(1) This Act may be called the Haryana Essential Services Maintenance Act, 1974.

(2) It extends to the whole of the State of Haryana.

In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,

(a) employment includes employment of any nature whether paid or unpaid;

(b) Government means the Government of the State of Haryana;

(c) prescribed means prescribed by rules made under this Act;

4[(d) strike means the cessation of work by a body of persons employed in any employment or class of employment to which this Act applies, acting in combination, or a concerted refusal, or a refusal under a common understanding, of any number of persons, who are or have been so employed to continue to work or to accept employment, and includes

(i) mass casual leave in pursuance of a common understanding among the persons who avail themselves of such leave, or under the direction of any other person or persons;

(ii) refusal to work overtime where such work is necessary for the maintenance of work in any employment to which this Act applies; or

(iii) any other conduct which is likely to result in, or results in, cessation or substantial retardation of work in any employment to which this Act applies.]

This Act shall apply

(i) to all employment under the Government;

((ii) to any other employment or class of employment which the Government, being of the opinion that such employment or class of employment is essential for securing the public safety, the maintenance of public order, health or sanitation, or for maintaining supplies or services necessary for the life of the community, may, by notification, declare.

(1) The Government or an officer authorised by it in this behalf may, in respect of any employment or class of employment to which section 3 applies, by general or special order, direct that any person or persons engaged in such employment shall not depart out of such area or areas may be specified in such order.

(2) An order made under sub-section (1) shall be published in such manner as the Government or the officer making the order considers fit to bring it to the notice of persons affected thereby.

5[4-A. Power to prohibit strike. (1) If the Government is satisfied that in the public interest it is necessary or expendeint so to do, it may by general or special order, prohibit strikes in any employment or class of employment to which this Act applies.

(2) An order made under sub-section (1) shall be published in such manner as the Government considers sufficient to bring it to the notice of the persons affected by the order and shall remain in force for a period of six months:

Provided that the Government may by a like order extend if for any period not exceeding six months, if it is satisfied that in the public interest it is necessary or expendient so to do.

(3) Upon the issue of the order under sub-section (1),

(a) no person employed in any employment or class of employment to which this Act applies and to whom the order relaters shall go, or remain on strike; and

(b) any strike declared or commenced, whether before or after the issue of the order persons employed in any such employment shall be illegal].

(1) Any person engaged in any employment or class of employment to which this Act applies who

(a) disobeys any lawful order given to him in the course of such employment;

(b) without reasonable excuse abandons such employment or absents himself from work;

(c) departs from any area specified in an order made under sub-section (1) of section 4 without the consent of the authority making the order; 6[]

(7[(d) himself takes part in instigates or incites other person to take part in, or otherwise acts in furtherance of, any illegal strike; or

(e) knowingly expends or supplies any money in furtherance or support of any illegal strike.]

shall be guilty of an offence under this Act.

Explanation 1. The fact that a person apprehends that by continuing in his employment he will be exposed to increased physical danger is not a reasonable excuse within the meaning of clause (b).

Explanation 2. A person abandons his employment within the meaning of clause (b) who, notwithstanding that is an express or implied term of his contract of employment that he may get his employment terminated on giving notice to his employer of his intention to do so, abandons his employment without the previous consent of his employer.

(2) Any employer of a person engaged in an employment or class of employment declared under section 3 to be an employment to which this Act applies, who without reasonable cause

(a) discontinues the employment of such person; or

(b) by closing an establishment in which such person is engaged causes the discontinuance of his employment;

shall be guilty of an offence under this Act.

(1) The Government may make rules regulating or empowering a specified authority to regulate wages and other conditions of service of persons or any class of persons engaged in any employment or class of employment declared as such under section 3.

(2) When any such rules have been made or when any directions regulating wages or conditions of service have been given by an authority empowered by such rules to give such directions, any person falling to comply with them shall be guilty of an offence under this Act.

(1) Any person found guilty of an offence under this Act shall, on conviction, be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years and shall also be liable to fine.

(2) Where an offence under this Act has been committed by a company, every person in charge of, or responsible to, the company for the conduct of its business at the time of the commission of the offence shall be liable to the preceded against and punished accordingly:

Provided that nothing contained in this sub-section shall render any such person liable to any punishment if he proves that the offence was committed without his knowledge or that he exercised all due diligence to prevent the commission of such offence.

(3) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (2), where an offence under this Act has been committed by a company and it is proved that the offence has been committed with the consent or connivance of or that the commission of the offence is attributable to any neglect on the part of, a director, manager, secretary or other officer of the company, such director, manager, secretary or other officer shall also be proceeded against and punished accordingly.

Explanation. For the purposes of this section,

(a) company means any body corporate, and includes a firm or other association of individuals; and

(b) director in relation to a firm means a partner in the firm.

8[(4) The offences under this Act shall be cognizable and non-bailable.]

(5) Any magistrate or bench of magistrates empowered for the time being to try in a summary manner the offences specified in sub-section (1) of section 260 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 may, if such magistrate or bench of magistrates thing (s) fit, on an application made, in this behalf by the complainant, try any offence under this Act in accordance with the provisions contained in sections 262 to 265 of the said Code.

No suit, prosecution or other legal proceedings shall lie against any person for anything which is in good faith done or entended to be done under this Act or the rules made thereunder.

Any declaration, order, rule or regulation made and any direction given under this Act shall have effect notwithstanding anything contained in any other law for the time being being in force.

The East Punjab Essential Services (Maintenance) Act, 1947 (East Punjab Act 13 of 1947), in its application to the State of Haryana, is hereby repealed.

1. For Statement of Objects and Reasons, see Haryana Government Gazelle (Extraordinary), dated the 22nd November, 1974, page 1636.

2. (Received the assent of the Governor of Haryana on the 13th December, 1974, and first published in Haryana Government Gazette (Extraordinary) Legislative Supplement part I of December 16th, 1974)

3. For Statement of Objects and Reasons, see Haryana Government Gazette (Extraordinary), dated the 10th March, 1981, page 393.

4. Inserted by Haryana Act 12 of 1981.

5. Inserted by Haryana Act 12 of 1981.

6. Omitted by ibid.

7. Inserted by Haryana Act 12 of 1981.

8. Substituted by Haryana Act 12 of 1981.