LAUNDRIES WAGES COUNCIL WAGE REGULATION ORDER

SUBSIDIARY LEGISLATION 452.53

LAUNDRIES WAGES COUNCIL WAGE

REGULATION ORDER

15th August, 1977

LEGAL NOTICE 111 of 1977, as amended by Legal Notices 48 of 1978,

3 of 1979, 114 of 1991, 427 of 2007, 139 of 2010, 362 of 2012, 334, 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 Laundries 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;

"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 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;

"remuneration" means wages or earnings payable in money by an

employer to an employee;

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

half times and twice the minimum time rate applicable to the

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. The minimum weekly remuneration shall be related to a

week of not more than -

(a) forty-two hours of work between April and September

and thirty-eight hours of work between October and

March in the case of whole-time employees other than

watchmen; and

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

The provisions set out in the Schedule hereto shall apply to

all employees in respect of whom the Laundries Wages Council

operates.

The minimum weekly remuneration payable to whole-time

employees shall be the following -

(a) watchmen whose duties are mainly performed indoors

................................................................... €229.44

(b) watchmen whose duties are mainly performed

outdoors..................................................... €233.52

(c) other whole-time employees, both males and females -

(i) aged 18 years or over ....................... €229.44

(ii) under 18 years of age including learners -

17 years ........................................... €223.29

16 years ........................................... €220.71.

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.

Whole-time employees shall be allowed a weekly day of

rest in every period of seven consecutive days.

(1) Whole-time employees, other than watchmen, shall be

paid overtime as follows -

(a) for all time worked in excess of forty-two hours per

week between April and September and for all time

worked in excess of thirty-eight hours per week

between October and March .............. time-and-a-half;

(b) in the case of employees employed on a 5½ day week

(Saturday included), for all time worked over 7.40

hours in any day from Monday to Friday or over 4

hours on a Saturday between April and September, and

for all time worked over 6.45 hours in any day from

Monday to Friday or over 4 hours on a Saturday

between October and March .............. time-and-a-half;

(c) in the case of employees employed on a 5 day week

(Monday to Friday), for all time worked over 8½

hours, between April and September, and for all time

worked over 7½ hours between October and March

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

(d) for all time worked on Sundays ............double-time;

(e) for all time worked on a customary holiday in addition

to holiday pay ........................ double-time

Provided that there shall be paid to all whole-time

employees, other than watchmen, overtime at time-and-a-half -

(a) for all work in excess of thirty-four hours in any week

during which a customary holiday falls on any day

between Monday and Friday, or in excess of thirty-

eight hours where such a holiday falls on a Saturday

between April and September; and

(b) for all work in excess of thirty-one hours in any week

during which a customary holiday falls on any day

between Monday and Friday, or in excess of thirty-

four hours where such holiday falls on a Saturday

between October and March, in either case exclusive

of time paid for at overtime rates.

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

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

period of six consecutive days, and at the rate of double time for all

time worked on the seventh day and/or on a customary holiday so

however that, if a customary holiday falls on the seventh day,

overtime shall be payable only at the rate of double time.

(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 years 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 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.

(1) After completing the first twelve months of

employment, 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 completing the first twelve months of employment, a

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

equivalent in hours of a further thirty-six 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) For the purpose of sub-paragraphs (1) and (2), a break in

employment of not more than forty-eight days shall not interrupt

the continuity of service.

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

physician to certify incapacity for work during the period of

absence.

(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.

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.

Whole-time employees shall be allowed two days paid

leave on the occasion of the death of any of the following relations

the wife or husband, the mother or father, (or the person who at the

time was in fact acting as the mother or father of the employee), the

son or daughter and the brother or sister.

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.

Whole-time employees called for jury service shall be

allowed all the necessary time off to attend the Courts without loss

of pay.

The minimum remuneration payable to part-time

employees of the categories specified in paragraph 3 hereof shall

not be less than the proportionate rate of the minimum

remuneration payable to a whole-time employee of the same

category, calculated on the basis of a fifty-four hour week in the

case of watchmen and of a forty hour week in the case of other

employees.

An employee shall be 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 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 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.

In cases where retirement of a male employee is expected

to take place at the age of sixty years, such employee shall be given

the opportunity by the 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 sixty years.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Order but it is intended to indicate its

applicability).

The provisions in 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

The cleaning by wet or dry processes, pressing, dyeing or

repairing by hand or machine apparel of any kind, linens and

household furnishings, and for all employees in any laundry in a

hotel where such laundry is not run exclusively for the use of the

hotel and its visitors.