part
does not apply to a person
employed in an undertaking in
which only members of the family
of the employer are employed.
Sub-Part
II—Hours of Work
Section
33—Maximum Hours of Work.
The hours of
work of a worker shall be a
maximum of eight hours a day or
forty hours a week except in cases
expressly provided for in this
Act.
Section
34—Different Hours of Work.
The rules of
any undertaking or its branch may
prescribe hours of work different
from eight hours a day on one or
more days in the week, subject to
the following,
(a) where
shorter hours of work are fixed,
the hours of work on the other
days of the week may be
proportionately longer than eight
hours but shall not exceed nine
hours a day or a total of forty
hours a week;
(b) where
longer hours of work are fixed the
average number of hours of work
reckoned over a period of four
weeks or less shall not exceed
eight hours a day or forty hours a
week; or
(c) in the case
of an undertaking the work of
which is of a seasonal nature,
where longer hours of work are
fixed, the average number of hours
of work over a period of one year
shall not exceed eight hours a day
except that the hours of work
which may be fixed under this
paragraph shall not exceed ten
hours a day.
Section 35—Paid
Overtime.
(1) Subject to
subsections (2) and (3), where a
worker in an undertaking works
after the hours of work fixed by
the rules of that undertaking, the
additional hours done shall be
regarded as overtime work.
(2) A worker in
any such undertaking may not be
required to do overtime work
unless that undertaking has fixed
rates of pay for overtime work.
(3) A worker
shall not be compelled to do
overtime work except for
undertakings or enterprises
(a) the very
nature of which requires overtime
in order to be viable; or
(b) which are
subject to emergencies that
require that workers engage in
overtime work in order to prevent
or avoid threat to life and
property.
Section
36—Shifts.
Workers may be
employed in shifts, but the
average number of hours reckoned
over a period of four weeks or
less shall not exceed eight hours
a day or forty hours a week if
there is an established time-table
for the shifts.
Section
37—Manual Labourers.
(1) The
Minister may prescribe shorter
hours of work for workers in jobs
declared to be manual labour and
in jobs likely to be injurious to
health.
(2) Work for
which shorter hours are prescribed
under section (1) shall be deemed
to be equivalent to work done on
the basis of eight hours a day for
the purposes of all rights which
may flow from the employment.
Section
38—Unpaid Overtime.
Notwithstanding
section 35, a worker may be
required to work beyond the fixed
hours of work without additional
pay in certain exceptional
circumstances including an
accident threatening human lives
or the very existence of the
undertaking.
Section
39—Commencement and Closing of
Work.
The time of
commencement and closing of a
worker's hours of work in any
undertaking shall be fixed by the
rules of the undertaking concerned
subject to the following:
(a) in the case
of operations underground, work
commences when the worker enters
the cage or lift to go down and
ends when the worker leaves it at
the surface; and
(b) in the case
of operations underground, where
the work place is reached by going
down a gallery, the hours of work
is reckoned from the time when the
worker enters the gallery to the
time when he or she leaves it at
the surface.
Sub-Part
III—Rest Periods
Section
40—Undertakings to which this
Sub-Part Applies.
In any
undertaking
(a) where the
normal hours of work are
continuous, a worker is entitled
to at least thirty minutes break
in the course of the work, but the
break forms part of the normal
hours of work; and
(b) where the
normal hours of work are, in two
parts, the break should not be of
less than one hour duration and
does not form part of the normal
hours of work.
Section
41—Daily Rest Period.
(1) Without
prejudice to section 40, a worker
shall be granted a daily
continuous rest of at least twelve
hours duration between two
consecutive working days.
(2) The daily
rest of the worker in an
undertaking operating on a
seasonal basis may be of less than
ten hours but of not more than
twelve hours' duration over a
period of at least sixty
consecutive days in the calendar
year.
Section
42—Weekly Rest Period.
A worker shall,
in addition to the rest periods
provided in sections 40 and 41, be
given a rest period of forty-eight
consecutive hours, in every seven
days of normal working hours, and
the rest period may, for
preference, start from Saturday
and end on the Sunday following
and shall wherever possible, be
granted to all of the workers of
the undertaking.
Section 43—Rest
Periods not to Include Public
Holidays.
The rest
periods specified in this Sub-Part
do not include public holidays.
Section
44—Exceptions.
This Sub-Part
and sections 33 and 34 do not
apply to task workers or domestic
workers in private homes.
PART
V—EMPLOYMENT OF PERSONS WITH
DISABILITY
Section
45—Registration of Persons with
Disability.
(1) A person
with disability may apply to the
Centre for registration.
(2) The Centre
shall upon registration of a
person with disability, issue the
person a certificate of
registration in a form determined
by the Chief Labour Officer.
Section
46—Special Incentives.
(1) Special
incentives shall be provided to an
employer who employs persons with
disability.
(2) Special
incentives shall be given to a
person with disability engaged in
a business or enterprise.
(3) The special
incentives shall be determined by
the Minister.
Section
47—Notification of Employment of
Persons with Disability.
An employer who
employs a person with disability
shall notify the nearest Centre of
the employment and where the
employer fails to do so, the Chief
Labour Officer shall direct the
employer to comply.
Section
48—Particulars of Contract of
Employment.
A contract of
employment with a person with
disability shall include the
particulars of the job or post,
the working hours, amount of
remuneration, transport
facilities, and any special
privileges which that person shall
be accorded by virtue of the
employment.
Section
49—Persons with Disability in
Public Service Posts.
Persons with
disability who enter the public
service shall be appointed on the
same terms as persons without
disability, irrespective of
whether they are allowed to work
fewer hours; and shall be
classified in accordance with
their previous period of
qualifying service for the
purposes of promotion and other
public service awards.
Section
50—Employment not to Cease upon
Disablement.
The employment
of a person who suffers disability
after the employment, shall not
cease if his or her residual
capacity for work is such that he
or she can be found employment in
the same or some other
corresponding job in the same
undertaking, but if no such
corresponding job can be found,
the employment may be terminated
by notice.
Section
51—Length of Notice of
Termination.
The length of
notice of termination required to
be given in the case of a person
with disability shall not be
shorter than one month.
Section
52—Transfer of Persons with
Disability.
(1) Subject to
subsection (2), a person with
disability in employment may be
transferred to another job within
the same undertaking if the other
job can be regarded in the light
of all relevant circumstances as a
corresponding job.
(2) The
relevant circumstances mentioned
in subsection (1) in relation to a
person with disability include
(a) the
person's qualifications;
(b) the
person's physical condition;
(c) the
person's place of residence; and
(d) whether the
transfer may worsen the conditions
in which the person entered the
employment.
Section
53—Training.
Where it is
necessary to train or retrain a
person with disability to overcome
any aspect of his or her
disability in order to cope with
any aspect of the person's
employment, the employer may
provide or arrange at the
employer's expense the training or
retraining for the person.
Section 54—Part
to be Read as one with Other
Relevant Enactment.
This Part shall
be read as one with any enactment
on the employment of persons with
disability and where there is a
conflict, the provisions of this
Part shall prevail.
PART
VI—EMPLOYMENT OF WOMEN
Section
55—Night Work or Overtime by
Pregnant Women.
(1) Unless with
her consent, an employer shall not
(a) assign or
employ a pregnant woman worker to
do any night work between the
hours of ten o'clock in the
evening and seven o'clock in the
morning;
(b) engage for
overtime a pregnant woman worker
or a mother of a child of less
than eight months old.
(2) The
pregnant woman worker or the
mother may present a written
complaint to the National Labour
Commission established under
section 135 against an employer
who contravenes subsection (1).
(3) The
Commission shall investigate the
complaint and its decision on the
matter shall subject to any other
law be final.
Section
56—Prohibition of Assignment of
Pregnant Women.
(1) An employer
shall not assign, whether
permanently or temporarily, a
pregnant woman worker to a post
outside her place of residence
after the completion of the fourth
month of pregnancy, if the
assignment, in the opinion of a
medical practitioner or midwife,
is detrimental to her health.
(2) The
pregnant woman worker may present
a written complaint to the
Commission against the employer
who contravenes subsection (1).
(3) The
Commission shall investigate the
complaint and its decision on the
matter shall, subject to any other
law, be final.
Section
57—Maternity, Annual and Sick
Leave.
(1) A woman
worker, on production of a medical
certificate issued by a medical
practitioner or a midwife
indicating the expected date of
her confinement, is entitled to a
period of maternity leave of at
least twelve weeks in addition to
any period of annual leave she is
entitled after her period of
confinement.
(2) A woman
worker on maternity leave is
entitled to be paid her full
remuneration and other benefits to
which she is otherwise entitled.
(3) The period
of maternity leave may be extended
for at least two additional weeks
where the confinement is abnormal
or where in the course of the same
confinement two or more babies are
born.
(4) Where an
illness, medically certified by a
medical practitioner, is due to
her pregnancy, the woman worker is
entitled to additional leave as
certified by the medical
practitioner.
(5) Where an
illness, medically certified by a
medical practitioner, is due to
her confinement the woman worker
is entitled to an extension of the
leave after confinement as
certified by the medical
practitioner.
(6) A nursing
mother is entitled to interrupt
her work for an hour during her
working hours to nurse her baby.
(7)
Interruptions of work by a nursing
mother for the purpose of nursing
her baby shall be treated as
working hours and paid for
accordingly.
(8) An employer
shall not dismiss a woman worker
because of her absence from work
on maternity leave.
(9) In this
Part
(a) "night
work" in relation to women, means
work at any time within a period
of eleven consecutive hours that
includes the seven consecutive
hours occurring between ten
o'clock in the evening and seven
o'clock in the morning but in
industrial undertakings which are
influenced by the seasons, the
work may be reduced to ten hours
in sixty days of the year;
(b) "nursing
mother" means a woman with a child
suckling at her breast for a
period of not more than one year.
PART
VII—EMPLOYMENT OF YOUNG PERSONS
Section
58—Prohibition of Employment of
Young Persons in Hazardous Work.
(1) A young
person shall not be engaged in any
type of employment or work likely
to expose the person to physical
or moral hazard.
(2) The
Minister may, by legislative
instrument, determine the type of
employment that is likely to
expose a young person to physical
or moral hazard.
(3) An employer
shall not employ a young person in
an underground mine work.
(4) A person
who contravenes subsection (1) or
(3) commits an offence and is
liable on summary conviction to a
fine not exceeding 100 penalty
units.
Section
59—Health of Young Persons.
(1) An employer
shall not employ a young person on
any work unless a medical
practitioner has certified that
the young person is in good health
and is medically fit for the work.
(2) Where a
person fails to comply with
subsection (1) the person shall be
ordered by the Minister to have
the medical examination conducted.
Section
60—Registration of Young Persons.
(1) An employer
in an industrial undertaking shall
keep a register of young persons
employed by him or her and their
dates of birth or their apparent
ages.
(2) The Chief
Labour Officer shall direct an
employer who fails to comply with
subsection (1) to do so within a
specified time, and the employer
shall comply with the direction.
Section
61—Interpretation.
