Keywords : Employee, Employer, National Holiday, Festival Holiday
Amendments appended: 8 of 1969, 35 of 1979, 24 of 1990
THE KERALA INDUSTRIAL ESTABKISHMENTS
(NATIONAL AND FESTIVAL HOLIDAYS) ACT; 1958 [1]
Act 47 Of 1958
An Act to provide for the grant of National and Festival holidays to persons
employed in industrial establishments in the State of Kerala
WHEREAS it is expedient to provide for the grant of National and Festival holidays
to persons employed in industrial establishments in the State of Kerala ;
BE it enacted in the Ninth Year of the Republic of India as follows:-
- Short title, extent and commencement .-(1) This Act may be called the Kerala
Industrial Establishments (National and Festival Holidays) Act, 1958.
(2) It extends to the whole of the State of Kerala .
• It shall come into force at once. - Definitions .- In this Act unless the context otherwise requires,-
(a) “day” means a period of twenty-four hours beginning at mid night;
• “employee” means-
(i) any person (including an apprentice) employed in any industrial establishment to
do skilled or unskilled, manual, supervisory, technical or clerical work for hire or reward,
whether the terms of employment be express or implied;
(ii) any other person employed in any industrial establishment whom the
Government may, by notification in the Gazette, declare to be an employee for the
purposes of this Act;
• “employer” when used in relation to an industrial establishment means a person
who has the ultimate control over the affairs of the industrial establishment, and where
the affairs of any industrial establishment are entrusted to any other person (whether
called a managing agent, manager, superintendent or by any other name) such other
person;
• “holiday” means holiday as provided in this Act;
• “industrial establishment’ means,-
(i) any establishment, industrial, commercial or otherwise, where (twenty) [2] or
more persons are employed, or were employed on any day of the preceding twelve
months and includes-
• a factory as defined in the Factories Act, 1948 (Central Act 63 of 1948); and
• a plantation;
(ii) any other establishment which the Government may, by notification in the
Gazette, declare to be an industrial establishment for the purposes of this Act;
• “Inspector” means an Inspector appointed under sub-section (1) of section 6;
(g) “Plantation” means any estate maintained for the purpose of growing cardamom,
cinchona, coffee, rubber or tea, which is [3] (twelve hectares) or more in extent, or in
which [4] (twenty or more persons) are employed, or were employed on any day of the
preceding twelve months, for that purpose;
(h) “wages” means all remuneration capable of being expressed in terms of money,
which would, if the terms of employment, express or implied, were fulfilled, be payable
to an employee in respect of his employment or of the work done by him in such
employment, and includes,-
(i) such allowances, (including dearness allowance) as the employee is for the time
being entitled to;
(ii) the value of any house accommodation, of supply of light, water, medical
attendance or other amenity or of any service or of any concessional supply of foodgrains
or other articles;
but does not include-
(a) any bonus;
(b) any contribution paid or payable by the employer to any pension fund or provident
fund, or for the benefit of the employee under any law for the time being in force;
(c) any gratuity payable on the termination of the service;
(d) any sum paid to the employee to defray special expenses entailed on him by the
nature of his employment;
(e) any traveling concession. - Grant of National and Festival Holidays.- Every employee shall be allowed in each
calendar year a holiday of one whole day on the 26 th January, the 15 th August [5] (the 1
st may and 2 nd October and nine) other holidays each of one whole day for such
festivals as the Inspector may, in consultation with the employer and the employees
specify in respect of any industrial establishment.
6 (Provided that in the case of an industrial establishment which commences work for
the first time after the commencement of a calendar year, the number of holidays for
festivals allowable to an employee under this section during the remainder of that
calendar year shall be fixed by the Inspectors, so however that the number so fixed shall
not be less than the number calculated at the rate of one day for every three months or
part thereof of the remainder of such calendar year.) - Employer to display statement of holidays .-Every employer shall display in the
premises of the industrial establishment, a statement showing the holidays allowed in
each calendar year under section 3, in such form, within such time and in such manner as
may be prescribed.
7 (4A. Power of employer to require employee to work on holidays .-(1)
Notwithstanding anything contained in section 3, an employer may, by notice in writing
require any employee to work on any holiday allowed under that section.
