WOODWORKS WAGES COUNCIL WAGE REGULATION ORDER

SUBSIDIARY LEGISLATION 452.44

WOODWORKS WAGES COUNCIL

WAGE REGULATION ORDER

2nd May, 1977

LEGAL NOTICE 50 of 1977, as amended by Legal Notices 91 of 1977, 1

of 1979, 91 of 1990, 427 of 2007, 142 of 2010, 362 of 2012, 334 of 2013,

444 of 2013, 482 of 2014, 5 of 2016, 97 and 383 of 2017, 104 and 351 of

2019, 469 of 2020, 464 of 2021, 335 of 2022, 286 of 2023, 341 of 2024 and

288 of 2025.

The title of this Order is Woodworks Wages Council Wage

Regulation Order.

1. In this Schedule, unless the context otherwise requires -

"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;

"experience in the trade" means one or more periods certified by

the Director of Labour during which a person to whom this

Schedule applies is employed as a learner with one employer or

with different employers whether continuously or otherwise;

"half day" means a period of twelve consecutive hours running

from midnight to noon, or from noon to midnight;

"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;

"part-time employee" means an employee whose normal hours of

work, calculated on a weekly basis or on average over a period of

employment of up to one year, are less than the normal hours of

work of a comparable whole-time employee and who is not a

whole-time employee with reduced hours;

"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;

"recognised breaks" means breaks which are customary among

particular sections of the employees to which this Schedule applies;

"time-and-a-half" and "double-time" mean respectively one and a

half times and twice the minimum time rate applicable to the

employee;

"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 who is deemed to be

a whole-time employee in terms of any recognized conditions of

employment.

2. (1) The minimum weekly remuneration for whole-time

employees, other than watchmen, shall be related to a week of not

more than forty hours of work, exclusive of overtime and of

recognised breaks for meal time and rest

Provided that for day workers, such hours of work shall be

spread over a five day week (Monday to Friday or Tuesday to

Saturday).

(2) The minimum weekly remuneration for watchmen shall be

related to a week of not more than fifty-two hours of work,

exclusive of overtime, spread over six days.

The provisions set out in the Schedule hereto shall apply to

all employees in respect of whom the Woodworks Wages Council

operates.

Subject to the provisions of paragraph 6 of this Schedule,

the minimum wage rates payable to whole-time employees, shall be

the following -

(a)

(i)

Watchmen whose duties are mainly performed

indoors ............................................. €229.44

(ii) Watchmen whose duties are mainly performed

out of doors ...................................... €231.77

(b)

Other whole-time employees -

At age 18 years or over ............................. €229.44

At age 17 years ......................................... €222.66

At age 16 years ......................................... €219.82

Whole-time employees, other than watchmen, shall be

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

than one hour in every day on which the hours of work exceed five

and a half hours.

All whole-time employees shall be allowed a weekly day

of rest in every week.

(1) Subject to the provisions of this paragraph and of

paragraph 2 of this Schedule, minimum overtime rates are payable

to all whole-time employees, other than watchmen, to whom this

Schedule applies, as follows : -

(a) on any day, being a working day in respect of the

particular employee, for all time worked in excess of

eight hours ........................................ time-and-a-half;

(b) for all time worked on any day, other than a Sunday or

a customary holiday, not being a working day in

respect of the particular employee ..... time-and-a-half;

(c) for all time worked in excess of forty hours in any

week exclusive of any time paid for at overtime

rates .................................................. time-and-a-half;

(d) for all hours work on a Sunday ............... double-time;

(e) for all time worked on a customary holiday

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

Provided that in any week which includes a customary

holiday on a working day overtime at time-and-a-half shall be

payable for work in excess of thirty-two hours, exclusive at time

paid for at overtime rates, to all employees other than watchmen.

(2) Overtime at the rate of time-and-a-half shall be payable to

watchmen for all time worked in excess of fifty-two hours in a

period of six consecutive days, and for all time worked on the

seventh day.

(1)

In addition to the minimum weekly rest to which

whole-time employees may be entitled under paragraph 5, 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 purpose 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 shut-down 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.

(3) For the purpose of this paragraph a break in employment of

not more than thirty days shall not be deemed to interrupt the

continuity of service.

(1) After the completion of six months’ continuous

service, a whole-time employee shall in every calendar year be

entitled to the equivalent in hours of twelve days sick leave on full

pay, less an amount equal to the sum set for sickness benefit

entitlement at the rate established under 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 established under the Social

Security Act, which amount is also to be calculated on a pro rata

basis

Provided that -

(a) the first three 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 is longer than seven days,

within seven days of the onset of sick leave absence;

(c) employees in receipt of a social security pension in

respect of retirement or widowhood in terms of the

Social Security Act shall, for the purpose of

calculating the sick leave pay due, be deemed to have

received an amount equal to the sum set for sickness

benefit entitlement at the rate established under the

Social Security Act.

(2) After the completion of six months’ continuous service, a

whole-time employee shall in every calendar year be entitled to the

equivalent in hours of a further twelve days sick leave on half pay,

less an amount equal to half the sum set for sickness benefit

entitlement at the rate established under the Social Security Act,

and part-time employees shall have a pro rata entitlement to sick

leave in hours on half pay, less an amount equal to half the sum set

for sickness benefit entitlement at the rate established under the

Social Security Act, which amount is also to be calculated on a pro

rata basis

Provided that -

(a) the first three 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 is longer than seven days,

within seven days of the onset of sick leave absence;

(c) employees in receipt of a social security pension in

respect of retirement or widowhood in terms of the

Social Security Act shall, for the purpose of

calculating the sick leave pay due, be deemed to have

received an amount equal to half the sum set for

sickness benefit entitlement at the rate established

under the Social Security Act.

(3) The employer may require a medical certificate by his own

physician to certify incapacity for work during the period of

absence.

(4) For the purposes of this paragraph a break in employment

of not more than thirty days shall not be deemed to interrupt the

continuity of service.

(5) The sick leave entitlement granted by virtue of this

paragraph shall be calculated on the basis provided for annual leave

as specified in regulation 8(1) of the Organisation of Working Time

Regulations.

Whole-time employees shall be allowed three consecutive

days leave without loss of pay on the occasion of the death of any

of the following relations: the 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

Provided that if the brother or sister had not been living in

the same household as the employee the bereavement leave shall be

limited to only one day.

A whole-time employee shall be entitled to three days

leave on full pay on the occasion of his marriage and to two days

leave on full pay on the occasion of the birth of a child to his wife.

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

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.

A whole-time employee called for jury service shall be

allowed all the necessary time off without loss of pay to attend the

Courts.

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.

An employee is entitled to the payment of the minimum

remuneration applicable to him for all time during which he is

present on the premises of his employer or in any other place in

connection with his employment 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 recognised breaks for meals and rest, and he is

not waiting for work to be given to him to perform.

In cases where the retiring age of a male employee is

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

employees engaged in establishments manufacturing furniture,

fixtures and other articles wholly or mainly in wood (excluding

smokers’ pipes but including boats and motor vehicles bodies)

upholstery and wicker or cane work, whether natural or artificial

and for employees employed by woodwork contractors in building

and civil engineering.