PAPER, PLASTICS, CHEMICALS AND PETROLEUM WAGES COUNCIL WAGE REGLATION [ S.L.452.37 1 SUBSIDIARY LEGISLATION 452.37 PAPER, PLASTICS, CHEMICALS AND PETROLEUM WAGES COUNCIL WAGE REGLATION ORDER * 6th June, 1972 LEGAL NOTICE 97 of 1973, as amended by Legal Notices 47 of 1974, 109 and 133 of 1975, 99 of 1976, 89 of 1977, 131 of 1978, 18 of 1981, 427 of 2007, 136 of 2010, 362 of 2012, 334, 444 of 2013, 482 of 2014, 5 of 2016, 97 and 383 of 2017, 104 and 351 of 2019, 469 of 2020, 464 of 2021 335 of 2022, 286 of 2023, 341 of 2024 and 288 of
- The title of this Order is Paper, Plastics, Chemicals and Petroleum Wages Council Wage Regulation Order. Title.
- The provisions of the Schedule shall apply to all employees in respect of whom the Paper, Plastics, Chemicals and Petroleum Wages Council operates. Application of Order. SCHEDULE (Article 2)
- In this Schedule, unless the context otherwise requires - "customary holidays" means the days (other than Sundays) declared for the time being to be public holidays by the National Holidays and other Public Holidays Act; "day" in the case of shift employees, means a period of twentyfour consecutive hours; in all other cases it means a period running from midnight of one day to midnight of the next following day; "half-day" means a period of twelve consecutive hours ending at *This Order has been repealed by Legal Notice 116 of
- Amended by: L.N. 47 of 1974; L.N. 109 of 1975; L.N. 133 of 1975; L.N. 99 of 1976; L.N. 89 of 1977; L.N. 131 of 1978; L.N. 18 of 1981; L.N. 427 of 2007; L.N. 136 of 2010 L.N. 362 of 2012; L.N. 334 of 2013; L.N. 444 of 2013; L.N. 482 of 2014; L.N. 5 of 2016; L.N. 97 of 2017.; L.N. 383 of 2017; L.N. 104 of 2019; L.N. 351 of 2019; L.N. 469 of 2020; L.N. 464 of 2021; L.N. 335 of 2022; L.N. 286 of 2023; L.N. 341 of 2024; L.N. 288 of
- Interpretation. Cap.
- 2 [ S.L.452.37 PAPER, PLASTICS, CHEMICALS AND PETROLEUM WAGES COUNCIL WAGE REGLATION twelve noon or midnight; "hours of work" means the time in any day during which enployees are at the disposal of the employer, exclusive of the intervals allowed for meals and rest; Cap.
- "learner" means a person other than an apprentice, who is over the age of fourteen years and under the age of nineteen years and who is receiving training in any calling to which this Schedule applies, and in respect of whom the employer holds a permit issued, in terms of the Employment and Training Services Act; "skilled employee" means an employee who has a particular training and knowledge of the trade or machine connected with the trade he is working on and can prove his skill; "night shift" means any period of employment that includes any hours from 10.00 p.m. of one day to 6.00 a.m. of the next following day; "overtime" means any time worked on Sundays or on customary holidays or in excess of the normal working hours of the establishment agreed upon between the employer and the employee; "part-time employee" means an employee whose normal hours of work, calculated on a weekly basis or on average over a period of employment of up to one year, are less than the normal hours of work of a comparable whole-time employee and who is not a whole-time employee with reduced hours; "period of employment" means the time in any day during which employees are at the disposal of the employer, inclusive of the intervals allowed for meals and rest; "shift employee" means an employee who is regularly engaged on alternate day and night shift work on a regular cycle basis; "time-and-a-half" and "double time" mean respectively one-anda-half and twice the actual rate applicable to the employee; "wages" means remuneration or earnings payable in money by an employer to an employee; "week" means a calendar week; "weekly day of rest" means a period of twenty-four consecutive hours commencing at the time at which the employee would normally commence his turn of duty; "whole-time employee" means an employee who is deemed to be a whole-time employee in terms of any recognized conditions of employment. Hours of work.
- The minimum weekly wage shall be related to a week of not more than (a) forty-four hours in the case of whole-time employees other than watchmen; and (b) sixty hours of work in the case of watchmen, spread over a six-day week. PAPER, PLASTICS, CHEMICALS AND PETROLEUM WAGES COUNCIL WAGE REGLATION [ S.L.452.37 3.