(2) The notice under sub-section (1) shall be served on the employee in the
prescribed manner. One copy of the notice shall be sent to the Inspector and another copy
thereof shall be displayed in the premises of the industrial establishment, not less than
twenty-four hours before such holiday.) - Wages .- 8 Notwithstanding any contract to the contrary, every employee
shall be paid wages for each of the holidays allowed to him under section 3, whether or
not the employer has not required, or could not require, him under sub-section (1) of
section 4A to work on that holiday or whether that holiday falls or does not fall during
the period of a strike or illegal lock-out:
Provided that if such holiday falls during the period of a lay off, the employee shall
be paid fifty per cent of the total of the basic wages and dearness allowance that he would
have been entitled to, had he not been so laid off:
Provided further that no such employee shall be entitled to be paid any wages for any
of the holidays if such holiday falls during the period of a strike which is illegal under
section 24 of the Industrial Dispute Act, 1947 (Central Act 14 of 1947), and such
employee has participated in the strike.
Explanation,- For the purpose of this sub-section, the expression “ strike”, “lockout” and “lay-off” shall have the meanings respectively assigned to them in the Industrial
Disputes Act, 1947 (Central Act 14 of 1947)”.)
9 Where can employee works on any holiday allowed under section 3, he shall
be entitled to twice the wages and to avail himself of a substituted holiday on any other
day.)
(3) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (1) or sub-section (2), an
employee who is paid wages by the day or at piece rates shall be entitled to be paid wages
for any holiday allowed under section3,-
(i) Only at a rate equivalent to the daily average of his wages for the days on which he
actually worked during [10] (“the thirty working days”) immediately preceding such
holiday;
11 where he works on any such holiday, only at twice the rate mentioned in
clause (i) and to avail himself of a substituted holiday with wages at that rate on any other
day:
Provided that no such employee shall be entitled to be paid any wages for any of the
holidays allowed under section 3, other than the 26th January, the 15 th August [12] (“
the 1 st May and the 2 nd October”) unless he has been in the service under the employer
for a total period of thirty days within a continuous period of ninety days immediately
preceding such holiday.
Explanation.- A weekly or other holiday or authorized leave availed of by an
employee shall be included in computing the period of thirty days mentioned in the
preceding proviso).
(4) Any amount due to an employee under this Act shall be recoverable as arrears of
land revenue under the Revenue Recovery Act for the time being in force. - Inspectors.- (1) The government may, by notification in the Gazette, appoint such
persons or such class or persons as they think fit to be inspectors, for the purposes of this
Act for such local limits as the Government may specify.
(2) Every Inspector shall be deemed to be a public servant within the meaning of
section 21 of the Indian Penal Code (Central Act XLV of 1860). - Powers of Inspectors .-Subject to any rules made by the Government in this behalf,
an Inspector may, within the local limits for which he is appointed,-
(a) enter, at all reasonable times and with such assistants, if any who are persons in the
service of the Government or of any local authority as he thinks fit, to take with him, any
place which is or which he has reason to believe is, an industrial establishment;
(b) make such, examination of the premises and of any prescribed registers, records
and notices and take on the spot or otherwise, the evidence of such person as he may
deem necessary for carrying out the purposes of this Act.
(c) exercise such other powers as may be necessary for carrying out the purposes of
this Act:
Provided that no one shall be required under this section to answer any question or
give any evidence tending to incriminate himself. - Penalties .-Any employer who contravenes any of the provisions of section 3 or
section 5 shall be punishable with fine which may extend to two hundred and fifty rupees. - Penalty for obstructing Inspector .-Whoever wilfully obstructs an Inspector in the
exercise of any power conferred on him by or under this Act, or fails to produce on
demand in writing by an Inspector any register, record or notice in his custody which may
be required to be kept in pursuance of this Act, or of any rule made thereunder, shall be
punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three months or with fine
which may extend to five hundred rupees or with both. - Exemptions.- (1) nothing contained in this Act shall apply to-
(a) any employee in a position of management;
(b) any employee whose work involves traveling;
(c) any Industrial Establishment under the control of the Central Government, the
reserve Bank of India, a railway administration operating any railway as defined in
clause (2) of Article 366 of the Constitution or a cantonment authority;
(d) any Mine or Oil Field.
