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Labour Law - Navrose - 2nd Sem-3
Labour Law - Navrose - 2nd Sem-3
Labour Law
PANJAB UNIVERSITY
OF BACHELOR OF LAWS
The Industrial Employment Standing Orders Act, 1946 (IESOA, hereinafter) is an act of the
Parliament of India that provides a framework for regulating conditions of employment in certain
industries. It was enacted as a part of the post-independence labor reform efforts. The Act applies
to establishments employing ten or more workers and defines an 'industrial establishment' as one
where at least 50 persons are employed at any time during the preceding 12 months.
Before the enactment of IESOA in 1946, employment contracts were negotiated in an unequal
power setting and such contracts did not contain fair and reasonable clauses vis-à-vis employees.
The Supreme Court spelt out why the IESO Act had become necessary in one of its judgements
(Rohtak Hissar District..v. State of Uttar Pradesh & Others, 1965). The court noted that prior to
the Act, in many industrial establishments, “the conditions of employment were not always
uniform, and sometimes, were not even reduced to writing, and that led to considerable
“Standing Orders” means the terms and conditions of the employment, drafted by the employer.
regulating any aspect of employment in an industrial establishment. The standards ensure that
employees have access to safe working conditions, social security benefits, education facilities
etc. These agreements must be registered with a labour officer, who can enforce compliance with
them.
Prior to the enactment of the Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Act 1946, Employments
were governed by the contracts between the Employee and Employer without the interference of
the state. The Non-interference of the state led to the exploitation of workmen by the employers.
The Industrial Employment Standing Orders Act seeks to improve the living and working
conditions of workers by providing better pay and benefits such as leave, health care etc. It also
aims to ensure that employers do not abuse their power by making unilateral decisions about
(if any).
The Act provides for the establishment of a code of minimum wages and other conditions of
employment for workers in factories and commercial establishments that employ the workers.
The Code was originally enacted in 1946 by the Central Legislature as a result of the efforts of
the labour movement led by the leaders of our nation to improve the working conditions of
The employer is required to prepare a draft standing order, which he proposes to adopt and
submit the same to the Certifying Officers for certification in accordance with the provisions of
Section 3 of the Act. The employer is required to act in conformity with the certified standing
orders in dealing with the day today affairs of the workmen. Certified standing orders have the
“Moving from the days when whims of the employer were supreme, The Industrial
Employment act 1946 took a modest step to compel through statute the employer to prescribe
This was the transformative phase in the industries after the independence which saw major
Application -
According to Sec - 1 (3) - i. Every industrial establishment where one hundred or more
ii. Industrial establishment with less than 100 workmen but where appropriate government has
1
Glaxo Laboratories vs. Presiding officer, Labour court, 1984 AIR 505
*Appropriate government here is defined under Section -2 (b) as the Central or State
government.
Employers of the industrial establishment by the statutory compulsion are required to draft
standing orders for their industrial establishment. Standing orders are the model terms and
Certifying officers are appointed by the appropriate government. The officer certifies the draft
standing orders for their fairness and reasonableness of the draft standing orders.
The certified standing orders have the statutory force and overrides the individual contract
Generally the certified standing orders are not subject to any modifications within 6 months of
their certification.
The appropriate government may draft model standing orders for the purpose of industrial
The Industrial Employment (Standing Irders) Act, 1946 mentions two authorities -
1. Certifying Officer
a) Labour Commissioner or
The Function of the certifying officer is to adjudicate upon the fairness or reasonableness of the
According to Section- 11(a) - Certifying officer to have the Powers of the Civil Courts. (Sec-
1. Receiving evidence
2. Administering oaths
Section 2 (g) of the Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Act, 1946 defines “standing
orders” as -
In order to understand what belongs to the Standing orders, we need to look at the Schedule of
the act.
badlis.
2. Manner of intimating to workmen periods and hours of work, holidays, pay-days and wage
rates.
3. Shift working.
5. Conditions of, procedure in applying for, and the authority which may grant leave
and holidays.
6. Requirement to enter premises by certain gates, an liability to search.
work and the rights and liabilities of he employer and workmen arising there from.
8. Termination of employment, and the notice thereof to be given by employer and workmen.
9. Suspension or dismissal for misconduct, and acts or omissions which constitute misconduct.
10. Means of redress for workmen against unfair treatment or wrongful exactions by the
Standing Orders to contain only matters enumerated in The Schedule of the Act.
In Rohtak and Hissar Districts Electric Supply Company v. State of Uttar Pradesh2 - The
Supreme Court held that Standing ORders cannot provide for a matter not listed in the Schedule
a. Sec- 3 (1) - Within six months from the date on which this Act becomes applicable to an
industrial establishment, the employer shall submit to the Certifying Officer five copies
of the draft standing orders proposed by him for adoption in this industrial establishment.
2
Rohtak and Hissar Districts Electric Supply Company v. State of Uttar Pradesh, AIR 1996 SC
1471
b. Draft Standing Orders to include matters specified in the Schedule of the Act.
a. Provision must be made therein for every matter set out in the Schedule which is
b. the standing orders must be in conformity with the provisions of this Act.
a. Forwarding of draft standing orders to the trade union or the workmen for receiving the
consent
c. Opportunity of being heard to the workmen and the employer; if the objection arises.
e. Finally, Copies of the certified Standing Orders are sent to the employer and the
workmen
held that modification under Section 10 of the act includes modification of the already certified
Standing orders.
workmen.
Modification within six months of the existing standing order is permissible only in case when
“Standing orders finally certified under this Act shall not, except on agreement between the
employer and the workmen [or a trade union or other representative body of the workmen] be
liable to modification until the expiry of six months from the date on which the standing orders
Supreme Court held that the modification before the completion of 6 months should not be
allowed unless there’s an agreement to it, because any changes brought in the previous standing
order should be given appropriate time to see whether they work properly or not.
3
Geep Industrial Syndicate ltd v. Industrial Syndicate Employee Union, AIR 1999
4
Management shahdara (Delhi) Saharanpur Light Railway v. SS Railway Workers Union AIR
1969
2. MODIFICATIONS AFTER THE EXPIRY OF THE SIX MONTHS [Sec- 10 (2) ]
Generally this is the preferred rule that Certified Standing Orders are subject to any
modifications only after the expiry of the 6 months from the date on which the Standing Orders
For the modifications, an employer, or workmen or trade union may apply to Certifying officer
Such application shall be accompanied with five copies of modifications proposed to be made.
The act does not provide for any conditions for the modifications to be satisfied for making an
However, in S.S Railway co. vs Workers Union5 - The Supreme court observed that-
c. Where some fact was a lost sight at the time of certification and which arises later on,
5
S.S Railway co. vs Workers Union AIR 1969
Who can make the Application for the modification?
The application for the modification to the certifying officer may be made by-
a. An employer,
b. Workmen, or,
BIBLIOGRAPHY
4. Geep Industrial Syndicate ltd v. Industrial Syndicate Employee Union, AIR 1999
5. Glaxo Laboratories vs. Presiding officer, Labour court, 1984 AIR 505
6. Rohtak and Hissar Districts Electric Supply Company v. State of Uttar Pradesh, AIR
1996 SC 1471