In this Part,
"industrial
undertakings" include
(a) mines,
quarries and other works for the
extraction of minerals from the
earth;
(b)
undertakings in which articles are
manufactured, altered, cleaned,
repaired, ornamented, finished,
adapted for sale, broken up or
demolished, or in which materials
are transformed, including
undertakings engaged in
shipbuilding or in the generation,
transformation or transmission of
electricity or motive power of any
kind;
(c)
undertakings engaged in building
and civil engineering work,
including constructional, repair,
maintenance, alteration and
demolition work.
PART VIII—FAIR
AND UNFAIR TERMINATION OF
EMPLOYMENT
Section 62—Fair
Termination.
A termination
of a worker's employment is fair
if the contract of employment is
terminated by the employer on any
of the following grounds:
(a) that the
worker is incompetent or lacks the
qualification in relation to the
work for which the worker is
employed;
(b) the proven
misconduct of the worker;
(c) redundancy
under section 65;
(d) due to
legal restriction imposed on the
worker prohibiting the worker from
performing the work for which he
or she is employed.
Section
63—Unfair Termination of
Employment.
(1) The
employment of a worker shall not
be unfairly terminated by the
worker's employer.
(2) A worker's
employment is terminated unfairly
if the only reason for the
termination is
(a) that the
worker has joined, intends to join
or has ceased to be a member of a
trade union or intends to take
part in the activities of a trade
union;
(b) that the
worker seeks office as, or is
acting or has acted in the
capacity of, a workers'
representative;
(c) that the
worker has filed a complaint or
participated in proceedings
against the employer involving
alleged violation of this Act or
any other enactment;
(d) the
worker's gender, race, colour,
ethnicity, origin, religion,
creed, social, political or
economic status;
(e) in the case
of a woman worker, due to the
pregnancy of the worker or the
absence of the worker from work
during maternity leave;
(f) in the case
of a worker with a disability, due
to the worker's disability;
(g) that the
worker is temporarily ill or
injured and this is certified by a
recognised medical practitioner;
(h) that the
worker does not possess the
current level of qualification
required in relation to the work
for which the worker was employed
which is different from the level
of qualification required at the
commencement of his or her
employment; or
(i) that the
worker refused or indicated an
intention to refuse to do any work
normally done by a worker who at
the time was taking part in lawful
strike unless the work is
necessary to prevent actual danger
to life, personal safety or health
or the maintenance of plant and
equipment.
(3) Without
limiting the provisions of
subsection (2), a worker's
employment is deemed to be
unfairly terminated if with or
without notice to the employer,
the worker terminates the contract
of employment
(a) because of
ill-treatment of the worker by the
employer, having regard to the
circumstances of the case; or
(b) because the
employer has failed to take action
on repeated complaints of sexual
harassment of the worker at the
work place.
(4) A
termination may be unfair if the
employer fails to prove that,
(a) the reason
for the termination is fair; or
(b) the
termination was made in accordance
with a fair procedure or this Act.
Section
64—Remedies for Unfair
Termination.
(1) A worker
who claims that the employment of
the worker has been unfairly
terminated by the worker's
employer may present a complaint
to the Commission.
(2) If upon
investigation of the complaint the
Commission finds that the
termination of the employment is
unfair, it may
(a) order the
employer to re-instate the worker
from the date of the termination
of employment;
(b) order the
employer to re-employ the worker,
either in the work for which the
worker was employed before the
termination or in other reasonably
suitable work on the same terms
and conditions enjoyed by the
worker before the termination; or
(c) order the
employer to pay compensation to
the worker.
Section
65—Redundancy.
(1) When an
employer contemplates the
introduction of major changes in
production, programme,
organisation, structure or
technology of an undertaking that
are likely to entail terminations
of employment of workers in the
undertaking, the employer shall
(a) provide in
writing to the Chief Labour
Officer and the trade union
concerned, not later than three
months before the contemplated
changes, all relevant information
including the reasons for any
termination, the number and
categories of workers likely to be
affected and the period within
which any termination is to be
carried out; and
(b) consult the
trade union concerned on measures
to be taken to avert or minimize
the termination as well as
measures to mitigate the adverse
effects of any terminations on the
workers concerned such as finding
alternative employment.
(2) Without
prejudice to subsection (1), where
an undertaking is closed down or
undergoes an arrangement or
amalgamation and the close down,
arrangement or amalgamation causes
(a) severance
of the legal relationship of
worker and employer as it existed
immediately before the close down,
arrangement or amalgamation; and
(b) as a result
of and in addition to the
severance that worker becomes
unemployed or suffers any
diminution in the terms and
conditions of employment,
the worker is
entitled to be paid by the
undertaking at which that worker
was immediately employed prior to
the close down, arrangement or
amalgamation, compensation, in
this section referred to as
"redundancy pay".
(3) In
determining whether a worker has
suffered any diminution in his or
her terms and conditions of
employment, account shall be taken
of the past services and
accumulated benefits, if any, of
the worker in respect of the
employment with the undertaking
before the changes were carried
out.
(4) The amount
of redundancy pay and the terms
and conditions of payment are
matters which are subject to
negotiation between the employer
or a representative of the
employer on the one hand and the
worker or the trade union
concerned on the other.
(5) Any dispute
that concerns the redundancy pay
and the terms and conditions of
payment may be referred to the
Commission by the aggrieved party
for settlement, and the decision
of the Commission shall subject to
any other law be final.
Section
66—Exceptions.
The provisions
of this Part do not apply to the
following categories of workers:
(a) workers
engaged under a contract of
employment for specified period of
time or specified work;
(b) worker
serving a period of probation or
qualifying period of employment of
reasonable duration determined in
advance; and
(c) workers
engaged on a casual basis.
PART
IX—PROTECTION OF REMUNERATION
Section
67—Payment of Remuneration.
Subject to this
Part, every contract of employment
shall stipulate that the whole of
the salary, wages and allowances
of the worker shall be made
payable in legal tender in
addition to any non-cash
remuneration and accordingly, a
contract of employment that
contains provisions to the
contrary is void.
Section
68—Equal Pay for Equal Work.
Every worker
shall receive equal pay for equal
work without distinction of any
kind.
Section
69—Prohibited Deductions.
(1) An employer
shall not make any deduction by
way of discount, interest or any
similar charge on account of an
advance of remuneration made to a
worker in anticipation of the
regular period of payment of
remuneration.
(2) An employer
shall not
(a) impose a
pecuniary penalty upon a worker
for any cause whatsoever; or
(b) deduct from
remuneration due to a worker, any
amount whatsoever, unless the
deduction is permitted by section
70 or by any other law or is by
way of repayment of an advance of
remuneration lawfully made by the
employer to the worker.
Section
70—Permitted Deductions.
(1) An employer
may, with the consent of the
worker, make any of the following
deductions from the remuneration
of the worker:
(a) any amount
due from the worker in respect of
contributions to any provident,
pension, or other fund or scheme
agreed to by the worker;
(b) any
financial facility advanced by the
employer to the worker at the
written request of the worker or
any facility guaranteed by the
employer to the worker;
(c) any amount
paid to the worker in error, as
remuneration, in excess of what
the worker is legitimately
entitled to, from the employer;
(d) on the
written authority of the worker,
any amount due from the worker as
membership fee or contribution to
an organisation of which the
worker is a member;
(e) for meeting
any loss suffered by the employer
as a result of the loss of, or
damage to, any property or thing
used in connection with, or
produced by, the employer's
business and which is under the
control of the worker;
(f) any
deduction in compliance with an
order made by the Commission.
(2) No
deduction shall be made under
subsection (1)(f) unless the
employer is satisfied,
(a) that the
loss or damage has been caused by
the worker and the worker is
clearly shown to be responsible;
(b) that the
amount to be deducted is fair and
does not exceed the actual value
of the loss or damage suffered by
the employer or that the amount
represents a fair estimate of the
loss or damage suffered;
(c) that the
worker has been given reasonable
opportunity to show cause why the
deductions should not be made; and
(d) that the
rate of the deductions is such as
to avoid hardship to the worker
and his or her dependants.
(3) Where a
worker, who is aggrieved by any
deduction made by his or her
employer under subsection (1), is
unable to resolve the matter with
the employer, the worker may
present a complaint in writing to
the Commission.
(4) The
Commission shall investigate the
complaint and its decision on the
matter shall subject to any other
law be final.
Section
71—Employer not to Compel Workers
to use its Store.
Where an
employer establishes a store for
the sale of commodities to the
workers or operates a service for
them, the employer shall not
coerce the workers to make use of
the store or service.
Section 72—Paid
Public Holidays.
Every worker is
entitled to be paid his or her
remuneration for public holidays.
PART X—SPECIAL
PROVISIONS RELATING TO TEMPORARY
WORKERS AND CASUAL WORKERS
Section
73—Right to Employ and Application
of this Part.
(1) Subject to
this Act, an employer may hire a
worker on terms that suit the
operations of the enterprise.
(2)
Notwithstanding subsection (1),
this Part does not apply to,
(a) piece
workers;
(b) part-time
workers;
(c)
sharecroppers;
(d)
apprentices;
(e) sea-going
personnel in the fishing industry
who are wage earners; and
(f) any person
who works less than an average of
twenty-four hours a week.
Section
74—Casual Worker.
(1) A contract
of employment of a casual worker
need not be in writing.
(2) A casual
worker shall
(a) be given
equal pay for work of equal value
for each day worked in that
organization;
(b) have access
to any necessary medical facility
made available to the workers
generally by the employer;
(c) be entitled
to be paid for overtime work by
his or her employer in accordance
with section 35; and
(d) be paid
full minimum remuneration for each
day on which the worker attends
work, whether or not the weather
prevents the worker from carrying
on his or her normal work and
whether it is possible or not, to
arrange alternative work for the
worker on such a day.
Section
75—Temporary Worker.
(1) A temporary
worker who is employed by the same
employer for a continuous period
of six months and more shall be
treated under this Part as a
permanent worker.
(2) Without
prejudice to the terms and
conditions of employment mutually
agreed to by the parties, the
provisions of this Act in respect
of minimum wage, hours of work,
rest period, paid public holidays,
night work and sick leave are
applicable to a contract of
employment with a temporary
worker.
Section
76—Remuneration of Temporary and
Casual Workers.
(1) Subject to
this section, the minimum
remuneration of a temporary worker
or a casual worker shall be
determined as follows:
(a) where a
temporary worker or a casual
worker is required to work on
week-days only, the minimum
monthly remuneration is the amount
represented by the worker's daily
wage multiplied by twenty-seven;
(b) where a
temporary worker or a casual
worker is required to work every
day in the week, the minimum
monthly remuneration is the amount
represented by three hundred and
sixty-five times his daily wage
divided by twelve.
(2) A temporary
worker or a casual worker referred
to in subsection (1)(a) is not
entitled to 1/27 of his or her
minimum monthly remuneration as
specified in that paragraph for
each day the worker is absent from
work during the month.