(2) The Government may, by notification in the Gazette exempt either permanently
or for any specified period any establishment or class of establishments, or person or
class of persons from all or any of the provisions of this Act, subject to such conditions as
the Government may deem fit. - Rights and privileges under other laws, etc., not affected .- Nothing contained in
this Act shall adversely affect any rights or privileges which any employee is entitled to
with respect to national and festival holidays on the date on which this Act comes into
force under any other law, contract, custom or usage, if such rights or privileges are more
favorable to him than those to which he would be entitled under this Act. - Power to make rules.- (1) The government may, by notification in the Gazette,
make rules for the purpose of carrying into effect the provisions of this Act.
(2) In making a rule under this Act, the Government may provide that a contravention
thereof shall be punishable with fine which may extend to fifty rupees.
13 ((3) Every rule made under this Act shall be laid as soon as may be after it is made
before the Legislative Assembly while it is in session for a total period of fourteen days
which may be comprised in one session or in two successive sessions, and if, before the
expiry of the session in which it is so laid or the session immediately following, the
Legislative Assembly agrees in making any modification in the rule or the Legislative
Assembly agrees that the rule should not be made, the rule shall thereafter have effect
only in such modified form or be of no effect, as the case may be; so however that any
such modification or annulment shall be without prejudice to the validity of anything
previously done under that rule.)
ACT 8 OF 1969
THE KERALA INDUSTRIAL ESTABLISHMENTS (NATIONAL
AND FESTIVAL HOLIDAYS) AMENDMENT ACT, 1969[1]
An Act to amend the Kerala Industrial Establishments (National and Festival Holidays)
Act, 1958.
Preamble. —WHEREAS it is expedient to amend the Kerala Industrial Establishments
(National and Festival Holidays) Act, 1958, for the purposes hereinafter appearing;
Be it enacted in the Nineteenth year of the Republic of India as follows:—
- Short title and commencement . —(1) This Act may be called the Kerala Industrial
Establishments (National and Festival Holidays) Amendment Act, 1969.
(2) It shall come into force on such date as the Government may, by notification in
the Gazette, appoint. - Amendment of section 2 . —In section 2 of the Kerala Industrial Establishments
(National and Festival Holidays) Act, 1958 (47 of 1958) (hereinafter referred to as the
principal Act),—
(1) in sub-clause (i) of clause (e), for the word “fifty” the word “twenty” shall
be substituted.
(2) in clause (g)—
(i) for the words “fifty acres” the words “twelve hectares” shall be
substituted.
(ii) for the words “fifty or more persons” the words “twenty or more
persons” shall be substituted. - Amendment of section 3. —To section 3 of the principal Act the following proviso
shall be added, namely:—
“Provided that in the case of an industrial establishment which commences work
for the first time after the commencement of a calendar year, the number of holidays for
festivals allowable to an employee under this section during the remainder of that
calendar year shall be fixed by the Inspector, so however that the number so fixed shall
not be less than the number calculated at the rate one day for every three months or part
thereof of the remainder of such calendar year”. - Insertion of new section 4A . —After section 4 of the principal Act, the following
section shall be inserted, namely:—
” 4A. Power of employer to require employee to work on holidays . —(1)
Notwithstanding anything contained in section 3, an employer may, by notice in writing,
require any employee to work on any holiday allowed under that section.
(2) The notice under sub-section ( l) shall be served on the employee in the
prescribed manner. One copy of the notice shall be sent to the Inspector and another copy
thereof shall be displayed in the premises of the industrial establishment, not less than
twenty four hours before such holiday.” - Amendment of section 5.—In section 5 of the principal Act, —
(1) for sub-section (2), the following sub-section shall be substi tuted,
namely:—
“(2) Where an employee works on any holiday allowed under section 3, he
shall be entitled to twice the wages and to avail himself of a substituted holiday on any
other day.”
(2) in sub-section (3), for clause (ii) and the provisos, the follow ing clause,
proviso and explanation shall be substituted, namely: —
” (ii) where he works on any such holiday, only at twice the rate mentioned in
clause (i) and to avail himself of a substituted holiday with wages at that rate on any other
day:
Provided that no such employee shall be entitled to be paid any wages for any of the
holidays allowed under section 3, other than the 26th January, the 15th August and the
1st May, unless he has been in the service under the employer for a total period of thirty
days within a continuous period of ninety days immediately pre ceding such holiday.
