Employment of Women, Young Persons, and Children Act, 1920

Employment of women and young persons in shifts.

1 Edw. 7. c. 22.

2.(1) The Secretary of State may, on the joint application of the employer or employers of any factory or workshop or group of factories or workshops, and the majority of the workpeople concerned in such factory or workshop or group of factories or workshops, subject to the provisions of this section, make orders authorising the employment of women and young persons of the age of sixteen years and upwards in any factory or workshop or group of factories or workshops at any time between the hours of six in the morning and ten in the evening on any weekday except Saturday, and between the hours of six in the morning and two in the afternoon on Saturday, in shifts averaging for each shift not more than eight hours per day:

Provided that, if a joint representation is made to the Secretary of State by organisations representing a majority of the employers and workers in the industry concerned or the section of industry concerned, as the case may be, to the effect that orders under this section ought not to be made in respect of factories and workshops in that industry or section of industry, the powers of the Secretary of State to make orders under this section shall cease to be exerciseable as regards that industry or section of industry unless and until the representation is withdrawn by the said organisations, and, if any such representation so requires, any order previously made in respect of a factory or workshop in that industry or section of industry shall, on the expiration of such reasonable period, not exceeding four months, as the Secretary of State may fix, cease to have effect.

Particulars of every order made under this section shall be published forthwith in the London Gazette, and no representation as respects factories and workshops in the industry or section of industry to which the order relates shall be of any effect unless made within one month from the date of the publication of the order.

(2) An order under this section shall be subject to such conditions as the Secretary of State may consider necessary for the purpose of safeguarding the welfare and interests of the persons employed in pursuance of the order, and shall include a condition empowering the Secretary of State to revoke the order in the event of non-compliance with the conditions thereof, or in the event of it appearing to the Secretary of State that abuses of any description have arisen out of the employment of any persons in pursuance of the order.

(3) The Secretary of State may by order direct that such conditions as he may consider necessary for the purpose of safeguarding the welfare and interests of the persons employed shall apply to the employment in day shifts of young persons who may lawfully be so employed under the provisions of the Factory and Workshop Acts, 1901 to 1911.

(4) Notwithstanding anything in this section, an order under this section may permit the employment in any factory or workshop in such shifts as aforesaid of young persons under the age of sixteen years who are at the commencement of this Act so employed in that factory or workshop.

(5) If the conditions imposed by any order made under this section are not complied with in the case of any woman or young person, that woman or young person shall be deemed to be employed in contravention of the Factory and Workshop Act, 1901.

(6) This section shall remain in force for a period of five years from the commencement of this Act and no longer, and any order made under this section shall, unless previously revoked by the Secretary of State in pursuance of his powers under this section, remain in force for a like period.

(7) This section shall be construed as one with the Factory and Workshop Acts, 1901 to 1911.