Regulation Order, 2026

L.N. 129 of 2026

EMPLOYMENT AND INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS ACT

(CAP. 452)

Textiles and Related Industries (Conditions of Work)

Regulation Order, 2026

IN EXERCISE of the powers conferred by article 4(1) of the

Employment and Industrial Relations Act, the Minister responsible for

employment and industrial relations has made the following

regulations:-

(1) The title of this order is the Textiles and Related

Industries (Conditions of Work) Regulation Order, 2026.

(2) This order shall come into force within two (2) months

from its date of publication in the Gazette.

(3) The provisions established in this order 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 manufacture of articles from fibres and fabrics

Provided that in the event that there is a collective

agreement applicable to the class of employees covered by this

order, the more favourable conditions in such agreement or in

this order shall prevail.

In this order, unless the context otherwise requires

"Act" means the Employment and Industrial Relations Act;

"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;

"collective agreement" shall have the same meaning as

assigned to it in the Act;

"day" means in the case of shift employees, a period of

twenty-four (24) consecutive hours and, in all other cases, it

means a period running from 12:00a.m. of one day to 12:00a.m.

of the next following day;

"double-time" means twice the actual time rate applicable

to the employee;

"hours of work" shall have the same meaning as assigned to

it in the Act;

"night shift" means any period of employment that includes

any hours from 10:00p.m. of one day to 6:00a.m. of the next

following day;

"part-time employee" shall have the same meaning as

assigned to it in the Act;

"part-time watchperson" means an employee employed as a

watchperson for not more than thirty-six (36) hours a week;

"period of employment" shall have the same meaning as

assigned to it in the Act;

"shift employee" means an employee who regularly works

on a shift cycle basis;

"time and a half" means one and a half times the actual time

rate applicable to the employee;

"wages" means remuneration or earnings, payable by an

employer to an employee and includes any bonus payable under

article 23 of the Act, other than any bonus or allowance related to

performance or production;

"week" means a calendar week;

"rest period" shall have the same meaning as assigned to it

in the Organisation of Working Time Regulations;

"whole-time employee" shall have the same meaning as

assigned to it in the Act.

The minimum weekly wages shall be related to a week of Hours of work.

not more than

(a) forty (40) hours of work in the case of whole-time

employees other than watchpersons, to be performed in a week

of five (5) days;

(b) fifty-four (54) hours of work in the case of

watchpersons, exclusive of overtime, distributed over six (6)

days.

Whole-time employees shall be entitled to the following

minimum weekly wages

(a)

watchpersons

(i) whose

duties

are

mainly

performed

indoors................................................................... €309.74;

(ii) whose

duties

are

mainly

performed

outdoors......................................................................

€312.07;

(b)

other whole-time employees........................ €229.44;

(c)

shift employees

(i) in the case of employees assigned work on a

three (3) shift cycle and in consideration of the periods of

night work, an allowance shall be paid to them equivalent

to one-tenth of the normal rate. In the case of employees on

a two (2) shift basis a shift allowance shall be paid to them

equivalent to one-twelfth of their normal rate;

(ii) unless every weekly night shift is followed by

two (2) consecutive weekly day shifts, such further night

shift or shifts shall entitle employees to an extra

remuneration amounting to not less than one-fourth (1/4) of

their normal rate of pay.

In the case of whole-time employees on piece-work the

minimum piece-rate of wages shall be such that no employee shall

earn, when employed on such work, less than the appropriate time rate

pro rata specified in article 4.

(1) When the employee is required to wear a uniform in

the performance of the employee’s duties, such uniform shall be

provided free of charge by the employer.

(2) Personal protective equipment according to the Minimum

Requirements for the use of Personal Protective Equipment at Work

Regulations shall also be provided free of charge by the employer.

All whole-time employees, other than watchpersons, shall

be allowed intervals for meals and rest of not less, in the aggregate,

than one (1) 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 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 commences.

All employees shall be entitled to a weekly rest period in Minimum

weekly rest.

accordance with the Organisation of Working Time Regulations

Provided that where a shift system precludes the allowance

of two (2) days of rest in any one (1) week in any cycle, employees

shall be allowed one (1) day of rest in that particular week, and shall

be paid at the rate of time and a half for any one of the other working

days of the week.