(3) A temporary
worker or a casual worker referred
to in subsection (1)(b) is not
entitled to a twenty-eighth,
twenty-ninth, thirtieth or
thirty-first part of his or her
minimum remuneration as specified
in that paragraph for each day the
worker is absent from work during
the month, depending on whether
the month consists of
twenty-eight, twenty-nine, thirty
or thirty-one days.
(4) An employer
shall pay a temporary worker or a
casual worker the full minimum
remuneration for each day on which
the worker attends work, whether
or not wet weather prevents the
worker from carrying on his or her
normal work and whether it is
possible or not, to arrange
alternative work for the worker on
such a day.
(5) A temporary
worker or a casual worker is
entitled to be paid for overtime
work by his or her employer in
accordance with section 35.
Section
77—Payment of Remuneration for
Public Holidays.
(1) Every
employer shall pay each temporary
or casual worker in respect of
every public holiday the full
remuneration which would have been
payable to the temporary or casual
worker for a full day's work if
that day had not been a public
holiday.
(2) Where a
temporary or casual worker attends
and performs work of a full day or
more on a public holiday, the
employer shall pay the worker in
addition, the remuneration which
would have been payable to the
temporary or casual worker for the
work if that day had not been a
public holiday.
(3) Where a
temporary or casual worker attends
and performs work for part only of
a public holiday, the employer
shall pay the worker in addition
to the remuneration provided under
subsection (1), the proportion of
the remuneration for a full day's
work on that day if that day had
not been a public holiday,
represented by the number of hours
for which the temporary or casual
worker has performed work.
(4) Any payment
required to be made under
subsection (1), (2) or (3) in
respect of a public holiday shall
be made after the public holiday
in the same manner as the worker
is normally paid.
(5) When an
employer fails to comply with
subsection (1), (2), (3) or (4),
the temporary worker or the casual
worker aggrieved by the
non-compliance of the employer may
present a written complaint to the
Commission for determination and
the parties shall abide by the
decision of the Commission.
(6) The
Commission may order the employer
to pay, such sum as appears to the
Commission to be due to the
temporary worker or the casual
worker on account of any
remuneration payable to him or her
under this section, and may in
that order specify the time within
which the payment shall be made.
Section
78—Interpretation.
In this Part
"temporary
worker" means a worker who is
employed for a continuous period
of not less than one month and is
not a permanent worker or employed
for a work that is seasonal in
character;
"casual worker"
means a worker engaged on a work
which is seasonal or intermittent
and not for a continuous period of
more than six months and whose
remuneration is calculated on a
daily basis.
PART XI—TRADE
UNIONS AND EMPLOYERS'
ORGANISATIONS
Section
79—Freedom of Association.
(1) Every
worker has the right to form or
join a trade union of his or her
choice for the promotion and
protection of the worker's
economic and social interests.
(2)
Notwithstanding subsection (1), a
worker whose function is normally
considered as
(a) policy
making;
(b) decision
making;
(c) managerial;
(d) holding a
position of trust;
(e) performing
duties that are of highly
confidential nature; or
(f) an agent of
a shareholder of an undertaking,
may not form or join trade unions.
(3) Subject to
subsection (4), the classes of
workers referred to in subsection
(2) shall be determined by
agreement between the employer and
the workers or trade unions.
(4) In
determining whether a worker falls
within the class of workers
referred to in subsection (2), the
parties shall consider the
organisational structure and job
descriptions or functions of the
worker concerned.
Section
80—Formation of Trade Union or
Employers' Organisation.
(1) Two or more
workers employed in the same
undertaking may form a trade
union.
(2) Two or more
employers in the same industry or
trade, each of whom employs not
less than fifteen workers may form
or join an employers organisation.
Section
81—Organisational Rights.
Every trade
union or employers' organisation
has the right to
(a) draw up its
constitution and rules, elect its
officers and representatives;
(b) organise
its administration and activities
and formulate its own programmes;
(c) take part
in the formulation, and become a
member of any federation of trade
unions or employers' organisation
and participate in its lawful
activities; and
(d) affiliate
to and participate in the
activities of, or join an
international workers' or
employers' organisations.
Section
82—Independence of Trade Unions
and Employers Organisations.
A trade union
or an employers' organisation
shall not be subject to the
control of or be financially or
materially aided by a political
party.
Section
83—Application for Registration.
(1) A trade
union or employers' organisation
shall apply in writing to the
Chief Labour Officer to be
registered.
(2) An
application for registration under
subsection (1) shall be submitted
with the constitution, rules,
names of officers and office
address of the trade union or
employers' organisation.
(3) If, after
considering the application, the
Chief Labour Officer is satisfied
that
(a) there has
been compliance with subsection
(2);
(b) the
applicant is a trade union or
employers' organisation duly
established under any enactment
for the time being in force as a
body corporate;
(c) the
internal organisation of the trade
union or employers' organisation
conforms to democratic principles;
(d) the name of
the trade union or employers'
organisation does not closely
resemble that of another
registered trade union or
employers' organisation, so as to
mislead or confuse the public;
(e) the rules
of the trade union or employers'
organisation are in conformity
with section 85; and
(f) the
constitution or rules of the trade
union or employers' organisation
do not discriminate on the grounds
stated in section 87 against any
person,
the Chief
Labour Officer shall register the
trade union or employers'
organisation.
Section
84—Certificate of Registration.
A trade union
or an employer's organisation
registered under section 81 shall
be issued with a certificate of
registration by the Chief Labour
Officer.
Section
85—Rules of Trade Unions and
Employers' Organisations.
The rules of a
trade union or an employers'
organisation shall include
provisions in respect of the
following matters:
(a) the name of
the trade union or organisation;
(b) the
registered office to which
correspondence and notices may be
addressed;
(c) the
principal objects of the trade
union or employers' organisation;
(d) the
qualifications for membership;
(e) the grounds
on which an officer or a member
may be suspended or dismissed from
office or membership;
(f) the
procedure for suspension or
dismissal of an officer or a
member;
(g) the
membership fees and other
subscriptions payable;
(h) the manner
of dissolution of the trade union
or employers' organisation and
disposal of its assets;
(i) the manner
of altering, amending or revoking
its constitution or rules; and
(j) the powers,
functions and duties of officers
of the trade union or employers'
organisation.
Section
86—Register of Trade Unions and
Employers' Organisations.
The Chief
Labour Officer shall keep and
maintain a register of trade
unions and employers'
organisations, in which shall be
entered the prescribed particulars
relating to them and any
alterations or changes affecting
them.
Section
87—Protection against
Discrimination.
(1) A trade
union or employers' organisation
shall not discriminate in its
constitution or rules against any
person on grounds of race, place
of origin, political opinion,
colour, religion, creed, gender or
disability.
(2) The Chief
Labour Officer shall not register
a trade union or employers'
organisation which contravenes
subsection (1), unless the trade
union or employers' organisation
takes steps to rectify the defect
in its constitution or rules
within a period specified by the
Chief Labour Officer.
Section
88—Effect of Registration.
The rights and
powers conferred on trade unions
or employers' organisations under
this Act shall be exercised only
if the trade unions or employers'
organisations are registered in
accordance with this Part.
Section
89—Change of Name.
(1) A trade
union or an employers'
organisation may change its name
in accordance with the
requirements of its constitution
or rules.
(2) A change of
name shall not affect any rights
or obligations of the trade union
or employers' organisation or its
member otherwise the change will
not be valid.
Section
90—Amalgamation.
Any two or more
trade unions or employers'
organisations may in accordance
with the requirements of their
constitutions or rules, amalgamate
to form one trade union or
employers' organisation.
Section
91—Registration of Change of Name
and Amalgamation.
(1) A written
notice concerning a change of name
or amalgamation duly signed by
officers of the trade union or
employers' organisation or the
amalgamated trade union or
employers' organisation shall be
registered with the Chief Labour
Officer within fourteen days after
the change of name or
amalgamation.
(2) The Chief
Labour Officer shall direct the
officer of a trade union or
employers' organisation which
fails to comply with subsection
(1) to do so within a period
specified by the Chief Labour
Officer, and the officer shall
comply with the direction failing
which the change shall not be
valid.
Section
92—Alteration of Rules.
(1) Any
alteration of the rules of a trade
union or an employers'
organisation shall be registered
with the Chief Labour Officer by
the trade union or the employers'
organisation.
(2) The Chief
Labour Officer shall direct the
officer of the trade union or
employers' organisation which
fails to comply with subsection
(1) to do so within a period
specified by the Chief Labour
Officer, and the officer shall
comply with the direction.
Section
93—Federation.
A federation of
trade unions or a federation of
employers' organisation shall be
subject to all the provisions of
this Act applicable to trade
unions or employers'
organisations.
Section
94—Accounts and Audit.
(1) A trade
union or an employers'
organisation registered under this
Act shall
(a) keep books
and records of accounts of its
income, expenditure, assets and
liabilities; and
(b) prepare
annual financial statements
consisting of all income and
expenditure statements in respect
of each financial year of the
trade union or employers'
organisation and a balance sheet
showing its assets, liabilities
and financial position at the end
of that financial year.
(2) The books
and records of accounts and
financial statements shall be
audited within six months after
the end of its financial year by
an auditor appointed by the trade
union or employers' organisation.
Section
95—Audited Financial Statements.
A trade union
or an employers' organisation
shall, within seven months after
the end of its financial year,
submit to the Chief Labour Officer
a copy of its audited financial
statement.
PART
XII—COLLECTIVE AGREEMENT
Section
96—Collective Agreement.
Subject to the
provisions of this Act, a
collective agreement relating to
the terms and conditions of
employment of workers, may be
concluded between one or more
trade unions on one hand and
representatives of one or more
employers or employers'
organisations on the other hand.
Section 97—Duty
to Negotiate in Good Faith.
(1) All parties
to the negotiation of a collective
agreement shall negotiate in good
faith and make every reasonable
effort to reach an agreement.
(2) For the
purpose of subsection (1), either
party to the negotiation shall
make available to the other party
information relevant to the
subject matter of the negotiation.
(3) When any
information disclosed for the
purpose of the negotiation of a
collective agreement is not made
public, the information shall be
treated as confidential by the
party receiving the information
and shall not be disclosed to a
third party without the prior
written consent of the party
providing the information.
(4) The parties
to the negotiation of a collective
agreement shall not make false or
fraudulent misrepresentations as
regards matters relevant to the
negotiations.
Section
98—Contents of Collective
Agreement
Without
prejudice to the other provisions
of this Act and subject to any
agreement between the parties, a
collective agreement may include
provisions on the following
matters:
(a) the class
or category of workers to which it
relates;
(b) the
conditions of work, including the
hours of work, rest period, meal
breaks, annual leave,
occupational health and safety
measures;
(c) the
remuneration and the method of
calculating the remuneration of
the workers;
(d) the period
of probation and conditions of
probation;
(e) the period
of notice of termination of
employment, transfer and
discipline;
(f) the
procedures for the avoidance and
settlement of disputes arising out
of the interpretation,
application, and administration of
the agreement;
(g) the
principles for matching
remuneration with productivity;
and
(h) the
essential services within the
establishment.
