Standing orders act, 1946

Adv.Annamma Samuel STANDING ORDERS ACT, 1946

There was no uniformity in the conditions of service of workers until this Act was brought. The absence of standing order, clearly defining the rights and obligations of the employer The demand for statutory service conditions was first raised by Bombay Cotton Textile workers in 1927-28. The Bombay Industrial Disputes Act of 1938 provided, for the first time, for statutory standing orders. The Labour Investigation Committee 1944-46 observed: “ An industrial worker has the right to know the terms & conditions under which he is expected to follow”.

OBJECTIVES To require employers to define the conditions of work To bring about uniformity in terms and conditions of employment To minimize industrial conflicts To foster harmonious relations between employers and employees. To provide statutory sanctity and importance to standing orders

SCOPE AND APPLICATION The Act extends to the whole of India It apply to every establishment wherein 100 or more workmen are employed or employed on any day preceding twelve months.

The appropriate Govt. can exempt any establishment from any of the provisions of the Act It applies to railways, factories, mines, quarries, oil-fields, tramways, motor services, docks, plantations, workshops, civil construction and maintenance works. The Act has 15 sections and a schedule.

The Act is applicable to all workmen employed in any industrial establishment to do any skilled or unskilled, manual, supervisory, technical, clerical work. Even the apprentices are also included. But the persons employed mainly in a managerial/administrative/supervisory capacity drawing wages exceeding Rs.1600 are not covered

STANDING ORDERS Classification of the workmen : temporary, casual, apprentices Manner of intimating to workmen periods and hours of work, holidays, pay-days and wage rates Shift working Attendance and late coming Conditions of, procedure in applying for, and the authority which may grant leave and holidays Requirements to enter premises by certain gates and liability to search Closing and reopening of sections of the establishments, or temporary stoppages Suspension or dismissal for misconduct and acts and omissions which constitute misconduct

SUBMISSION OF DRAFT SO It is obligatory on the part of an employer or a group of employers to furnish 5 copies of the draft standing orders to the certifying officer within 6 months of the application of the Act the employer shall submit the draft standing orders The draft shall be accompanied by a statement giving prescribed particulars of the workm en employed in the industrial establishment, including the name of the trade unions, if any, to which they belong

Procedure for Certification of Standing Orders On receipt of the draft standing order, the certifying officer shall forward a copy to sent to trade union of the workmen functioning in the establishment If no such union exists, to three representatives of workmen in the establishment elected at a meeting called for the purpose A notice in the prescribed form will be given inviting objections, if any, to the draft standing orders within fifteen days of receipt of these orders .

After giving to the parties an opportunity of being heard, the certifying officer shall decide whether or not any modification of the draft is necessary , and make an order in writing accordingly. In doing so, the certifying officer can adjudicate upon the fairness and reasonableness of the provisions in the drafts. The certifying officer shall thereupon certify the standing orders with or without modifications and forward the authenticated copies thereof to the employer and to the trade union or other prescribed representatives of the workmen within seven days from the date of his orders

Appeal An aggrieved party may appeal to the appellate authority within thirty days from the date on which the copies of the standing orders were sent to it by the certifying officer. The order of the authority shall be final. Section 6(1) empowers the appellate authority to do only two things: i.Confirm the standing orders in the form certified by the certifying officer ii.Confirm the standing orders after amending them by making the necessary modifications or additions. The certified standing orders become enforceable on the expiry of 30 days from the date on which the authenticated copies of the same are sent to the parties by the certifying officer. If an appeal has been filed, it shall come into operation on the expiry of 7 days from the date on which copies of the order of the appellate authority are sent to the parties

Modification of Standing Orders The standing orders finally certified under this Act shall not be liable to modification until the expiry of six months from the date on which the standing orders or the last modifications thereof came into operation. Subject to the provisions of section10(1), an employer or workman may apply to the certifying officer to have the standing orders modified. Such an application shall be accompanied by five copies of the modifications proposed to be made by agreement between the employer and the workmen, a certified copy of that agreement shall be filled along with the application

Powers of Certifying Officer Every certifying officer and appellate authority shall have all the powers of a civil court for the purpose of: i.Receiving evidence ii.Administering oaths iii.Enforcing the attendance of witnesses and iv.Compelling the discovery and production of documents Every certifying officer and appellate authority is deemed to be a civil court within the meaning of section 345 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (Section 11)

Acts of Misconduct The following acts or omissions on the part of a workman shall amount to misconduct; Going on an illegal strike Wilfully slowing down in performance of work Theft, fraud or dishonesty in connection with the employer’s business or property or the theft of property of another workman within the premises of the establishment Taking or giving bribes Habitual absence without leave or absence without leave for more than ten consecutive days Collection without the permission of the manager of any money within the premises of the establishment except as sanctioned by any law for the law for the time being in force

Acts of Misconduct Engaging in trade within the premises of the establishment Drunkenness, riotous, disorderly or indecent behaviour on the premises of the establishment Habitual neglect of work Habitual breach of any rules or instructions Wilful damage to work in process or to any property of the establishment

Holding meeting inside the premises of the establishment without the previous permission of the manager or except in accordance with the provisions of any law for the time being in force. Disclosing to any unauthorised person any information Smoking and spitting on the premises of the establishment where it is prohibited by the employer Unauthorised possession of any lethal weapon in the establishment

Offences and Penalty Any employer fails to submit draft standing orders or modifies it, shall be punishable with fine which may extend to Rs. 5000. In case of continuance of the above offence, fine up to Rs.200 per every day.

Obligations of Employers Submit draft standing orders with the required information to the certifying officer for certification within the time limit mentioned in the Act. Act in conformity with the certified standing orders in the day to day dealings with the workmen Modify certified standing orders only with the approval of the certifying officer

Obligations of Workmen Work in conformity with the certified standing orders or model standing orders as the case may be. Comply with the provisions of the Act in regard to modification and interpretation of standing orders.

Standing orders act, 1946

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Standing orders act, 1946