TEXTILES AND ALLIED INDUSTRIES WAGES COUNCIL WAGE REGULATION [ S.L.452.55 1 SUBSIDIARY LEGISLATION 452.55 TEXTILES AND ALLIED INDUSTRIES WAGES COUNCIL WAGE REGULATION ORDER 25th August, 1977 LEGAL NOTICE 117 of 1977, as amended by Legal Notices 60 of 1978, 23 of 1979, 24 of 1981, 74 of 1989, 46 of 1990, 427 of 2007, 143 of 2010, 362 of 2012, 334, 444 of 2013, 482 of 2014, 5 of 2016, 97 and 383 of 2017 and 104 and 351 of 2019, 469 of 2020, 464 of 2021, 335 of 2022, 286 of 2023, 341 of 2024 and 288 of 2025. 1. The title of this Order is Textiles and Allied Industries Wages Council Wage Regulation Order. Title. 2. The provisions set out in the Schedule hereto shall apply to all employees in respect of whom the Textiles and Allied Industries Wages Council operates. Field of operation of Wages Council. SCHEDULE Amended by: L.N. 60 of 1978; L.N. 23 of 1979; L.N. 24 of 1981; L.N. 74 of 1989; L.N. 46 of 1990; L.N. 427 of 2007; L.N. 143 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. 464 of 2021; L.N. 335 of 2022; L.N. 286 of 2023; L.N. 341 of 2024; L.N. 288 of 2025. 1. 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 or under the National Holidays and other Public Holidays Act; "day" in the case of shift employees, means a period of twentyfour consecutive hours; and, in all other cases, it means a period running from midnight of one day to midnight of the next following day; "hours of work" means the time on any day during which employees are at the disposal of the employer exclusive of the intervals allowed for meals and rest; "night shift" means any period of employment that includes any hours from 10 p.m. of one day to 6 a.m. of the next following day; "part-time employee" means an employee whose normal hours of work, calculated on a weekly basis or on average over a period of Interpretation. Cap. 252. 2 TEXTILES AND ALLIED INDUSTRIES WAGES COUNCIL WAGE REGULATION [ S.L.452.55 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; "part-time watchman" means an employee employed as a watchman for not more than thirty-six hours a week; "period of employment" means the time in any day during which employees are at the disposal of the employer, but inclusive of the intervals allowed for meals and rest; "shift employee" means an employee who regularly works on a shift cycle basis; "time-and-a-half" and "double-time" mean respectively one and a half times and twice the minimum time 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. 2. The minimum weekly wages shall be related to a week of not more than (
- a)forty hours of work in the case of whole-time employees other than watchmen, to be worked in a week of five days; (
- b)fifty-four hours of work in the case of watchmen, exclusive of overtime spread over six days. Minimum wages of whole-time employees. 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. 3. The minimum weekly wages payable to whole-time employees shall be the following (
- a)Watchmen (
- i)whose duties are mainly performed indoors ........................................................... €229.44 (
- ii)whose duties are mainly performed out of doors ........................................................... €231.77; (
- b)Other whole-time employees At age 18 years or over ............................... €229.44 At age 17 years ........................................... €222.66 At age 16 years ........................................... €219.82. (
- c)Shift employees: (
- i)In the case of employees called upon to work on a three shift cycle and in consideration of the periods of night work on a three shift, an allowance shall be paid equivalent to one-tenth TEXTILES AND ALLIED INDUSTRIES WAGES COUNCIL WAGE REGULATION [ S.L.452.55 3 of the normal rate of basic remuneration. In the case of employees an a two-shift basis a shift allowance shall be paid equivalent to onetwelfth of the normal rate of basic remuneration; (
- ii)Unless every weekly night shift is followed by two consecutive weekly day shifts, such further night shift or shifts shall entitle employees to an extra remuneration amounting to not less than one-fourth of the normal rate of pay. 4. In the case of whole-time employees on piece-work the minimum piece-rate of wages shall be such that no employee will earn, when employed on such work, less them the appropriate time rate pro rata specified in paragraph 3 of this Schedule. Minimum wages of piece-work employees. 5. All whole-time employees, other than watchmen, shall be allowed intervals for meals and rest of not less in the aggregate, than one hour every day: Minimum daily rest. Provided that (
- a)subject to the provisions of paragraph (
- b)of this proviso, the interval or intervals shall be allowed after the first or before the last hour of the period of employment; and (
- b)where the last half hour of the period of employment is allowed as a half hour of rest, the employee shall be entitled to leave the place of work as soon as that half hour starts. 6. All whole-time employees other than watchmen shall be allowed two weekly days of rest in every week. Watchmen shall be allowed one weekly day of rest: Minimum weekly rest. Provided that where a shift system precludes the allowance of two days of rest in any one week in any cycle, employees shall be allowed one day of rest in that particular week, and are paid at the rate of time and a half for any one of the other working days of the week. 7.
