- The Puducherry Shops and Establishments Act, 1964 and Rules are applicable to all the shops and commercial establishments in the whole of the Union territory of Puducherry.
The Act is enacted for the purpose of protecting the rights of employees. The Act provides regulations of the payment of wages, terms of services, work hours, rest intervals, overtime work, opening and closing hours, closed days, holidays, leaves, maternity leave and benefits, work conditions, rules for employment of children, records maintenance, etc.
Definitions
Commercial establishment means an establishment which is not a
shop but which carries on the business of advertising, commission, forwarding or
commercial agency, or which is a clerical department of a factory or industrial
undertaking or which is an insurance company, joint stock company, bank,
brokers’ office or exchange and includes such other establishment as the
Government may, by notification, declare to be a commercial establishment for the
purposes of this Act.
Establishment means a shop, commercial establishment, theatre or
any place of public amusement or entertainment and includes such establishment
as the Government may, by notification, declare to be an establishment for the
purposes of this Act.
Shop means any premises where any trade or business is carried on
or where services are rendered to customers and includes offices, store-rooms,
godowns and warehouses, whether in the same premises or otherwise, used in
connection with such business but does not include commercial establishment.
Registration
- Within the period specified in sub-section (3), every employer shall send to the Inspector a statement in such form together with such fees, as may be prescribed.
- On receipt of the statement and the fees, the Inspector shall, on being satisfied about the correctness of the statement, register such establishment in such manner as may be prescribed in the register of shops and establishments maintained for the purpose and shall issue, in the prescribed form, a registration certificate to the employer. A registration certificate shall be prominently displayed at such establishment.
- The statement under sub-section (1) shall be sent within thirty days from the date on which this Act comes into force in the case of shops and establishments existing on such date, and within thirty days from the date of commencement of work in the case of new shops and establishments.
- A registration certificate shall be valid for a financial year and shall be renewed from financial year to financial year on payment of such fees as may be prescribed.
Provided that the employer of every shop and establishment may opt to remit the registration fee for obtaining initial registration or renewal of registration for a period of not more than three consecutive financial years instead of getting it renewed for every financial year. The employer shall make a specific request in the prescribed form indicating the number of years for which the registration certificate or its renewal is sought for. In such cases the fees payable for the grant of or renewal of licence to an establishment shall be proportionate to the annual fees prescribed multiplied by the number of years for which the registration certificate is sought for.
Compliances
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