(1)Whole-time skilled employees shall not be paid in any week less than the following wages: (
- a)during the first year of employment in the trade ..................................................................... €231.77; (
- b)during the second and subsequent years of employment in the trade ................................ €233.52
(2)Whole-time employees, other than skilled employees and watchmen, shall not be paid in any week less than the following wages: 3 Minimum wages of whole-time employee. Amended by: L.N. 97 of 2017; L.N. 383 of 2017; L.N. 104 of 2019; L.N. 351 of 2019; L.N. 469 of 2020; L.N. 464 of 2021; L.N. 335 of 2022; L.N. 286 of 2023; L.N. 341 of 2024; L.N. 288 of 2025. at age 18 years or over ............................ €229.44 at age 17 years .........................................€222.66 at age 16 years .........................................€219.82.
(3)Watchmen shall not be paid less than €233.52 in any week.
- Without prejudice to the payment of any overtime to which such employees are entitled in accordance with paragraph 8, and where no other allowance exists for morning and/or afternoon shifts, whole-time employees working on night shift duty shall, in addition to the weekly wage applicable to them, be entitled to a night shift allowance equivalent to four euro and sixty-six cents (4.66) per week. Night shift allowance.
- Part-time employees shall be entitled to a minimum hourly rate calculated pro rata in accordance with the provisions of paragraphs 2 and 3 of this Schedule. Minimum remuneration of part-time employees.
- All whole-time employees shall be allowed intervals for meals and rest of not less in the aggregate than one hour in every day to be availed of as agreed upon between the employer and the employee. Minimum daily rest.
- All whole-time employees shall be allowed one whole day off in every week. Minimum weekly rest. 8.
(1)Whole-time employees other than watchmen shall be paid at the rates of time-and-a-half for overtime work performed on week days and at double time for work performed on Sundays. The rate of double time shall be paid for work done on customary holidays in addition to the normal day’s pay. Minimum rates of overtime.
(2)Watchmen shall be entitled to overtime at the rate of timeand-a-half for all time worked in excess of sixty hours over a period of six days and double time for work performed on the seventh day and on customary holidays. 9. Whole-time employees shall be entitled, in every calendar year, to (
- a)all customary holidays with full pay, and (
- b)after three months in employment, vacation leave of such number of working days with full pay as is equivalent to the number of working days as that particular employee should normally attend to work during a period of four weeks: Vacation leave. 4 [ S.L.452.37 PAPER, PLASTICS, CHEMICALS AND PETROLEUM WAGES COUNCIL WAGE REGLATION Provided that whole-time employees who have been in employment for less than one year shall be entitled to such part of the said vacation leave as is in proportion to the number of months in employment. Sick leave. Cap. 318. 10.
(1)After six months continuous service, a whole-time employee shall be entitled to the equivalent in hours of six days sick leave on full pay, less an amount equal to the sum set for sickness benefit entitlement at the rate established under the Social Security Act, and part-time employees shall have a pro rata entitlement to sick leave in hours on full pay, less an amount equal to the sum set for sickness benefit entitlement at the rate established under the Social Security Act, which amount is also to be calculated on a pro rata basis: Provided that (
- a)the first three days of any claim for sick leave shall be paid in full by the employer; (
- b)a medical certificate covering the period of absence is produced to the employer on the day of return to work or, if such period of absence is longer than seven days, within seven days of the onset of sick leave absence; Cap. 318. (
- c)employees in receipt of a social security pension in respect of retirement or widowhood in terms of the Social Security Act shall, for the purpose of calculating the sick leave pay due, be deemed to have received an amount equal to the sum set for sickness benefit entitlement at the rate established under the Social Security Act.
(2)In every calendar year after one year’s continuous service, a whole-time employee shall in every calendar year be entitled to the equivalent in hours of twelve days sick leave on full pay, less an amount equal to the sum set for sickness benefit entitlement at the rate established under the Social Security Act, and part-time employees shall have a pro rata entitlement to sick leave in hours on full pay, less an amount equal to the sum set for sickness benefit entitlement at the rate established under the Social Security Act, which amount is also to be calculated on a pro rata basis: Provided that (
- a)the first three days of any claim for sick leave shall be paid in full by the employer; (
- b)a medical certificate covering the period of absence is produced to the employer on the day of return to work or, if such period of absence is longer than seven days, within seven days of the onset of sick leave absence; Cap. 318 (
- c)employees in receipt of a social security pension in respect of retirement or widowhood in terms of the Social Security Act shall, for the purpose of calculating the sick leave pay due, be deemed to have received an amount equal to the sum set for sickness benefit entitlement at the rate established under the PAPER, PLASTICS, CHEMICALS AND PETROLEUM WAGES COUNCIL WAGE REGLATION [ S.L.452.37 Social Security Act.