(1) In the case of all whole-time employees, other than Minimum

overtime rates.

watchpersons, overtime shall be payable as follows

(a) for all time worked in excess of eight (8) hours on

any day, and for all time worked on the first pre-determined day

of rest of the week..................................................time and a

half;

(b) for all time worked in excess of forty (40) 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 on the second or

only pre-determined day of rest of the week....................double

time;

(d) for all hours of work on customary holidays, 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 only at

double-time.

(2)

In the case of watchpersons, overtime shall be payable as

follows

(a) for all time worked in excess of nine (9) hours on any

day..................................................................... time and a half;

(b) for all time worked in excess of fifty-four (54) hours

in any week of six (6) consecutive days...................... time and a

half;

(c) for all time worked on the second (2nd) or only

predetermined day of rest of the week and on a customary

holiday.................................................................... double-time.

(3)

Notwithstanding the provisions of sub-articles (1) and (2)

(a) shift employees shall not be entitled to overtime

payment for time worked during the 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 watchpersons, for work in excess of forty

(40) hours during that week less the number of hours that would

have normally been worked on such a day by that employee;

(c) in the case of watchpersons, 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 (45) hours during that week.

The employee shall be entitled to annual leave in

accordance with the Organisation of Working Time Regulations.

(1) A whole-time employee shall in every calendar year

be entitled to the equivalent in hours of twelve (12) days sick leave on

full pay, less an amount equal to the sum established for sickness

benefit entitlement at the rate determined in accordance with 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 determined in

accordance with the Social Security Act, which amount shall also be

calculated on a pro rata basis

Provided that

(a) the first three (3) 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 exceeds seven days (7), within seven (7) days

from the commencement of such absence due to sick leave;

(c) employees receiving a social security pension in

respect of retirement or widowhood in accordance with the

Social Security Act shall, for the purpose of calculating the sick Cap. 318.

leave payment due, be deemed to have received an amount equal

to the sum set for sickness benefit entitlement at the rate

determined in accordance with 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 (12) days sick

leave on half pay, less an amount equal to half the sum set for sickness

benefit entitlement at the rate determined in accordance with the

Social Security Act, and part-time employees shall have a pro rata Cap. 318.

entitlement to sick leave in hours on half pay, less an amount equal to

half the sum established for sickness benefit entitlement at the rate

determined in accordance with the Social Security Act, which amount

shall also be calculated on a pro rata basis

Provided that

(a) the first three (3) 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 exceeds seven (7) days, within seven (7) days

from the commencement of such absence due to sick leave;

(c) employees receiving a social security pension in

respect of retirement or widowhood in accordance with the

Social Security Act shall, for the purpose of calculating the sick Cap. 318.

leave payment due, be deemed to have received an amount equal

to half the sum established for sickness benefit entitlement at the

rate determined in accordance with the Social Security Act.

(3) Sick leave entitlements shall apply from the first (1) day of

employment

Provided that said entitlements shall be calculated pro rata

in accordance with the date of employment in the relative calendar

year.

(4) The employer may require a medical certificate by a

physician of his choice to certify that the employee was unfit for work

during the period of absence.

(5) Whole-time employees employed for less than one (1) year

shall be entitled to paid sick leave in proportion to the number of

months in employment.

(6) For the purposes of this article, a break in employment of

not more than thirty (30) days, except than at the employee’s request

shall not interrupt the continuity of service.

(7) The sick leave entitlement shall be calculated on the basis

provided for annual leave as specified in regulation 8(1) of the

Organisation of Working Time Regulations.

An employee shall be 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 express or implied consent;

(b) for some purpose unrelated with his work, other than

that of waiting for any work to be assigned to him;

(c)

solely by reason of the fact that he is resident thereon;

(d) during normal meal times in a room or place in which

no work is being carried out, and he is not waiting for any work

to be assigned to him.

Employees shall be entitled to the national holidays and to

all public holidays with full pay, to all forms of leave in accordance

with the Minimum Special Leave Entitlement Regulations and all

other forms of leave that may, from time to time, be stipulated in the

National Standard Orders or regulations made under the Act.

The Textile and Allied Industries Wages Council Order and

the Textiles and Allied Industries Wages Council Wage Regulation

Order are hereby repealed without prejudice to anything done or omitted

to be done thereunder.

€0.63