Explanation .—A weekly or other holiday or authorised leave availed of by an
employee shall be included in computing the period of thirty days mentioned in the
preceding proviso.” - Amendment of section 12 . —For sub-section (3) of section 12 of the principal Act,
the following sub-section shall be substituted, namely: —
“(3) Every rule made under this Act shall be laid as soon as may be after it is
made before the Legislative Assembly while it is in session for a total period of fourteen
days which may be comprised in one session or in two successive sessions, and if, before
the expiry of the session in which it is so laid or the session immediately following, the
Legislative Assembly agrees in making any modification in the rule or the Legislative
Assembly agrees that the rule should not be made, the rule shall thereafter have effect
only in such modified form or be of no effect, as the case may be; so however that any
such modification or annulment shall be without prejudice to the validity of anything
previously done under that rule”.
THE KERALA INDUSTRIAL ESTABLISHMENTS[1]
(NATIONAL AND FESTIVAL HOLIDAYS)
AMENDMENT ACT, 1979
(ACT 35 OF 1979)
An Act further to amend the Kerala Industrial Establishments (National and Festival
Holidays) Act, 1958
Preamble.- WHEREAS it is expedient further to amend the Kerala Industrial
Establishments (National and Festival Holidays) Act, 1958, for the purpose hereinafter
appearing;
BE it enacted in the Thirtieth Year of the Republic of India as follows:- - Short title and commencement.- (1) This Act may be called the Kerala Industrial
Establishments (National and Festival Holidays) Amendment Act, 1979. - Amendment of section 5.-In sub-section (3) of section 5 of the Kerala Industrial
Establishments (National and Festival Holidays) Act, 1958 (47 of 1958), in clause (i) for
the words ‘the Month”, the words “the thirty working days” shall be substituted.
THE KERALA INDUSTRIAL ESTABLISHMENTS (NATIONAL AND FESTIVAL
HOLIDAYS) AMENDMENT ACT, 1990 [1]
(Act 24 of 1990)
An Act further to amend the Kerala Industrial Establishments (National and Festival
Holidays) Act, 1958.
Preamble .- WHEREAS it is expedient further to amend the Kerala Industrial
Establishments (National and Festival Holidays) Act, 1958, for the purposes hereinafter
appearing;
BE it enacted in the Forty-first Year of the Republic of India as follows:- - Short title and commencement .- (1) This Act may be called the Kerala Industrial
Establishments (National and Festival Holidays) Amendment Act, 1990.
(2) It shall come into force on such date as the Government may, by notification in
the Gazette, appoint. - Amendment of section 3.- In the Kerala Industrial Establishments (National and
Festival Holidays) Act, 1958 (47 of 1958) (hereinafter referred to as the principal Act), in
section 3, for the words and figure “and the 1 st May and four” the words and figures “the
1 st May and the 2 nd October and nine” shall be substituted. - Amendment of section 5.- In section 5 of the principal Act,-
(i) for sub-section (1), the following sub-section shall be substituted, namely:-
“(1) Notwithstanding any contract to the contrary, every employee shall be paid
wages for each of the holidays allowed to him under section 3, whether or not the
employer has not required, or could not require, him under sub-section (1) of section 4A
to work on that holiday or whether that holiday falls or does not fall during the period of
a strike or illegal lock-out:
Provided that if such holiday falls during the period of a lay off, the employee shall
be paid fifty per cent of the total of the basic wages and dearness allowance that he would
have been entitled to, had he not been so laid off:
Provided further that no such employee shall be entitled to be paid any wages for any
of the holidays if such holiday falls during the period of a strike which is illegal under
section 24 of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947 (Central Act 14 of 1947), and such
employee has participated in the strike.
Explanation :- For the purpose of this sub-section , the expression “strike”, “lock-out”
and “lay-off” shall have the meanings respectively assigned to them in the Industrial
Disputes Act, 1947 (Central Act 14 of 1947)”.
(ii) in the proviso to sub-section (3), for the figure and words “and the1st May” the
