FOOD MANUFACTURE INDUSTRIES 
WAGES COUNCIL WAGE REGULATION [ S.L.452.67 1
SUBSIDIARY LEGISLATION 452.67
FOOD MANUFACTURE INDUSTRIES WAGES 
COUNCIL WAGE REGULATION ORDER
20th May, 1991
LEGAL NOTICE 68 of 1991.
Title.
Wages Council Wage Regulation Order.
Field of operation 
of Wages Council.
2. The provisions set out in the Schedule hereto shall apply to
all employees in respect of whom the Food Manufacture Industries
Wages Council operates.
SCHEDULE
Interpretation. 
Cap. 252.
"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" means a period running from midnight of one day to
midnight of the next following day;
"half a day" means a period of twelve consecutive hours
beginning or ending at 1.00 p.m. or 1.00 a.m.;
"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;
"normal time", "time-and-a-half and "double-time" mean
respectively one time, one-and-a-half times, and twice the
minimum time rate applicable to the employee;
"part-time employee" means an employee who is not a whole-
time employee;
"period of employment" means the time in any one day during
which employees are at the disposal of the employer, but inclusive
of the intervals allowed for meals and rest;
"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 worker would normally
commence his turn of duty;
"whole-time employee" means an employee -
( a ) who is employed for more than 30 hours in any one
week; and 
( b ) whose hours of work are spread over a period of more
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WAGES COUNCIL WAGE REGULATION
than half a day on any one day.
Hours of work. 2. (1) The minimum weekly remuneration shall be related to
a week of not more than forty hours in the case of all whole-time
employees other than watchmen.
(2) The minimum weekly remuneration in the case of
watchmen shall be related to a week of not more than fifty-four
hours, inclusive of on the spot breaks for meals.
Minimum wages of 
whole-time 
employees.
3. (1) The minimum weekly wages payable to whole-time
employees, other than watchmen, shall be as follows - 
18 years or over ......................................................... Lm34.13c 
17 years .................................................................... Lm31.93c 
16 years .................................................................... Lm31.00c.
(2) ( a ) Watchmen whose duties are mainly performed indoors
shall be paid a minimum weekly wage of Lm34.13c;
and
( b ) Watchmen whose duties are mainly performed out of
doors shall be paid a minimum wage of Lm35.13c.
Minimum 
remuneration of 
part-time 
employees.
4. 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 daily 
rest.
5. Whole-time employees other than watchmen, shall be
allowed intervals of not less, in the aggregate, than one hour for
meals and rest in any one day:
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.
Minimum weekly 
rest.
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:
Provided that the Director of Labour may, whenever, he
deems fit, permit in writing an employer to allow such employees
two half days, ending or beginning at noon, as the weekly rest in
lieu of any one whole day off.
Minimum overtime 
rates.
7. (1) Work on customary holidays shall be remunerated at
double time, or at normal time plus a day off in lieu, in addition to
the day or days of rest.
(2) Whole-time employees, other than watchmen, shall be
entitled to overtime remuneration as follows:
( a ) for work in excess of forty hours in any one week -
FOOD MANUFACTURE INDUSTRIES 
WAGES COUNCIL WAGE REGULATION [ S.L.452.67 3
time and a half;
( b ) for all time worked on the first pre-determined day of
rest of the week - time and a half;
( c ) for all time worked on the second pre-determined day
of rest of the week - double-time.
(3) Watchmen shall be entitled to overtime remuneration as
follows -
( a ) for work in excess of nine hours daily or fifty-four
hours weekly - time and a half;
( b ) for work on the seventh day (being the weekly day of
rest) - double time.
Vacation leave.
whole-time employees may be entitled under paragraph 6 whole-
time employees shall be entitled to the national holidays and to all
public holidays with full pay, and to the following vacation leave
not being less than -
( a ) four working weeks and one working day during 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;
( 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 be
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 on days agreed upon
between the employer and the employee, provided that one day
vacation leave during 1988 and 1989, two days vacation leave
during 1990, three days vacation leave during 1991 and four days
vacation leave during 1992 and during any calendar year thereafter
shall not form part of any shutdown 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.
Sick leave. 
Cap. 318.
9. (1) Whole-time employees shall be entitled to twelve days
sick leave on full pay in every calendar year less any sickness
benefit to which they may be entitled under the Social Security Act,
provided a medical certificate certifying incapacity for work
covering the period of absence is produced to the employer.
(2) 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.
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Injury leave.
Cap. 318.
10. 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.
Bereavement 
leave.
11.  Whole-time employees shall be allowed two days paid
leave on the occasion of the death of any of the following relations:
the wife or husband, the father or mother (or the person who at the
time was in fact acting as the father or mother of the employee), the
son or daughter, and the brother or sister.
Birth leave. 12. Whole-time employees shall be allowed one day leave on
the occasion of the birth of any child to the wife of the employee.
Marriage leave. 13. A whole-time employee shall be allowed three working
days on full pay on the occasion of his marriage.
Jury leave.  14.  Whole-time employees called for jury service shall be
allowed all necessary time off on full pay to attend to such service
in Court.
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
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 and he is not waiting for
work to be given to him to perform.
Retiring age.  16.  In cases where retirement of a male employee is expected
to take place at the age of sixty years, such employee shall be given
the opportunity by the employer to retain his employment beyond
this age at least until the age of sixty-one years, provided that the
employee it question shall still be allowed, if he so wishes, to retire
at sixty years.
EXPLANATORY NOTE
(This note is not part of the Order but is intended to indicate its
applicability).
The above Order applies to employees in any undertaking, or
part of an undertaking, the activities of which consist wholly or
mainly in the manufacture of foodstuffs, including bakeries, paste
factories, confectioneries and ice-cream factories and of balanced
fodder and other foodstuffs for animal consumption.