Section
99—Collective Bargaining
Certificate.
(1) A trade
union shall make an application to
the Chief Labour Officer for a
certificate appointing that trade
union as the appropriate
representative to conduct
negotiations on behalf of the
class of workers specified in the
collective bargaining certificate
with the employers of the workers.
(2) An
application made under subsection
(1) shall include
(a) the
description of the class of
workers in respect of whom the
application is made and their
estimated number; and
(b) the number
of workers of that class who are
members of the trade union by whom
the application is made.
(3) The class
of workers may be specified in a
certificate issued under this
section by reference to the
employer of the workers or to the
occupation of the workers or in
any other manner sufficient to
identify them.
(4) The Chief
Labour Officer shall subject to
regulations made by the Minister,
determine which union shall hold a
collective bargaining certificate
for the class of workers in a
situation where there is more than
one trade union at the work place.
(5) A
collective bargaining certificate
will be issued to a union for the
same class of workers at a
particular time.
(6) A
certificate issued under this
section shall have effect
notwithstanding that some of the
workers of the class specified are
not members of the trade union
appointed under the certificate.
(7) A
certificate issued under this
section shall be published in the
Gazette by the Chief Labour
Officer.
(8) At any time
after the issue of a certificate
under this section, the Chief
Labour Officer may
(a) at the
request of either the trade union
or employer's organisation; and
(b) after
consultation with the trade union
or employers' organization,
withdraw the
certificate without affecting the
right of the trade union to apply
for a fresh certificate under this
section.
Section
100—Variation of Certificate.
(1) At any time
after the issue of a certificate
under section 99 the Chief Labour
Officer may, after consultation
with the trade union named in the
certificate and the appropriate
employers' organisation, issue an
amending certificate varying the
class of workers specified in the
certificate and any reference in
this Act to a certificate issued
under section 99 shall be deemed
to include such a certificate as
amended under this section.
(2) The
issuance of an amending
certificate shall not affect the
membership of a standing
negotiating committee or a joint
standing negotiating committee
appointed under section 101, but
the employer or workers of the
class specified in the certificate
as varied by the amending
certificate, may nominate
representatives to act either in
the place of or together with
their existing representatives.
(3) When an
amending certificate is issued,
the Chief Labour Officer shall
cause a copy of the amending
certificate to be published in the
Gazette.
(4) When an
amending certificate is issued
extending the class of workers
specified in the original
certificate, and there is in force
a collective agreement which
applies to all workers of the
class specified in the original
certificate, the trade union named
in the certificate shall take such
steps as appear to it to be
appropriate for bringing that
agreement to the attention of all
the workers to whom the agreement
is extended by the amending
certificate.
(5) When an
amending certificate is issued
excluding any persons from the
class of workers specified in the
original certificate, and there is
in force a collective agreement
which applied to those persons,
the amending certificate shall not
affect that application of the
agreement to them, or any right to
vary it, but a collective
agreement made after the issue of
the amending certificate by
another trade union shall have
effect notwithstanding anything in
the previous agreement.
Section
101—Negotiating Committees.
(1) The trade
union appointed in a certificate
issued under section 99 and the
employer of the workers of the
class to which the certificate
relates shall each nominate their
representatives authorised to
conduct negotiations on their
behalf, and the representatives
shall constitute a standing
negotiating committee to negotiate
on matters referred to it.
(2) A standing
negotiating committee referred to
in subsection (1) shall make rules
governing its procedure.
(3) A standing
negotiating committee or joint
standing negotiating committee set
up under this section shall have
the power to appoint
sub-committees to which it may
delegate any of its functions
under this Act.
Section
102—Negotiations by Negotiating
Committee or Joint Negotiating
Committee.
(1)
Negotiations on all matters
connected with the employment or
non-employment or with the terms
of employment or with the
conditions of employment of any of
the workers of the class specified
in a certificate issued under
section 99, shall be conducted
through the standing negotiating
committee or the joint standing
negotiating committee as the case
may be.
(2) Either
party represented on the committee
may give notice to the other party
requiring them to enter into
negotiations on any matters which
may properly be dealt with by the
committee.
(3) An
agreement concluded between the
parties shall be in writing and
signed by a duly authorised member
of the committee representing each
party and two copies of the
agreement shall be deposited with
the Commission and the Chief
Labour Officer.
Section
103—Negotiations may be Conducted
by a Union Officer or Member.
(1) Without
prejudice to section 101, an
officer or a member of a trade
union who is duly appointed by his
or her trade union, may conduct
negotiations on any matter
connected with the employment or
non-employment or terms of
employment or conditions of
employment of any worker who
belongs to the class of workers
specified in the certificate.
(2) A person
conducting negotiations under this
section may give notice to the
parties requiring them to enter
into negotiations on any matters
which may be properly dealt with
by the person and it shall be the
duty of both parties to make every
reasonable effort to come to an
agreement on the matters to which
the notice relates.
(3) An
agreement concluded between the
parties shall be in writing and
signed by the person conducting
the negotiations.
(4) Rules made
under subsection (2) of section
101 may be applicable to
negotiations conducted under this
section and to other matters
relating to such negotiations.
Section
104—Failure to Negotiate.
If the party on
whom a notice is served under
subsection (2) of section 102 or
subsection (2) of section 103,
does not within fourteen days
after service of the notice take
any steps to enter into
negotiations, the Commission shall
direct the party to enter into
negotiations immediately, and the
party shall comply with the
directive.
Section
105—Effect of Collective
Agreement.
(1) An
agreement concluded by a trade
union through a standing
negotiating committee or a joint
standing negotiating committee
shall, so far as the terms of the
agreement permit, apply to all
workers of the class specified in
the certificate.
(2) The
provisions of a collective
agreement concerning the terms of
employment and termination of
employment, and personal
obligations imposed on, and rights
granted to, a worker or employer
shall be regarded as terms of a
contract of employment between
each worker to whom the provisions
apply and his or her employer.
(3) Any
provisions that have effect as
terms of a contract of employment
under subsection (2), shall
continue to have effect after the
expiration of the collective
agreement, so long as they have
not been varied by agreement of
the parties or in pursuance of
this Act.
(4) The rights
conferred on a worker by a
collective agreement shall not be
waived by the worker and, if there
is any conflict between the terms
of a collective agreement and the
terms of any contract not
contained in the collective
agreement, the collective
agreement shall prevail unless the
terms of the contract are more
favourable to the worker; and it
is immaterial whether or not the
contract was concluded before the
collective agreement.
(5) The
withdrawal of a certificate
appointing a trade union under
subsection (8) of section 99 shall
not affect the validity of a
collective agreement made by the
trade union before the certificate
was withdrawn, but any collective
agreement which is made by another
trade union after the withdrawal
of the certificate shall have
effect notwithstanding anything in
the previous agreement.
Section
106—Notice of Collective Agreement
to Workers.
The parties to
the negotiations shall bring the
terms of the concluded collective
agreement to the notice of all the
workers concerned.
Section
107—Duration of Collective
Agreements.
(1) Every
collective agreement concluded
under section 103 shall be for a
term of at least one year.
(2) A party to
a collective agreement shall not
give notice under section 102
requiring the other party to
negotiate with respect to any
matter governed by a collective
agreement unless, at the time when
the notice is served, that
agreement is due, either as a
result of the notice given under
this section or otherwise, to
expire within twenty-eight days
after the service of the notice.
(3) Where no
notice is given under subsection
(2) by either party within thirty
days after the expiration of the
collective agreement, the
collective agreement shall be
deemed to have continued in force
until rescinded by the parties.
Section
108—Provision for Dispute
Settlement.
Every
collective agreement shall contain
a provision for final and
conclusive settlement under Part
XVIII of this Act of all
differences between the persons to
whom the agreement applies.
Section
109—Power to Extend Collective
Agreements.
(1) Where it
appears to the Chief Labour
Officer that
(a) all or any
of the terms of a collective
agreement are suitable for
application to a class of workers
who are engaged in the same kind
of work, or who work in the same
area, as the workers to whom the
collective agreement applies; and
(b) that the
parties who concluded the
agreement were sufficiently
representative of the workers to
whom the agreement is to apply and
their employers,
the Chief
Labour Officer may direct that
those terms of the collective
agreement shall apply in relation
to that class of workers and their
employers as they apply in
relation to workers of the class
specified in the certificate and
their employers.
(2) The Chief
Labour Officer shall not issue any
directive under subsection (1)
unless, three months before
issuing the directive, the Chief
Labour Officer has, after
consultation with the appropriate
employers' organisations and the
trade unions concerned, published
in the Gazette, a notice
(a) describing
the class of workers to whom it is
proposed to apply the agreement,
setting out the text of the
collective agreement; and
(b) giving
particulars of the manner in which
and time within which objections
to the proposal may be submitted
to the Chief Labour Officer.
(3) The Chief
Labour Officer shall take
appropriate steps to bring the
contents of the notice to the
attention of employers and workers
affected by the proposals.
(4) The Chief
Labour Officer shall not issue any
directive under subsection (1)
applying the terms of an agreement
to workers who were not in the
class described in the notice
given under subsection (2).
(5) Where a
collective agreement, the terms of
which are applied by any directive
issued under subsection (1) ceases
to have effect, the directive
shall cease to have effect on the
same date.
Section
110—Effect of Extension of
Collective Agreements.
(1) Any
directive issued under section 109
that extends the provisions of a
collective agreement on terms of
employment and termination of
employment, and personal
obligations imposed on, and rights
granted to, a worker, shall be
regarded as terms of a contract of
employment between each worker to
whom those provisions apply and
his or her employer.
(2) The terms
of a contract of employment under
subsection (1) shall continue to
have effect after the directive
ceases to have effect so long as
those provisions have not been
varied by agreement between the
parties or in pursuance of this
Act.
(3) The rights
conferred on a worker by any
directive issued under section 109
shall not be waived by the worker
and, if there is any conflict
between the term extended by the
directive and the terms of any
contract, the directive shall
prevail, unless the terms of the
contract are more favourable to
the worker.
Section
111—Union Dues.
(1) A trade
union to which this section
applies may issue to the employer
of any workers who are members of
that trade union, a notice in the
form in Schedule II to this Act
requesting the employer
(a) to deduct
from the wages of his or her
workers covered by a certificate
issued under section 99, the sums
specified by the trade union; and
(b) to pay over
the sums deducted as may be
directed by the trade union, and,
subject to this section, the
employer shall comply with the
notice.
(2) A trade
union to which this section
applies may, on issuing a notice
in the form in Schedule II to this
Act or subsequently, issue a
further notice requesting the
employer, out of the amounts which
the employer is to pay over to the
trade union, to remit a proportion
stated in the notice directly to a
specified branch of the trade
union.
(3) A sum
deducted in accordance with a
notice given under this section
shall be in discharge of the
liability of the respective member
of the trade union to pay dues to
that trade union.
(4) A sum which
an employer has in accordance with
a notice under this section
deducted from the wages of a
worker to the trade union shall be
paid over not more than one month
after the date on which the wages
are paid, and the trade union may
sue in its own name for any sum
which ought to have been paid to
the trade union.