(3)In every calendar year after one year’s continuous service a whole-time employee shall in every calendar year be entitled to the equivalent in hours of a further twelve days sick leave on half pay, less an amount equal to half the sum set for sickness benefit entitlement at the rate established under the Social Security Act, and part-time employees shall have a pro rata entitlement to sick leave in hours on half pay, less an amount equal to half the sum set for sickness benefit entitlement at the rate established under the Social Security Act, which amount is also to be calculated on a pro rata basis: Cap. 318. Provided that (
- a)the first three days of any claim for sick leave shall be paid at half pay by the employer; (
- b)a medical certificate covering the period of absence is produced to the employer on the day of return to work or, if such period of absence is longer than seven days, within seven days of the onset of sick leave absence; (
- c)employees in receipt of a social security pension in respect of retirement or widowhood in terms of the Social Security Act shall, for the purpose of calculating the sick leave pay due, be deemed to have received an amount equal to half the sum set for sickness benefit entitlement at the rate established under the Social Security Act. Cap. 318
(4)Without prejudice to sub-paragraphs
(2)and
(3), if a who le-t im e em plo yee i s sufferi ng from an ill ness wh ich is prolonged over a continuous period exceeding fifteen days, the period of sick leave allowed to him shall for that calendar year be extended to the equivalent in hours of fifteen days sick leave on full pay, followed by the equivalent in hours of fifteen days sick leave on half pay, and in either case, such leave shall be paid in accordance with sub-paragraphs
(2)and
(3)respectively: Provided that part-time employees shall have a pro rata entitlement to such extended sick leave in hours, and such leave shall be paid in accordance with sub-paragraphs
(2)and
(3)respectively.
(5)The employer may require a medical certificate by his own physician to certify incapacity for work during the period of absence.
(6)The sick leave entitlement granted by virtue of this paragraph shall be calculated on the basis provided for annual leave as specified in regulation 8
(1)of the Organisation of Working Time Regulations. 11. Whole-time employees shall be allowed two days leave on full pay on the ocassion of the death of any of the following relatives: the wife, husband, father, mother (or the person who, at the time of death, was in fact acting as the father or mother of the employee), son, daughter, brother or sister. S.L. 452.87 Bereavement leave. 5 6 [ S.L.452.37 PAPER, PLASTICS, CHEMICALS AND PETROLEUM WAGES COUNCIL WAGE REGLATION Special leave. 12. A whole-time employee shall be allowed three days leave with pay on the occasion of his marriage and two days leave on full pay on the occasion of the birth of a child to his wife, on condition that the employee will remain in employment for at least three months after such occasion. Jury service leave. 13. A whole-time employee shall, if called upon to serve as juror, be allowed time off as necessary, without any deduction from pay, so as to enable him to attend to his duties at the Courts. Injury leave 14. A whole-time employee shall be entitled to a maximum of one year injury leave on full pay, less the full amount of any injury benefit to which such employee may be entitled in terms of the Social Security Act, if he is injured during the actual discharge of his duty, and such injury is not due to any contributory negligence on his part, or to the contravention by him of any safety rules laid down by the management. Cap. 318. Retiring age. 15. In cases where the retiring age of a male employee is expected at the age of sixty years, such employee shall be given the opportunity by his employer to retain his employment beyond this age at least until the age of sixty-one years, provided that the employee in question shall still be allowed, if he so wishes, to retire at the age of sixty years. EXPLANATORY NOTE This note is not part of the Order but it is intended to indicate its applicability. The above provisions shall apply to all employees in any undertaking or part of an undertaking, the activities of which consist wholly or mainly in any one of the following (
- a)the extraction, preparation, processing, or manufacture of table salt, oils of any kind, fats, margarine and similar products, chemicals (including petroleum) or chemical products but excluding employees working in lime kilns; (
- b)the manufacture of paper, packaging, or the manufacture of articles made wholly or mainly of paper, including paper bags and exercise books; (
- c)the manufacture of cardboard or articles made wholly or mainly of cardboard including cardboard boxes and containers; (
- d)the processing or manufacture of plastics or articles made wholly or mainly of plastics, including polythene bags, plastic baby pants, plastic aprons and other plastic garments, polythene wrapping and plastic insulation material, but excluding (
- i)luggage, brief cases, handbags, shopping bags and other bags of similar nature; (
- ii)textiles made from plastic fibres; PAPER, PLASTICS, CHEMICALS AND PETROLEUM WAGES COUNCIL WAGE REGLATION [ S.L.452.37 (iii) imitation jewellery and neon signs. ''chemicals'' includes basic industrial chemicals, gases, fertilizers, natural or synthetic rubber, and petroleum but excludes gases for domestic use; ''chemical products'' includes matches, paints, varnishes, lacquers, candles, soaps, synthetic detergents, bitumen, bituminous emulsions and other articles made wholly or mainly of natural or synthetic rubber, but excludes textiles made from natural or manmade fibres, and the manufacture, repair or rebuilding and retreading of tyres; ''plastics'' means any material including sythetic resins that contains as an essential ingredient an organic substance of large molecular weight, is solid in its finished state and at some stage in its manufacture or in its processing into finished articles can be shaped by flow. 7