LEATHER GOODS AND SHOES INDUSTRIES 
WAGES COUNCIL WAGE REGULATION [ S.L.452.69 1
SUBSIDIARY LEGISLATION 452.69
LEATHER GOODS AND SHOES INDUSTRIES 
WAGES COUNCIL WAGE REGULATION ORDER
17th July, 1991
LEGAL NOTICE 116 of 1991.
Title.
Industries 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 Leather Goods and Shoes
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" in the case of a shift employee, means a period of twenty-
four 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
1.00 p.m. or at 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;
"night-shift" means any period of employment that includes any
hours form 10.00 p.m. to 6.00 a.m. of the next following day; 
"part-time employee" means an employee who is not a whole-
time employee;
"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;
"wage" 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;
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WAGES COUNCIL WAGE REGULATION
"whole-time employee" means an employee -
( a ) who is employed for more than thirty hours in any
week in the case of employees other than watchmen,
and 
( b ) who is employed for more than forty-five hours in any
week, in the case of watchmen.
Hours of work. 2. The minimum weekly wage 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, and
( b ) fifty-two hours of work in the case of watchmen.
Minimum wage of 
whole-time 
employees.
3. (1) The minimum weekly wage payable to whole-time
employees, both males and females, shall be the following -
( a ) watchmen whose duties are mainly performed indoors
......................................................... Lm34.13
( b ) watchmen whose duties are mainly performed out of
doors ............................................................ Lm35.13
( c ) other employees -
(i)  at age 16 years .................................... Lm29.99
(ii)  at age 17 years .................................... Lm31.22
(iii) at age 18 years or over ....................... Lm34.13.
(2) In the case of shift workers, unless every weekly night shift
is followed by two consecutive weekly day shift, such further
weekly night shift or shifts shall entitle the employee to extra
remuneration amounting to not less than one-fourth of his normal
rate of pay.
Minimum 
remuneration of 
part-time 
employees.
4.  Part-time employees shall be paid  pro rata  at an hourly rate
not less than that applicable to whole-time employees, namely, the
appropriate rate per week shown in paragraph 3 hereof, divided by
forty in the case of employees other than watchmen, and by fifty-
two in the case of watchmen.
Minimum daily 
rest.
5.  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:
Provided that -
( a ) subject to the provisions of paragraph ( b ) of this
proviso, the interval or intervals shall be allowed after
the first and 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.  Whole-time employees, other than watchmen, shall be
allowed two weekly days of rest in every week; watchmen shall be
LEATHER GOODS AND SHOES INDUSTRIES 
WAGES COUNCIL WAGE REGULATION [ S.L.452.69 3
allowed one weekly day of 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 one of the
other working days of the week shall be paid at the rate of time-
and-a-half.
Minimum overtime 
rates.
7. (1) In the case of whole-time employees, other than
watchmen, overtime shall be payable as follows - 
( a ) for all time worked in excess of forty hours in any
week exclusive of any time paid for at over-time rate
.......................................................... time-and-a-half;
( b ) for all time worked in excess of eight hours on any
day, and 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 a Sunday or the second or only
pre-determined day of rest of the week .... double time;
( d ) for all time worked on a customary holiday, in addition
to the normal hourly wage ....................... double time:
Provided that, when a customary holiday falls on a Sunday
or the other day of rest, overtime shall be paid only at double time.
(2) In the case of watchmen, overtime shall be payable as
follows -
( a ) for all time worked in excess of fifty-two hours in any
week of six consecutive days ............. time-and-a-half;
( b ) for all time worked in excess of nine hours on any day
.......................................................... time-and-a-half.
(3) Notwithstanding the provisions of the preceding sub-
paragraph of this paragraph - 
( a ) shift employees shall not be entitled to overtime
payment for time worked in normal shift on Sundays
or on a day of rest;
( b ) 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, exclusive of any time
paid for at overtime rate;
( c ) 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 fifty-two hours during that week.
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 -
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WAGES COUNCIL WAGE REGULATION
( 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.  After six months continuous service, 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, and to a further twelve days
sick leave on half pay, less half any sickness benefit to which they
may be entitled under the said Act, in either case provided a
medical certificate certifying incapacity for work covering the
period of absence is produced to the employer.
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 such employee 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.
Special leave.  11. A whole-time employee shall be allowed three days leave
on full pay on the occasion of his marriage and one day leave on
full pay on the occasion of the birth of a child to his wife.
Jury service. 12. Whole-time employees called for jury service shall be
allowed all necessary time off to enable them to attend to such
service in court without loss of pay.
Bereavement 
leave.
13. Whole-time employees shall be allowed two days paid
leave on the occasion of the death of any of the following relatives:
the wife, husband, father, mother (or the person who at the time is
acting as the father or mother), son, daughter, brother or sister.
Waiting time. 14. An employee shall be entitled to the payment of the
minimum wage applicable to him for all time during which he is
LEATHER GOODS AND SHOES INDUSTRIES 
WAGES COUNCIL WAGE REGULATION [ S.L.452.69 5
present at the premises of his employer or elsewhere unless he is
present thereat 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 thereat;
( 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.
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 he reaches the age of sixty-one years, provided
that the male 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 Schedule but is intended to indicate
its applicability).
The provisions of the above Schedule will 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 and processing of leather and leather
goods including the manufacture of gloves and the
manufacture of boots, shoes, sandals, and other
footwear, and
( b ) the manufacture of luggage, brief-cases, handbags,
shopping bags and other bags of a similar nature.