PART XIII—
NATIONAL TRIPARTITE COMMITTEE
Section
112—Establishment of National
Tripartite Committee.
There is hereby
established a National Tripartite
Committee which shall be composed
of
(a) the
Minister who shall be the
chairperson;
(b) five
representatives of the Government;
(c) five
representatives of employers'
organisations; and
(d) five
representatives of organised
labour.
Section
113—Functions of the National
Tripartite Committee.
(1) The
National Tripartite Committee
shall
(a) determine
the national daily minimum wage;
(b) advise on
employment and labour market
issues, including labour laws,
international labour standards,
industrial relations and
occupational safety and health;
(c) consult
with partners in the labour market
on matters of social and economic
importance; and
(e) perform
such other functions as the
Minister may request for the
promotion of employment
development and peace in the
labour sector.
(2) The
Minister shall publish in the
Gazette and in such public media
as the Minister may determine, a
notice of the national daily
minimum wage determined under
subsection (1).
(3) The
Ministry shall provide the
National Tripartite Committee with
such secretarial services as the
Committee may require for the
effective performance of its
functions.
Section
114—Meetings of the National
Tripartite Committee.
(1) The
National Tripartite Committee
shall meet at times and at places
determined by the members but
shall meet at least once in every
three months.
(2) The quorum
for a meeting of the National
Tripartite Committee shall be nine
members with at least two members
each representing the Government,
organised labour and employers
organisations.
(3) The
National Tripartite Committee may
invite any interest group to
attend any of its meetings.
(4) Except as
otherwise provided in this
section, the National Tripartite
Committee shall regulate its
proceedings.
Section
115—Regional and District
Tripartite Committees.
(1) The
National Tripartite Committee may
set up sub-committees of the
Committee in such Regions and
Districts as it considers
necessary for the effective
performance of its functions.
(2) The
composition of a Regional or
District sub-committee of the
National Tripartite Committee
shall be determined by the
Committee except that there shall
be equal representation of
Government, organized labour and
employers' organizations.
(3) The
Ministry shall provide a
sub-committee with such
secretarial services as the
sub-committee may require.
PART XIV—FORCED
LABOUR
Section
116—Prohibition of Forced Labour.
(1) A person
shall not be required to perform
forced labour.
(2) It is an
offence for an employer to exact
or cause to be exacted, or permit
to be exacted, for his or her
benefit forced labour from any
worker.
(3) Any
employer convicted of an offence
under subsection (2) is liable to
a fine not exceeding 250 penalty
units.
Section
117—Interpretation of "forced
labour".
In this Part
"forced labour" means work or
service that is exacted from a
person under threat of a penalty
and for which that person has not
offered himself or herself
voluntarily, but does not include
(a) labour
required as a result of a sentence
or order of a court;
(b) labour
required of a member of a
disciplined force or service as
his or her duties;
(c) labour
required during a period when the
country is at war or in the event
of an emergency or calamity that
threatens life and well-being of
the community, to the extent that
the requirement of the labour is
reasonably justifiable in
circumstances of a situation
arising or existing during that
period for the purpose of dealing
with the situation; or
(d) labour
reasonably required as part of
normal communal or other civic
obligations.
PART
XV—OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH, SAFETY AND
ENVIRONMENT
Section
118—General Health and Safety
Conditions.
(1) It is the
duty of an employer to ensure that
every worker employed by him or
her works under satisfactory, safe
and healthy conditions.
(2) Without
limiting the scope of subsection
(1), an employer shall
(a) provide and
maintain at the workplace, plant
and system of work that are safe
and without risk to health;
(b) ensure the
safety and absence of risks to
health in connection with use,
handling, storage and transport of
articles and substances;
(c) provide the
necessary information,
instructions, training and
supervision having regard to the
age, literacy level and other
circumstances of the worker to
ensure, so far as is reasonably
practicable, the health and safety
at work of those other workers
engaged on the particular work;
(d) take steps
to prevent contamination of the
workplaces by, and protect the
workers from, toxic gases, noxious
substances, vapours, dust, fumes,
mists and other substances or
materials likely to cause risk to
safety or health;
(e) supply and
maintain at no cost to the worker
adequate safety appliances,
suitable fire-fighting equipment,
personal protective equipment, and
instruct the workers in the use of
the appliances or equipment;
(f) provide
separate, sufficient and suitable
toilet and washing facilities and
adequate facilities for the
storage, changing, drying and
cleansing from contamination of
clothing for male and female
workers;
(g) provide
adequate supply of clean drinking
water at the workplace; and
(h) prevent
accidents and injury to health
arising out of, connected with, or
occurring in the course of, work
by minimizing the causes of
hazards inherent in the working
environment.
(3) It is the
obligation of every worker to use
the safety appliances,
fire-fighting equipment and
personal protective equipment
provided by the employer in
compliance with the employer's
instructions.
(4) An employer
shall not be liable for injury
suffered by a worker who
contravenes subsection (3) where
the injury is caused solely by
non-compliance by the worker.
(5) An employer
who, without reasonable excuse,
fails to discharge any of the
obligations under subsection (1)
or (2) commits an offence and is
liable on summary conviction to a
fine not exceeding 1000 penalty
units or to imprisonment for a
term not exceeding 3 years or to
both.
Section
119—Exposure to Imminent Hazards.
(1) When a
worker finds himself or herself in
any situation at the workplace
which she or he has reasonable
cause to believe presents an
imminent and serious danger to his
or her life, safety or health, the
worker shall immediately report
this fact to his or her immediate
supervisor and remove himself or
herself from the situation.
(2) An employer
shall not dismiss or terminate the
employment of a worker or withhold
any remuneration of a worker who
has removed himself or herself
from a work situation which the
worker has reason to believe
presents imminent and serious
danger to his or her life, safety
or health.
(3) An employer
shall not require a worker to
return to work in circumstances
where there is a continuing
imminent and serious danger to the
life, safety or health of the
worker.
Section
120—Employer to Report
Occupational Accidents and
Diseases.
An employer is
required to report as soon as
practicable and not later than
seven days from the date of the
occurrence to the appropriate
government agency, occupational
accidents and diseases which occur
in the workplace.
Section
121—Specific Measures.
The Minister
may by legislative instrument make
Regulations providing for specific
measures to be taken by employers
to safeguard the health and safety
of workers employed by them.
PART XVI—LABOUR
INSPECTION
Section
122—Labour Inspection.
There shall be
carried out inspection to
(a) secure the
enforcement of the provisions of
this Act relating to conditions of
work and the protection of workers
at their workplaces, including the
provisions relating to hours of
work, wages, safety, health and
welfare of the workers and the
employment of young persons;
(b) provide
technical information and advice
to employers and workers
concerning the most effective
means of complying with the
provisions of this Act;
(c) bring to
the notice of the Labour
Department or the Commission any
defects of this Act; and
(d) report to
the Labour Department or the
Commission other unfair labour
practices or abuses not
specifically provided for by this
Act.
Section
123—Appointment of Inspectors.
Inspectors
shall be appointed by the
appointing authority of the Civil
Service for the purposes specified
in this Act.
Section
124—Powers of Labour Inspectors.
(1) An
inspector has power to
(a) enter
freely and without notice at any
hour of the day or night to
inspect any workplace during
working hours;
(b) enter
during the day or night any
premises which the inspector has
reason to believe are subject to
inspection;
(c) carry out
any examination, test or inquiry
the inspector considers necessary
in order to ensure that the
provisions of this Act and
Regulations made under this Act
are complied with;
(d) interview,
either alone or in the presence of
witnesses, any employer or worker
on any matter concerning the
application and compliance with
the provisions of this Act and
Regulations made under it;
(e) require the
production of any books, registers
or other documents which relate to
the terms and conditions of
employment of the workers, in
order to ascertain that these are
in conformity with this Act and
Regulations made under it and to
copy the documents or make
extracts from them;
(f) enforce the
posting of notices required by or
under this Act;
(g) take or
remove for purposes of analysis
samples of materials and hazardous
or chemical substances used or
handled by workers in the course
of their employment; and
(h) direct
employers to carry out alterations
to buildings, installations and
plant necessary to avert any
danger or threat of danger to the
health or safety of the workers
within such period as may be
specified in the direction, but no
such period shall be allowed if
the inspector is of the opinion
that there is an imminent danger
to the health or safety of the
workers.
(2) An employer
who is directed under subsection
(1)(h) to carry out any
alterations may,
(a) where the
period within which the
alterations are to be carried out
is specified, appeal to the
Minister against the direction
within seven days before the
expiration of the period; or
(b) where no
period is specified, appeal not
later than seven days after the
direction, against the direction,
to the Minister.
(3) The
decision of the Minister on the
appeal shall subject to any other
law be final, and the employer
shall abide by the decision and
any related consequential order
made.
(4) Where an
appeal is lodged under subsection
(2) the Minister shall direct the
employer to take such interim
measures as the employer considers
necessary to avert any danger or
threat of danger to the health or
safety of the workers pending the
determination of the appeal.
(5) An employer
directed under subsection (1)(h)
to carry out any alterations who
does not appeal to the Minister
against the direction shall
(a) in the case
of imminent danger to health or
safety of workers, carry out the
alterations immediately; or
(b) where the
period for the carrying out of the
alterations, is specified, carry
out the alterations before the
expiration of the period.
(6) An employer
who fails to comply with a
decision or order of the Minister
or an inspector under subsection
(2) or (4) commits an offence and
is liable on summary conviction to
a fine not exceeding 250 penalty
units and in addition shall be
liable to pay compensation to any
person who proves that he or she
has suffered any loss, damage or
injury as a result of the
non-compliance by the employer.
Section
125—Inspectors to Maintain
Confidentiality.
(1) An
inspector shall not
(a) have direct
or indirect interest in any
undertaking he or she is required
to inspect;
(b) divulge
during or after termination of his
or her service, any manufacturing
or commercial secrets or working
processes or confidential
information which may have come to
his or her knowledge in the course
of his or her duties;
(c) disclose
the source of any complaint by
which the inspector is informed of
any contravention of the
provisions of this Act or
Regulations made thereunder or
intimate to the employer or the
employers' representative that an
inspection was carried out in
consequence of such complaint.
(2) An
inspector who contravenes
subsection (1) commits an offence
and is liable on summary
conviction to a fine not exceeding
500 penalty units or to
imprisonment for a term not
exceeding 2 years or to both.
Section
126—Obstruction of Inspectors.
(1) Any person
who willfully obstructs a labour
inspector in the performance of
his or her functions under this
Act commits an offence, and is
liable on summary conviction to a
fine not exceeding 250 penalty
units or to imprisonment not
exceeding 12 months or to both.
PART
XVII—UNFAIR LABOUR PRACTICES
Section
127—Discrimination.
(1) A person
who discriminates against any
person with respect to the
employment or conditions of
employment because that other
person is a member or an officer
of a trade union is guilty of
unfair labour practice.