(1)In the case of all whole-time employees, other than watchmen, overtime shall be payable as follows (
- a)for all time worked in excess of eight hours on any day, and for all time worked on the first predetermined day of rest of the week ............................. time-and-a-half; (
- b)for all time worked in excess of forty hours in any week exclusive of any time paid for at overtime rates ...........................................................time-and-a-half; (
- c)for all time worked on Sundays or the second or only pre-determined day of rest of the week ... double-time; (
- d)for all hours of work on a customary holiday, in addition to the normal hourly wage .........double-time: Provided that where a customary holiday falls on a Sunday or another day of rest, overtime shall be paid Minimum overtime rates. 4 TEXTILES AND ALLIED INDUSTRIES WAGES COUNCIL WAGE REGULATION [ S.L.452.55 only at double-time.
(2)In the case of watchmen, overtime shall be payable as follows (
- i)for all time worked in excess of nine hours on any day ................................. time-and-a-half; (
- ii)for all time worked .in excess of fifty-four hours in any week of six consecutive days .............................................. time-and-a-half; (iii) for all time worked on the second or only predetermined day of rest of the week and on a customary holiday ...................... double-time.
(3)Notwithstanding the provisions of the preceding subparagraphs of this paragraph (
- i)shift employees shall not be entitled to overtime payment for time worked in normal shift on Sundays, or on a day of rest; (
- ii)when a customary holiday falls on a working day, overtime at time and a half shall be payable to whole-time employees, other than watchmen, for work in excess of forty hours during the week less the number of hours that would have normally been worked on such a day by that employee; (iii) in the case of watchmen, when a customary holiday falls on any day from Monday to Saturday, overtime at time and a half shall be payable to them for work in excess of forty-five hours during that week. Holidays. 8.
(1)In addition to the minimum weekly rest to which whole-time employees may be entitled under paragraph 6, wholetime employees shall be entitled to all customary holidays with full pay, and to the following vacation leave not being less than (
- a)four working weeks and one working day during each of the calendar years 1988 and 1989; (
- b)four working weeks and two working days during the calendar year 1990; (
- c)four working weeks and three working days during the calendar year 1991; and (
- d)four working weeks and four working days during the calendar year 1992 and during any calendar year thereafter: Provided that when a whole-time employee is in employment for less than twelve months during any calendar year, he shall he entitled to such part of the said vacation leave as is in proportion to the number of months in employment.
(2)For the purposes of this paragraph "vacation leave" means leave with pay which may be availed of: Provided that: TEXTILES AND ALLIED INDUSTRIES WAGES COUNCIL WAGE REGULATION [ S.L.452.55 (
- a)one day vacation leave during each of the calendar years 1988 and 1989; (
- b)two days vacation leave during 1990; (
- c)three days vacation leave during 1991; and (
- d)four days vacation leave during 1992, and during any calendar year thereafter; shall not form part of any shut down and shall be granted by the employer as optional leave in addition to any optional leave the employee may have been entitled to on the 9th November, 1988. 9.
(1)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: Sick leave. .Cap. 318. 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; (
- 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)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: 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; Cap. 318. Cap. 318. 5 6 [ S.L.452.55 Cap. 318. TEXTILES AND ALLIED INDUSTRIES WAGES COUNCIL WAGE REGULATION (
- 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.
(3)The employer may require a medical certificate by his own physician to certify incapacity for work during the period of absence.
(4)Whole-time employees employed for less than one year shall be entitled to paid sick leave in proportion to the number of months in employment.
(5)For the purposes of this paragraph, a break in employment of not more than thirty days, other than at the employee’s request shall not interrupt the continuity of service. S.L. 452.87.
(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. Bereavement leave. 10. Whole-time employees shall be allowed three days paid leave on the occasion of the death of any of the following relations: the wife or husband, the mother or father (or the person who at the time was in fact acting as the mother or father of the employee), the son or daughter, and the brother or sister. Special leave. 11. A whole-time employee shall be allowed three days leave with full pay on the occasion of his marriage and two days leave with full pay on the occasion of the birth of a child to his wife. Injury leave. 12. A whole-time employee shall be entitled to 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 duties 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. Jury service. 13. A whole-time employee called for jury service, shall be allowed all the necessary time off without loss of pay to attend the Courts. Minimum remuneration of part-time employees. 14. The minimum remuneration payable employees shall be at such hourly rate arrived at - to part-time (
- a)in the case of watchmen, by dividing by fifty-four the weekly rate applicable to that category of watchmen, and (
- b)in the case of other employees, by dividing by forty the weekly rate applicable to such other employees at age eighteen years or over. Waiting time. 15. An employee is entitled to the payment of the minimum wages applicable to him for all time during which he is present on the premises of his employer or elsewhere unless he is present TEXTILES AND ALLIED INDUSTRIES WAGES COUNCIL WAGE REGULATION [ S.L.452.55 thereon in any of the following circumstances (
- a)without the employer’s consent, expressed or implied; (
- b)for some purpose unconnected with his work and other than that of waiting for work to be given to him to perform; (
- c)by reason only of the fact that he is resident thereon; (
- d)during normal meal times in a room or place in which no work is being done, and he is not waiting for work to be given to him to perform. 16. 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 is intended to indicate its applicability). The provisions of the above Schedule shall apply to all employees in any undertaking or in any part of an undertaking the activities of which consist wholly or mainly in any of the following: (
- a)the manufacture or processing (including the spinning, weaving, knitting, finishing and any other process incidental to the foregoing) of natural, artificial or man-made fibres and fabrics; and (
- b)the making up of articles from natural, artificial or man-made fibres and fabrics. Retiring age. 7