The Essential Services Maintenance (Assam) Act, 1980
# THE ESSENTIAL SERVICES MAINTENANCE (ASSAM) ACT, 1980


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# ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS


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SECTIONS

1. Short title and extent.
2. Definitions.
3. Power to prohibit strikes in certain employments.
4. Dismissal of employees participating in illegal strikes.
5. Penalty for illegal strikes.
6. Penalty for instigation, etc.
7. Penalty for giving financial aid to illegal strikes.
8. Power to arrest without warrant.
9. Offences to be tried summarily.
10. Act to override other laws.
11. Repeal and saving.

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# THE ESSENTIAL SERVICES MAINTENANCE (ASSAM) ACT, 1980


# ACT NO. 41 OF 1980

[19th July, 1980.]

An Act to provide for the maintenance of certain essential services and the normal life of the

community in Assam.

BE it enacted by Parliament in the Thirty-first Year of the Republic of India as follows:—

# 1. Short title and extent.—(1) This Act may be called the Essential Services Maintenance (Assam) Act,

1980.

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

**2. Definitions.—** (1) In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,—

1[***]

2[(b) “essential service” means—

(i) any transport services for the carriage of passengers or goods, by land or water with

respect to which the Legislative Assembly of the State of Assam has power to make laws;

(ii) any service connected with the production, storage, supply or distribution, as the case may

be, of gas or water;

(iii) any service connected with the maintenance of public health and sanitation, including

hospitals and dispensaries;

(iv) any public services and posts in connection with the affairs of the State, and also persons

appointed to the secretarial staff of the Legislative Assembly of the State of Assam;

(v) any other service or employment or class thereof, connected with matters with respect to

which the Legislative Assembly of the State of Assam has power to make laws and which the

State Government, being of opinion that strikes therein would prejudicially affect the

maintenance of any public utility service, the public safety or the maintenance of the supplies and

services necessary for the life of the community or would result in the infliction of grave hardship

on the community, may, by notification in the official gazette, declare to be an essential service

for the purpose of this Act;

(bb) ‘State Government’ means the State Government of Assam;]

(c) “strike” means the cessation of work by a body of persons employed in any essential service

acting in combination or a concerted refusal or a refusal under a common understanding of any

number of persons who are or who have been so employed to continue to work or to accept

employment, and includes—

1. Omitted by Act, 40 of 1981, s. 13, for clause (a) (w.e.f. 26-7-1981).
2. Subs. by s. 13, ibid, for clause (b) (w.e.f. 26-7-1981).

- Act 40 of 1981 shall cease to have effect on the expiry of nine years from the date of assent to the Act 40 of 1981 i.e, (23-91981).

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(i) refusal to work overtime where such work is necessary for the maintenance of any

essential service;

(ii) any other conduct which is likely to result in, or results ill, cessation or substantial

retardation of work in any essential service.

(2) Every notification issued [1][under sub-clause (v)] of clause (6) of sub-section (1) shall be laid

before each House of Parliament immediately after it is made if it is in session and on the first day of the

commencement of the next session of the House if it is not in session, and shall cease to operate at the

expiration of forty days from the date of its being so laid or from the re-assembly of Parliament, as the

case may be, unless before the expiration of that period a resolution approving the issue of the notification

is passed by both Houses of Parliament.

_Explanation.— Where the Houses of Parliament are summoned to re- assemble on different dates, the_

period of forty days shall be reckoned from the later of those dates.

(3) Any reference in this Act to any law which is not in force in any area of the State of Assam and to

any authority under such law shall, in relation to that area, be construed as a reference to the

corresponding law in force in that area and to the corresponding authority under such corresponding law.

**3. Power to prohibit strikes in certain employments.— (1) If the [2][State Government] is satisfied**

that in the public interest it is necessary or expedient so to do, it may, by general or special Order, prohibit
strikes in the State of Assam in any essential service specified in the Order.

(2) An Order made under sub-section (1) shall be published in such manner as the [2][State

Government] considers best calculated to bring it to the notice of the persons affected by the Order.

(3) An Order made under sub-section (1) shall be in force for six months only, but the [2][State

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

(4) Upon the issue of an Order under sub-section (1), —

(a) no person employed in any essential service to which the Order relates shall go or remain on

strike;

(b) any strike declared or commenced, whether before or after the issue of the Order, by persons

employed in any such service shall be illegal.

**4. Dismissal of employees participating in illegal strikes.— Any person who commences a strike**

which is illegal under this Act, or goes or remains on, or otherwise takes part in, any such strike, shall be
liable to disciplinary action (including dismissal) in accordance with the same pro-visions as are
applicable for the purpose of taking such disciplinary action (including dismissal) on any other ground
under the terms and conditions of service applicable to him in relation to his employment.

**5. Penalty for illegal strikes.— Any person who commences a strike which is illegal under this Act,**

or goes or remains on, or otherwise takes part in, any such strike shall be punishable with imprisonment
for a term which may extend to six months, or with fine which may extend to one thousand rupees, or
with both.

**6. Penalty for instigation, etc.—Any person who instigates or incites other persons to take part in, or**

otherwise acts in furtherance of, a strike which is illegal under this Act shall be punishable with
imprisonment for a term which may extend to one year, or with fine which may extend to two thousand
rupees, or with both.

1. Subs. by Act 40 of 1981, s. 13, for “under sub-clause (xiv)” (w.e.f. 23-9-1981).
2. Subs. by s. 13, ibid, for “appropriate Government” (w.e.f. 23-9-1981).

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**7.** **Penalty for giving financial aid to illegal strikes.—Any person who knowingly expends or**

supplies any money in furtherance or support of a strike which is illegal under this Act shall be punishable
with imprisonment for a term which may extend to one year, or with fine which may extend to two
thousand rupees, or with both.

**8. Power to arrest without warrant.— Notwithstanding anything contained in the Code of Criminal**

Procedure, 1973 (2 of 1974), any police officer may arrest without warrant any person who is reasonably
suspected of having committed any offence under this Act.

**9. Offences to be tried summarily.— Notwithstanding anything contained in the Code of Criminal**

Procedure, 1973 (2 of 1974), all offences under this Act shall be tried in a summary way by a Judicial

Magistrate of the first class specially empowered in this behalf by the [1][State Government] and the

provisions of Sections 262 to 265 (both inclusive) of the said Code shall, as far as may be, apply to such

trial:

Provided that in a case of conviction for any offence in a summary trial under this section, it shall be

lawful for the Magistrate to pass a sentence of imprisonment for any term for which such offence is

punishable under this Act.

**10.** **Act to override other laws.—The provisions of this Act and of any Order issued there under**

shall have effect notwithstanding anything inconsistent therewith contained in the Industrial Disputes Act,
1947 (14 of 1947), or in any other law for the time being in force.

**11.** **Repeal and saving.—(1) The Essential Services Maintenance (Assam) Ordinance, 1980 (2 of**

1980), is hereby repealed.

(2) Notwithstanding such repeal, anything done or any action taken under the said Ordinance shall be

deemed to have been done or taken under this Act, as if this Act had come into force on the 6th day of
April, 1980.

1. Subs. by Act 40 of 1981, s. 13, for “appropriate Government” (w.e.f. 23-9-1981).

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