(2) A person
who seeks by intimidation,
dismissal, threat of dismissal, or
by any kind of threat or by
imposition of a penalty, or by
giving or offering to give a wage
increase or any other favourable
alteration of terms of employment,
or by any other means, seeks to
induce a worker to refrain from
becoming or continuing to be a
member or officer of a trade union
is guilty of unfair labour
practice.
(3) A worker or
group of workers who by any kind
of threat seeks to intimidate the
employer during negotiations of a
collective agreement is guilty of
unfair labour practice.
(4) Employers
or employer's organisations who
seek by any kind of threat to
intimidate the worker during
negotiations of a collective
agreement are guilty of unfair
labour practice.
Section
128—Interference by Employers in
Union Affairs.
An employer who
takes part in the formation of a
trade union or, with the intention
of adversely influencing a trade
union, makes any contribution, in
money or money's worth, to that
trade union, is guilty of unfair
labour practice.
Section
129—Employer to Facilitate Workers
Trade Union Business.
(1) An employer
shall, subject to notice of not
less than twenty four hours, allow
any officer of a trade union whose
members include any of his or her
workers, reasonable facilities and
time to confer with the employer
or workers on matters affecting
the members of the trade union who
are his or her workers and an
employer who fails to give
reasonable facilities and time is
guilty of unfair labour practice.
(2) In this
section "reasonable facilities"
means such facilities as the
employer and his or her workers
may agree are reasonably required
for the purposes stated in
subsection (1).
Section
130—Interference that Causes
Financial Loss.
Subject to the
other provisions of this Act, if a
worker carries on any activity
intended to cause serious
interference with the business of
his or her employer that may
result in financial loss, the
worker is guilty of unfair labour
practice.
Section
131—Union Activities During
Working Hours.
(1) An officer
of a trade union or any other
person shall not during normal
working hours attempt to persuade
or induce a worker, not covered by
a collective agreement, to become
a member or an officer of a trade
union while the worker is on the
premises of his or her employer,
without the consent of the
employer.
(2) An officer
of a trade union or any other
person shall not during normal
working hours confer with an
employee on trade union matters
while the worker is on the
premises of his or her employer
without the consent of the
employer.
(3) A person
who contravenes subsection (1) or
(2) is guilty of unfair labour
practice.
Section
132—Complaints.
The Commission
shall enquire into and determine
complaints of unfair labour
practices brought before it in
accordance with its rules of
procedure.
Section
133—Commission to make Orders.
(1) Where the
Commission finds that a person has
engaged in an unfair labour
practice it may, if it considers
fit, make an order forbidding the
person to engage or continue to
engage in such activities as it
may specify in the order.
(2) Where the
Commission finds that a person has
engaged in an unfair labour
practice under section 127 which
involves the termination of
employment of a worker, the
alteration of his or her
employment or of the conditions of
his or her employment, the
Commission may, if it considers
fit, make an order requiring the
worker's employer
(a) to take
such steps as may be specified in
the order to restore the position
of the worker; and
(b) to pay to
the worker a sum specified in the
order as compensation for any loss
of earnings attributed to the
contravention.
(3) Where the
Commission finds that a person has
engaged in an unfair labour
practice under section 128 by
making a contribution to a trade
union, the Commission may, if it
considers fit, order that the
trade union refund the
contribution.
(4) For the
purposes of enforcing an order of
the Commission under this section,
the order shall have effect as if
it were made by the High Court.
Section
134—Appeals.
A person
aggrieved by an order, direction
or decision made or given by the
Commission under section 133 may,
within fourteen days of the making
or giving of the order, direction
or decision, appeal to the Court
of Appeal.
PART
XVIII—NATIONAL LABOUR COMMISSION
Sub-Part
I—Establishment and Functions of
the National Labour Commission
Section
135—Establishment of Commission.
There is
established by this Act a National
Labour Commission referred to in
this Act as the "Commission".
Section
136—Composition of the Commission.
(1) The
Commission shall consist of the
following persons:
(a) a
chairperson who shall be nominated
by the employers’ organisation and
organised labour except that where
there is failure to nominate a
chairperson within sixty days as
provided, the employers'
organisation in consultation with
organised labour shall submit the
matter to a mediator agreed on by
them; and
(b) six
representatives, two each
nominated by the Government,
employers' organisation and
organised labour.
(2) The
chairperson and the other members
of the Commission shall be
appointed by the President acting
in consultation with the Council
of State.
Section
137—Qualifications of Chairperson
and other Members of the
Commission.
A person is
qualified to be appointed a member
of the Commission if that person
(a) does not
hold office in a political party;
and
(b) has
knowledge and expertise in labour
relations and management, except
that in the case of the
chairperson, the person shall also
be knowledgeable in industrial
law.
Section
138—Functions and Independence of
the Commission.
The functions
of the Commission are as follows:
(a) to
facilitate the settlement of
industrial disputes;
(b) to settle
industrial disputes;
(c) to
investigate labour related
complaints, in particular unfair
labour practices and take such
steps as it considers necessary to
prevent labour disputes;
(d) to maintain
a data base of qualified persons
to serve as mediators and
arbitrators;
(e) to promote
effective labour co-operation
between labour and management; and
(f) to perform
any other function conferred on it
under this Act or any other
enactment.
Section
139—Powers of the Commission.
(1) The
Commission shall exercise the
following powers:
(a) receive
complaints from workers, trade
unions, and employers, or
employers' organisations
(i) on
industrial disagreement; and
(ii) allegation
of infringement of any
requirements of this Act and
Regulations made under this Act;
(b) require an
employer to furnish information
and statistics concerning the
employment of its workers and the
terms and conditions of their
employment in a form and manner
the Commission considers
necessary; and
(c) require a
trade union or any workers'
organisation to provide such
information as the Commission
considers necessary;
(d) notify
employers and employers'
organisations or workers and trade
unions in cases of contravention
of this Act and Regulations made
under this Act and direct them to
rectify any default or
irregularities.
(2) Without
prejudice to subsection (1), the
Commission shall in settling an
industrial dispute, have the
powers of the High Court in
respect of
(a) enforcing
the attendance of witnesses and
examining them on oath,
affirmation or otherwise;
(b) compelling
the production of documents; and
(c) the issue
of a commission or request to
examine witnesses abroad.
(3) The
Commission shall in respect of its
proceedings enjoy the same
privileges and immunities
pertaining to proceedings in the
High Court.
Section
140—Meetings of the Commission.
(1) The
Commission shall meet to settle
industrial disputes, but shall
meet at least once in every two
months to consider matters
affecting its administration and
the performance of its functions.
(2) The
Commission shall at its first
meeting nominate one of its
members as deputy chairperson.
(3) The quorum
at a meeting of the Commission
shall consist of the chairperson
or in the absence of the
chairperson the deputy chairperson
and four other members of the
Commission at least one person
each representing Government,
employers' organisation and
organised Labour.
(4) The
Commission may co-opt any person
to attend meetings of the
Commission as an adviser or a
consultant.
(5) A person
co-opted to attend a meeting of
the Commission does not have the
right to vote on a matter for
determination or decision by the
Commission.
(6) The
Commission may permit to be in
attendance at its meetings such
persons as the Commission may
determine.
(7) Subject to
subsection (2), the Commission
shall regulate its own
proceedings.
Section
141—Committees of the Commission.
(1) The
Commission may appoint
(a) a standing
committee consisting of members of
the Commission; or
(b) an adhoc
committee consisting of
non-members or both members and
non-members of the Commission
as the
Commission considers necessary for
the efficient discharge of its
functions.
(2) The
Commission shall assign to any of
its committees such of its
functions as it may determine.
Section
142—Allowances for Members of the
Commission and its Committee.
The members of
the Commission shall be paid
allowances determined by the
Minister in consultation with the
Minister for Finance.
Section
143—Tenure of Office of Members.
(1) The members
of the Commission shall hold
office for a period of four years
and are eligible for
re-appointment after the
expiration of their tenure of
office.
(2) The
chairperson or a member of the
Commission may at any time resign
his or her office by letter
addressed to the President through
the Minister.
(3) A member of
the Commission may be removed from
the Commission by the President
for inability to perform the
functions of his or her office,
for stated misbehaviour or for any
just cause.
Section
144—Regional and District
Committees of the Commission.
(1)
Notwithstanding section 141, the
Commission may establish in such
Regional and District capitals as
it considers necessary, Regional
and District Labour Committees.
(2) The
composition of a Regional or
District Labour Committee shall be
determined by the Commission
except that there shall be equal
representation of Government,
organized labour and employers'
organization.
(3) The members
of a Regional or District Labour
Committee shall be persons with
knowledge in industrial relations.
(4) A Regional
or District Labour Committee shall
elect from among its membership, a
chairperson and a deputy
chairperson.
Section
145—Functions of a Regional or
District Labour Committee.
A Regional or
District Labour Committee shall
perform in the respective region
or district such of the functions
of the Commission as shall be
assigned to it in writing by the
Commission.
Section
146—Meetings of a Regional or
District Labour Committee.
The provisions
under sections 140 to 143 in
respect of the Commission shall
apply with such modifications as
are necessary to the Regional and
District Labour Committees
provided for under this Act.
Section
147—Secretariat for the
Commission.
The Commission,
a Regional or District Labour
Committee of the Commission shall
be provided with such secretarial
services and staff as may be
necessary for the effective
performance of its functions under
this Act.
Section
148—Expenditure of the Commission.
There shall be
appropriated annually to the
Commission by Parliament such
funds as the Commission requires
to meet the expenditure of the
Commission in the performance of
its functions including those for
its Regional and District
Committees.
Section
149—Accounts and Audit.
(1) The
Commission shall keep books of
account and proper records in
relation to the books of account.
(2) The books
of account and the records shall
be in such form as the
Auditor-General shall approve.
(3) The
Auditor-General or an auditor
appointed by the Auditor-General
shall, within three months after
the expiration of each financial
year, audit the books of account
and records of the Commission in
respect of the preceding year.
(4) The
financial year of the Commission
shall be the same as the financial
year of the Government.
Section
150—Reports from Regional and
District Labour Committees.
A Regional or
District Labour Committee shall
submit to the Commission annual
reports within such period as the
Commission may direct on its
activities, and shall submit such
other reports as the Commission
may request.
Section
151—Annual Reports of the
Commission.
(1) The
Commission shall, within eight
months after the end of each
financial year, submit to the
Minister an annual report on the
activities of the Commission
during that year.
(2) The report
shall include a copy of the
audited accounts of the Commission
in respect of the financial year
and the report of the
Auditor-General or the auditor
appointed by the Auditor-General
on the audited accounts.
(3) The
Minister shall within two months
of the receipt of the annual
report from the Commission submit
the report to Parliament with such
comments as the Minister considers
necessary.
Section
152—Regulations by the Commission.
(1) The
Commission may by legislative
instrument make regulations
providing for
(a) the
procedure for negotiation,
mediation and arbitration
proceedings; and
(b) other
matters necessary for the
effective discharge of its
functions under this Act.
