(1)

Every person employed in a mine who has completed a calendar year’s service therein shall be allowed, during the subsequent calendar year, leave with wages, calculated,—

(a) in the case of a person employed below ground, at the rate of one day for every fifteen days of work performed by him, and

(b) in any other case, at the rate of one day for every twenty days of work performed by him.

(2)

A calendar year’s service referred to in sub-section (1) shall be deemed to have been completed,—

(a) in the case of a person employed below ground in a mine, if he has during the calendar year put in not less than one hundred and ninety attendances at the mine; and

(b) in the case of any other person, if he has during the calendar year put in not less than two hundred and forty attendances at the mine.

(a) any days of lay-off by agreement or contract or as permissible under the standing order;

(b) in the case of a female employee, maternity leave for any number of days not exceeding twelve weeks; and

(c) the leave earned in the year prior to that in which the leave is enjoyed,

(3)

A person whose service commences otherwise than on the first day of January shall be entitled to leave with wages in the subsequent calendar year at the rates specified in sub-section (1), if—

(a) in the case of a person employed below ground in a mine, he has put in attendances for not less than one half of the total number of days during the remainder of the calendar year; and

(b) in any other case, he has put in attendances for not less than two-thirds of the total number of days during the remainder of the calendar year.

(4)

Any leave not taken by a person to which he is entitled in any one calendar year under sub-section (1) or sub-section (3) shall be added to the leave to be allowed to him under sub-section (1) during the succeeding calendar year:

Provided that the total number of days of leave which may be accumulated by any such person shall not at any one time exceed thirty days in all:

Provided further that any such person who has applied for leave with wages but has not been given such leave in accordance with sub-section (6) shall be entitled to carry forward the unavailed leave without any limit.

(5)

Any such person may apply in writing to the manager of the mine not less than fifteen days before the day on which he wishes his leave to begin, for all leave or any portion thereof then allowable to him under sub-sections (1), (3) and (4):

Provided that the number of times in which leave may be taken during anyone calendar year shall not exceed three.

(6)

An application for such leave made in accordance with sub-section (5) shall not be refused unless the authority empowered to grant the leave is of opinion that owing to the exigencies of the situation the leave should be refused.

(7)

If a person employed in a mine wants to avail himself of the leave with wages due to him to cover a period of illness, he shall be granted such leave even if the application for leave is not made within the time specified in sub-section (5).

(8)

If the employment of a person employed in a mine is terminated by the owner, agent or manager of the mine before he has taken the entire leave to which he is entitled up to the day of termination of his employment, or if such person having applied for and having not been granted such leave, quits his employment before he has taken the leave, the owner, agent or manager of the mine shall pay him the amount payable under section 53, in respect of the leave not taken, and such payment shall be made, where the employment of the person is terminated by the owner, agent or manager, before the expiry of the second working day after such termination, and where a person himself quits his employment, on or before the next pay day.

(9)

The unavailed leave of a person employed in a mine shall not be taken into consideration in computing the period of any notice required to be given before the termination of his employment.

(10)

Where a person employed in a mine is discharged or dismissed from service or quits his employment or is superannuated or dies while in service, he or his heirs or his nominee, as the case may be, shall be entitled to wages in lieu of leave due to him calculated at the rate specified in sub-section (1), if,—

(a) in the case of a person employed below ground in a mine, he has put in attendance for not less than one-half of the total number of days from the date of his employment to the date of his discharge or dismissal or quitting of employment or superannuation or death; and

(b) in any other case, he has put in attendance for not less than two-thirds of the total number of days from the date of his employment to the date of his discharge or dismissal or quitting of employment or superannuation or death,