WHOLESALE AND RETAIL TRADES 
WAGES COUNCIL WAGE REGULATION [ S.L.452.63 1
SUBSIDIARY LEGISLATION 452.63
WHOLESALE AND RETAIL TRADES WAGES 
COUNCIL WAGE REGULATION ORDER
18th March, 1989
LEGAL NOTICE 32 of 1989.
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 Wholesale and Retail Trades
Wages Council operates other than persons employed in bars,
restaurants and coffee-houses.
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;
"half day" means a period of twelve consecutive hours 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
intervals allowed for meals and rest;
"part-time employee" means an employee who is not a whole-
time employee;
"time-and-a-half" and "double-time" mean respectively one and a
half times and twice the actual time rate applicable to the
employee;
"whole-time employee" means an employee who works for more
than twenty hours in any one week, spread over a period of not less
than four days;
"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.
Hours of work.
the minimum weekly remuneration payable to whole-time
employees shall be related to a week of not more than forty hours
2 [ S.L.452.63
WHOLESALE AND RETAIL TRADES 
WAGES COUNCIL WAGE REGULATION
spread over five and a half days:
Provided that the hours of work of employees in -
( a ) shops whose main activity is the sale of newspapers,
bread, fresh meat, fish, milk, fruit, vegetables, flowers,
tobacco, take-away foods, confectionery and  bona fide
souvenirs;
( b ) petrol kiosks and petrol stations;
( c ) dispensaries; and
( d ) barbers and hairdressers,
shall be spread over six days:
Provided further that the hours of work of watchmen shall
be related to a week of not more than sixty hours spread over six
days.
Minimum 
remuneration 
payable to whole-
time employees.
3. Subject to the provisions of paragraph 2 of this Schedule,
the minimum weekly remuneration payable to whole-time
employees shall be as follows:-
( a )  Whole-time employees other than watchmen, of the
age specified in Column 1 of the table immediately
following shall be entitled to the appropriate rate of
remuneration set out in Column 2 thereof:
Minimum Remuneration
WHOLE-TIME EMPLOYEES (OTHER THAN WATCHMEN)
Column 1 Column 2
At age  16 years  ............................................... Lm26.13,0
17 years  ............................................... Lm27.24,0 
18 years and over  ................................. Lm30.38,0
( b ) Watchmen employed as whole-time employees
performing duties as specified in Column 1 of the table
immediately following shall be entitled to the
appropriate rate of remuneration set out in Column 2
thereof:
Minimum Remuneration
WATCHMEN EMPLOYED AS WHOLE-TIME EMPLOYEES
Column 1 Column 2
Watchmen whose duties are mainly performed indoors Lm30.38,0
Watchmen whose duties are mainly performed outdoors  Lm31.38,0
Minimum daily 
rest.
4. All whole-time employees shall be allowed intervals of not
less, in the aggregate, than one hour for meals and rest every day.
Minimum weekly 
rest.
5. (1) All whole-time employees who are conditioned to a
five and a half day week in accordance with paragraph 2 of this
Schedule shall be entitled to one and a half days off in every period
of seven consecutive days, with the half day in question being
WHOLESALE AND RETAIL TRADES 
WAGES COUNCIL WAGE REGULATION [ S.L.452.63 3
allowed in the afternoon:
Provided that every employee shall be entitled to his half-
day off in the afternoon of a Saturday at least once in every three
weeks, in accordance with a roster made and kept by the employer.
(2)  All other whole-time employees shall be entitled to at least
one day of rest in every calendar week.
Minimum overtime 
rates.