(2) Regulations
made under subsection (1) shall be
under the signature of the
chairperson of the Commission or
in that person's absence under the
signature of the deputy
chairperson.
Sub-Part
II—Settlement of Industrial
Disputes
Section
153—Settlement by Negotiation.
The parties to
an industrial dispute are under an
obligation to negotiate in good
faith with a view to reaching a
settlement of the dispute in
accordance with the dispute
settlement procedures established
in the collective agreement or
contract of employment.
Section
154—Mediation.
(1) Subject to
the time limit in respect of
essential services, if the parties
fail to settle a dispute by
negotiation within seven days
after the occurrence of the
dispute, either party or both
parties by agreement may refer the
dispute to the Commission and seek
the assistance of the Commission
for the appointment of a mediator.
(2) Where the
Commission is satisfied that the
parties have not exhausted the
procedures established in the
collective agreement or have not
agreed to waive those procedures,
the Commission shall order the
parties to comply with those
procedures within such time as the
Commission may determine.
(3) When the
Commission is satisfied that
(a) the parties
have exhausted the procedures
established in the collective
agreement;
(b) the parties
have failed to settle the dispute;
and
(c) none of the
parties has sought the assistance
of the Commission to appoint a
mediator,
the Commission
shall request the parties to
settle the dispute by mediation
within three days of the
Commission becoming aware of the
non-resolution of the dispute.
(4) Where the
parties agree to mediate and at
the end of the mediation
proceedings there is settlement of
the dispute, the agreement between
the parties as regards the terms
of the settlement shall be
recorded in writing and signed by
the mediator and the parties to
the dispute.
(5) The
settlement agreement referred to
in subsection (4) shall be binding
on all the parties unless the
agreement states otherwise.
(6) When at the
end of a mediation proceedings, no
agreement is reached, the mediator
shall immediately declare the
dispute as unresolved and refer
the dispute to the Commission.
Section
155—List of Mediators and
Arbitrators.
(1) The
Commission shall maintain a list
of qualified persons who are
knowledgeable in industrial
relations to serve as mediators or
arbitrators for each region.
(2)
Appointments of mediators or
arbitrators may be made from the
list of mediators and arbitrators.
(3) A person
appointed an arbitrator or a
member of an arbitration panel is
not qualified to serve in that
capacity if the person has any
financial or other interest in the
undertaking or employers' or
workers' organisation involved in
the dispute.
Section
156—Appointment of Arbitrators.
Subject to the
Arbitration Act, 1961 (Act 38), or
any general enactment on dispute
resolution in force, the parties
to an industrial dispute shall
agree on the method of appointment
of arbitrators or arbitration
panel and in the absence of an
agreement by the parties the
Commission shall appoint an
arbitrator or an arbitration
panel.
Section
157—Voluntary Arbitration.
(1) When
mediation fails under section 154
(6) and the dispute is referred to
the Commission, the Commission
shall with the consent of the
parties refer the dispute to an
arbitrator or an arbitration panel
appointed under section 156.
(2) The parties
to an industrial dispute shall,
within three days after the
appointment of an arbitrator or an
arbitration panel under section
156, submit to the arbitrator in
writing a statement of the issues
or questions in dispute signed by
one or more of the parties or
their representatives.
(3) The
arbitrator shall as soon as
possible appoint a time and place
for the hearing and notify the
parties.
(4) If any
party fails to appear before the
arbitrator after the expiration of
seven days after being so
notified, the arbitrator shall
proceed to hear and determine the
dispute.
Section
158—Arbitration Award.
(1) The
decision of the arbitrator or a
majority of the arbitrators shall
constitute the award and shall be
binding on all the parties.
(2) The
arbitrator shall communicate the
award in writing to the parties
and the Commission within
seventy-two hours after the award
has been made except where the
Commission is the arbitrator.
Section
159—Notice of Intention to Resort
to Strike or Lockout.
Where
(a) the parties
fail to agree to refer the dispute
to voluntary arbitration; or
(b) the dispute
remains unresolved at the end of
the arbitration proceedings,
either party
intending to take strike action or
institute lockout, shall give
written notice of this to the
other party and the Commission,
within seven days after failure to
agree to refer the dispute to
voluntary arbitration or the
termination of the proceedings.
Section
160—Strike and Lockout.
(1) A party to
an industrial dispute who has
given notice of intention to
resort to a strike or lockout
under section 159 may do so only
after the expiration of seven days
from the date of the notice and
not at any time before the
expiration of that period.
(2) If the
dispute remains unresolved within
seven days from the commencement
of the strike or lockout, the
dispute shall be settled by
compulsory arbitration under
section 164.
Section
161—Cooling-off Period.
(1) A party to
an industrial dispute shall not
resort to a strike or lockout
during the period when
negotiation, mediation or
arbitration proceedings are in
progress.
(2) Any party
who contravenes subsection (1) is
liable for any damage, loss or
injury suffered by any other party
to the dispute.
Section
162—Essential Services.
(1) In any
industrial dispute that affects
workers engaged in an essential
service, the parties to the
dispute shall endeavour to settle
the dispute within three days of
the occurrence of the dispute by
negotiation.
(2) If after
the expiration of the three days,
the dispute remains unresolved,
the parties shall within
twenty-four hours of the expiry of
the three days, refer the dispute
to the Commission for settlement
by compulsory arbitration under
section 164.
(3) The
Commission shall take immediate
steps, but not later than three
days after the dispute has been
referred to it, to settle the
dispute by compulsory arbitration
under section 164.
Section
163—Prohibition of Strike or
Lockout in Respect of Essential
Services.
An employer
carrying on, or a worker engaged
in, an essential service shall not
resort to a lockout or strike in
connection with or in furtherance
of any industrial dispute
involving the workers in the
essential service.
Section
164—Compulsory Reference to
Arbitration.
(1) When a
dispute is referred to compulsory
arbitration in pursuance of
section 160 or 162, the Commission
shall be the arbitrators and shall
serve on the parties a notice
(a) stating
what, in its opinion are the
unresolved issues between the
parties; and
(b) asking the
parties whether they agree to
those issues.
(2) The
Commission shall, within fourteen
days after service of the notice,
determine the dispute by
compulsory arbitration.
(3) A
compulsory arbitration shall be
composed of three members of the
Commission, one member each
representing Government, organized
labour and employers'
organization.
(4) In a
compulsory arbitration, the
decision of the majority of the
arbitrators shall constitute the
award and shall be binding on all
the parties.
Section
165—Powers of Arbitrators.
An arbitrator
appointed under section 156 or 164
shall have the powers of the High
Court in respect of enforcing
attendance of persons before the
arbitrator or examining such
persons on oath or affirmation and
compelling the production of
documents.
Section
166—Vacancy in Arbitration Panel.
(1) In an
arbitration composed of more than
one arbitrator, where a vacancy
occurs in their number, the
arbitrators may with the consent
of the parties, act
notwithstanding the vacancy.
(2) Where the
parties fail to give their consent
as required under subsection (1),
the party whose number of
arbitrators is affected by the
vacancy, shall appoint another
arbitrator to fill the vacancy
immediately; failing that the
Commission shall appoint another
arbitrator to fill the vacancy.
(3) In a
compulsory arbitration, where a
vacancy occurs in the arbitration
panel, the other member of the
Commission representing the
interest group of the absent
arbitrator shall fill the vacancy.
Section
167—Publication of Compulsory
Arbitration Award and Effect of
Arbitration Awards on Existing
Employment Contracts.
(1) The award
of the Commission in a compulsory
arbitration shall, immediately on
completion be published in the
Gazette by the Commission.
(2) An award
published under subsection (1)
shall be final and binding on the
parties unless challenged in the
Court of Appeal on questions of
law within seven days after the
publication of the award.
(3) Subject to
any appeal, an award arising from
a voluntary or compulsory
arbitration shall prevail over any
contract of employment or
collective agreement in force at
the time of the award and the
terms of the contract of
employment or collective agreement
shall be deemed to have been
modified as far as may be
necessary in order to conform to
the award.
PART
XIX—STRIKES
Section
168—Illegal Strike or Lockout.
(1) Subject to
sections 159 and 160, a strike or
lockout is legal if it is in
sympathy with or in support of a
strike action taken by another
worker or group of workers against
their employer on account of an
industrial dispute with the
employer.
(2) A person
who declares or instigates or
incites others to take part in a
strike or lockout or acts in
furtherance of a strike or lockout
which is illegal under subsection
(1) is liable for any damage, loss
or injury suffered by any other
person as a result of the illegal
strike or lockout
(3) The form of
a strike or lockout in sympathy
with another body or organisation
shall be in a form agreed upon
with the management of the
sympathizers and shall not disrupt
the operational activities of the
enterprise whose workers are
sympathizers.
(4) Without
prejudice to subsection (2) a
worker who takes part in an
illegal strike may have his or her
services terminated by the
employer without notice for breach
of his or her contract of
employment or may forfeit his or
her remuneration in respect of the
period during which he or she is
engaged in the illegal strike.
(5) Without
prejudice to subsection (2), an
employer who resorts to illegal
lockout is liable to pay the
unpaid remuneration of the
workers.
(6) Regulations
may provide further for matters
relating to sympathy strikes.
Section
169—Legal Effect of Lawful Strike
or Lockout.
(1) During any
lawful strike or lockout, the
employment relationship between
the employer and the workers shall
not be affected by the strike or
lockout and any termination of the
contract of employment as a result
of the lawful strike or lockout is
void.
(2) No civil
proceedings shall be brought
against any worker, employer,
trade union or employers'
organisation or an officer or a
member of such trade union or
employers' organisation in respect
of any lawful strike or lockout
action taken in conformity with
the provisions of this Act.
(3) Nothing in
this Part, shall render lawful an
act of physical coercion or
violence against any person or
damage to the property of any
person where the act or damage is
an offence under the Criminal
Code, 1960 (Act 29).
Section
170—Temporary Replacement of
Labour.
(1) An employer
may not employ any person to
perform the work of a worker
participating in a lawful strike
unless the work is necessary to
secure essential minimum
maintenance services at the
undertaking.
(2) A worker
has the right to refuse to do any
work normally performed by the
worker who is participating in a
lawful strike except that the
worker shall not refuse to perform
the work if it is necessary to
secure minimum maintenance
services.
(3) A dispute
as to whether a work is necessary
to secure minimum maintenance
services shall be referred to the
Commission for determination, and
the decision of the Commission
shall subject to any other law be
final.
(4) For the
purposes of this section "minimum
maintenance services" are those
services in an undertaking the
interruption of which would result
in material damage to equipment
and machinery and which by
agreement between the workers and
the employer under a collective
agreement should be maintained
during strike or lockout.
Section
171—Picketing.
(1) It is
lawful in furtherance of a lawful
strike or lockout for any person
to be present at or near not less
than ten meters away from his or
her workplace or former workplace
or place of business of the
employer or former employer, for
the purpose of peacefully
communicating information or
peacefully persuading any other
person not to enter the workplace
or place of business, work or deal
in or handle the employers'
products or do business with the
employer.
(2) Picketing
is unlawful if it is conducted at
a place less than ten meters away
from the workplace or place of
business of the worker, and any
person who engages in an unlawful
picketing is liable for any
damage, loss or injury suffered by
any other person as a result of
the unlawful picketing.
PART
XX—MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS
Section
172—Enforcement of Orders of the
Commission.
Where any
person fails or refuses to comply
with a direction or an order
issued by the Commission under
this Act the Commission shall make
an application to the High Court
for an order to compel that person
to comply with the direction or
order.
Section
173—Offences by Body of Persons.
(1) Where an
offence under this Act is
committed by a body of persons,
the following provisions shall
have effect
(a) where the
body of persons is a body
corporate, every director of that
body corporate is deemed to have
also committed the offence;
(b) where the
body of persons is a firm, every
partner of that firm is deemed to
have also committed the offence;
and
(c) where the
body of persons is a worker's
union or group of workers, every
officer or leader of the union or
group of workers is deemed to have
committed the offence.
(2) A person is
not deemed to have committed the
offence, if the person proves that
the offence was committed without
his or her knowledge or that he or
she exercised due diligence to
prevent the commission of the
offence.
Section
174—Regulations.
Subject to the
provisions of this Act, the
Minister may make regulations,
(a) for
securing the compliance in this
country with the provisions of any
international convention relating
to labour made applicable to Ghana
whether before or after the
commencement of this Act;
(b) relating to
sympathy strikes;
(c) providing
for the conditions and procedure
for granting licences to Private
Employment Agencies;
(d) relating to
the performance of the National
Tripartite Committee;
(e) on specific
measures to be taken by employers
to safe-guard the health and
safety of their workers;
(f) specifying
special incentives provided for
under section 46 (3);
(g) prescribing
the fees for licences granted
under paragraph (c);
(h) prescribing
the scale of fees chargeable by
the Private Employment Agencies;
and
(i) generally
for carrying into effect the
provisions of this Act.
Section
175—Interpretation.
In this Act,
unless the context otherwise
requires,
"arbitrator"
includes a panel of arbitrators;
"Centre" means
a Public Employment Centre
established under section 2 of
this Act;
"Commission"
means the National Labour
Commission established under
section 135 of this Act;
"contract of
employment" means a contract of
service whether express or
implied, and if express whether
oral or in writing;
"District
Committee" means a District Labour
Committee of the Commission;
"domestic
worker" means a person who is not
a member of the family of a person
who employs him or her as
househelp;
"employer"
means any person who employs a
worker under a contract of
employment;
"employers’
organisation" means any
organisation of employers
established by employers the
principal purposes of which are
the representation and promotion
of employers' interests and the
regulation of relations between
employers and workers and which is
registered under section 84 of
this Act;
"essential
services" includes areas in an
establishment where an action
could result in a particular or
total loss of life or pose a
danger to public health and safety
and such other services as the
Minister may by legislative
instrument determine;
"industrial
dispute" means any dispute between
an employer and one or more
workers or between workers and
workers which relates to the terms
and conditions of employment, the
physical condition in which
workers are required to work, the
employment and non-employment or
termination or suspension of
employment of one or more workers
and the social and economic
interests, of the workers but does
not include any matter concerning
the interpretation of this Act, a
collective agreement or contract
of employment or any matter which
by agreement between the parties
to a collective agreement or
contract of employment does not
give cause for industrial action
or lockout;
"lockout" means
the closing of a workplace, the
suspension of work by an employer
or refusal by an employer to
employ or re-engage any number of
his or her workers, in consequence
of an industrial dispute;
"manual labour"
means any work performed by hands
or physical labour;
"medical
practitioner" means a medical
practitioner registered under the
Medical and Dental Decree, 1972 (NRCD
91) or any other law for the time
being in force;
"midwife" means
a midwife registered under the
Nurses and Midwives Decree, 1972 (NRCD
117) and does not include a
Traditional Births Attendant;
"Minister"
means the Minister assigned
responsibility for Labour;
"person with
disability" means an individual
who, on account of injury, disease
or congenital deformity, is
substantially handicapped in
obtaining or keeping employment or
in engaging, in any work on his or
her own account, of a kind which
apart from that injury, disease or
deformity would be suited to his
or her age, experience and
qualification;
"picketing"
means the action whereby workers
outside a place of work intend to
persuade other workers not to
enter the place of employment
during labour unrest;
"Private
Employment Agency" means any body
corporate which acts as an
intermediary for the purpose of
procuring employment for a worker
or recruiting a worker for an
employer;
"Regional
Committee" means a Regional Labour
Committee of the Commission;
"remuneration"
includes the basic or minimum wage
or salary and any additional
emoluments payable directly or
indirectly by the employer to the
worker on account of the worker's
employment;
"repatriation
expenses" includes—
(a) subsistence
and travelling expenses of the
worker and accompanying members of
his or her family during the
journey to and from the place of
employment; and
(b) subsistence
expenses during the period, if any
between the date of expiration of
the contract and the date of
repatriation;
"sexual
harassment" means any unwelcome,
offensive or importunate sexual
advances or request made by an
employer or superior officer or a
co-worker to a worker, whether the
worker is a man or woman;
"standing joint
negotiating committee" means a
body consisting of representatives
of two or more trade unions and
one or more trade union and
employer's representative
established for purposes of
collective bargaining and is
authorised by or on behalf of
those trade unions and employers'
representatives to enter into
collective agreements on their
behalf;
"strike" means
any action by two or more workers
acting in concert which is
intended by them to restrict in
any way the service they normally
provide to the employer or
diminish the output of such
service with a view to applying
coercive pressure upon the
employer and includes sympathy
strike and those activities
commonly called a work-to-rule, a
go slow or a sit down strike;
"task worker"
means a person who performs a
piece of work for a fee;
"trade union"
means any association of workers
the principal purposes of which
are to promote and protect their
economic and social interests and
which is registered under section
84 of this Act and includes a
federation of trade unions
registered under this Act;
"undertaking"
includes the business of any
employer;
"worker" means
a person employed under a contract
of employment whether on a
continuous, part-time, temporary
or casual basis;
"workplace"
includes any place where a worker
needs to be or to go by reason of
his or her work which is under the
direct or indirect control of the
worker;
"young person"
means a person of or above 18
years of age but below 21 years.
Section
176—Modification of Existing
Enactments.
The provisions
of any enactment of relevance to
this Act in existence before the
coming into force of this Act
shall have effect subject to such
modifications as are necessary to
give effect to this Act, and to
the extent that the provisions of
any of such enactment is
inconsistent with this Act, the
provisions of this Act shall
prevail.
Section
177—Repeals and Amendment.
(1) The
enactments specified in Schedule
III to this Act are repealed.
(2) The
enactment specified in the first
column of Schedule IV to this Act
is amended in the manner specified
in the second column.
Section
178—Savings and Transitional
Provisions.
(1)
Notwithstanding the repeal of the
enactments specified in Schedule
III, any statutory instrument made
under those enactments and in
force immediately before the
commencement of this Act are
continued in force until amended,
revoked or otherwise dealt with
under this Act.
(2) The Trades
Union Congress and the trade
unions (whether affiliated to the
Trade Union Congress or not) which
are in existence immediately
before the commencement of this
Act shall not be required to apply
for registration by reason only of
the coming into force of this Act.
(3) Upon the
coming into force of this Act and
until the National Tripartite
Committee provided for under
section 110 is composed, the
administrative arrangement in
existence on national tripartite
committee shall continue to
operate.
Section
179—Commencement.
This Act shall
come into force on such date as
the Minister shall by Executive
Instrument appoint.
SCHEDULES
SCHEDULE I
(Section 13)
WRITTEN
STATEMENT OF PARTICULARS OF
CONTRACT OF EMPLOYMENT
1. Name of
employer
……………....……………………………..........................................................................................
2. Name of
employee……….....……………………….......….............................................................................................
3. Date of
first appointment
……………………………………………...........…..................................................................
4. You are
employed as (job title or grade)
……..........……..........…...............................................................................
5. Your rate,
method and intervals of pay
is…………………............................................................................................
6. Your hours
of work are
…………………........……………..............................................................................................
7. Your periods
of holidays and details of holiday
pay
are.........................................
.....................................................
8. The
conditions relating to incapacity
to work due to sickness or injury
and the details of sick pay, if
any, are
…………………………........................................
9. Details of
social security or pension scheme
…………..……………..............................................................................
10. Amount of
notice to terminate employment to
be given by:
(a) the
employer.......................................................................................................................................................
(b) the
worker...........................................................................................................................................................
11. The
disciplinary rules applicable to
you
are...............................................................................................................
12. The
procedure for dealing with any
grievances or dispute
is.......................................................................................
13. Overtime
payment, if
any.........................................................................................................................................
SCHEDULE II
(Section
111(1))
FORM OF NOTICE
TO EMPLOYER
TO
………………………………………………………………………………………….............................................................
(Name of
employer)
On behalf of
the …………………………… trade union, I
request you to deduct from the
wages of your employees covered by
the certificate issued under
section 99 of the Labour Act 2003,
...................................
cedis monthly in discharge of
their trade union dues and to pay
the amounts to such account as may
be directed by the Chief Labour
Officer.
This notice
does not apply to wages payable by
any employer within 7 days of the
receipt of the notice
SCHEDULE III
(Section
175(1))
ENACTMENTS
REPEALED
The Conspiracy
and Protection of Property (Trade
Disputes) (Cap 90)
The Trade
Unions Ordinance (Cap 91)
The Trade
Unions (Amendment) Ordinance, 1953
(No. 19)
The Trade
Unions (Amendment) Decree, 1966 (NLCD
110)
The Trade
Disputes (Arbitration and Inquiry)
(Cap 93)
The Industrial
Relations Act, 1965 (Act 299)
The Industrial
Relations Act, 1965 (Amendment)
Decree, 1967 (NLCD 189)
The Industrial
Relations (Amendment) Decree, 1972
(NRCD 22)
The Labour
Decree, 1967 (NLCD 157)
The Labour
(Amendment) Decree, 1967 (NLCD
212)
The Labour
(Amendment) Decree, 1969 (NLCD
331)
The Labour
(Amendment) Decree, 1969 (NLCD
342)
The Labour
(Amendment) Decree, 1969 (NLCD
368)
The Labour
(Amendment) Decree, 1973 (NRCD
150)
The Labour
(Amendment) Decree, 1976 (SMCD 33)
The Labour
(Amendment) Decree, 1976 (SMCD 42)
The Public
Service (Negotiating Committee)
Law, 1992 (PNDCL 309)
SCHEDULE IV
(Section
175(2))
ENACTMENT
AMENDED
Column
1 Column 2
Enactment How affected
Children's Act,
1998 (Act 560) Section 93 is
amended by the deletion of the
words "and young persons" wherever
they occur.
Section 95(1)
is amended by the deletion of the
words "and young persons".
Section 124 is
amended by the deletion of the
definition of "young
person".
Date of Gazette
Notification: 10th October, 2003.
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