6.   Whole-time employees other than watchmen shall be
entitled to overtime remuneration as follows: 
( a )  for all hours of work in excess of the normal hours of
work in accordance with paragraph 2 of this Schedule
.......................................................... time-and-a-half;
( b ) for all hours in excess of eight hours in any week day
on which the employee is not entitled to a half day off
.......................................................... time-and-a-half;
( c ) for all hours of work in excess of five hours on any day
in which the employee is entitled to the weekly half-
day off .............................................. time-and-a-half;
( d ) for all hours of work on Sundays and customary
holidays ................................................ double-time;
( e ) for all hours of work in any calendar week in excess of
the number of working hours, being not more than
forty, stipulated in the contract of service excluding
from such number - 
(i) all time paid for under the foregoing provisions
of this paragraph; and
(ii) the number of hours during which an employee
is on holiday, sick leave or is absent from work
without remuneration subject to a maximum of
seven hours in respect of any whole day
................................................ time-and-a-half:
Provided that the Director of Labour may
authorize an employer in writing to pay overtime to
specified employees or groups of employees in respect
only of hours of work in excess of a weekly average of
the number of working hours being not more than
forty, stipulated in the contract of service, calculated
over such a number of consecutive weeks as the
Director may deem reasonable; and in that case the
provisions of item ( a ) of this paragraph shall not
apply;
( f ) (i) for all hours of work by watchmen in excess of
ten hours daily or in excess of sixty hours in a
period of six consecutive days ..time-and-a-half;
(ii) for all hours of work by watchmen on the
seventh day (day of rest) ............... double-time.
Vacation leave.
whole-time employees may be entitled under paragraph 5, sub-
paragraphs (1) and (2), whole-time employees shall be entitled to
all customary holidays with full pay, and to the following vacation
4 [ S.L.452.63
WHOLESALE AND RETAIL TRADES 
WAGES COUNCIL WAGE REGULATION
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 other 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:
Provided that -
( 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;
( d ) 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.
8. After completing the first six months of employment,
whole-time employees shall be entitled to fifteen days sick leave on
full pay less any sickness benefit to which they may be entitled
under the Social Security Act, and to a further thirty-six days on
half pay in every calendar year:
Provided that a medical certificate certifying incapacity for
work covering the period of absence is produced to the employer.
Bereavement 
leave.
9. Whole-time employees shall be allowed two days paid
leave on the occasion of the death of any of the following relations:
wife, husband, mother, father, (or the person who at the time was in
fact acting as the mother or father of the employee), son, daughter,
brother or sister.
Special leave. 10. A whole-time employee shall be allowed three days leave
with pay on the occasion of his or her marriage, and one day leave
on the occasion of the birth of a child to the wife of the employee.
Injury leave.
Cap. 318.
11. 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 under the Social Security Act, if he/
she is injured during the actual discharge of his/her duty and not
due to any contributory negligence on his/her part or to any
WHOLESALE AND RETAIL TRADES 
WAGES COUNCIL WAGE REGULATION [ S.L.452.63 5
contravention of safety rules laid down by the management.
Jury leave.
allowed all the necessary time off on full pay to attend such service
at the Court.
Minimum 
remuneration 
payable to part-
time employees.
13. (1) The minimum remuneration payable to part-time
employees on the days specified in Column 1 of the table
immediately following shall be at the appropriate rate per hour set
out in Column 2 thereof: 
Minimum Remuneration
PART-TIME EMPLOYEES 
Column 1 Column 2
Rate per hour
Monday to Saturday ........................................... Lm1.31,8
Sundays and customary holidays ........................ Lm2.06,8 
(2) When the Government grants to all its whole-time
employees a general increase in wages and such increase is
declared by the Minister responsible for labour by notice in the
Gazette to be of general application to all whole-time employees,
the rates referred to in sub-paragraph (1) of this paragraph shall be
proportionately increased by dividing the weekly rate applicable to
whole-time employees of the same category by sixty in the case of
watchmen and by forty in the case of other employees.
(3) For the purposes of this paragraph "part-time employee"
means an employee:
( a )  who is not employed for more than twenty hours in
any week;
( b ) whose hours of work in any day are contained in not
more than four consecutive hours in a period of not
more than half a day; and
( c ) who is employed at fixed hours.
Retiring age. 
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 persons
employed by wholesale merchants, distributors, importers,
exporters, commission agents, wholesale and marketing, co-
operatives, retailers, lending libraries, hawkers, hairdressers,
6 [ S.L.452.63
WHOLESALE AND RETAIL TRADES 
WAGES COUNCIL WAGE REGULATION
consumers’ co-operatives, photographic studios; but it shall not
apply to employees in any shop run directly under the management
of a hotel as part of the amenities of the hotel, nor to employees in
any shop either run directly by the management of a club as part of
the amenities thereof or given out under contract for the purpose of
increasing those amenities.
