Working Journalists and Other Newspaper Employees (Conditions of Service) and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1955

5.Payment of gratuity. -

(1)Where-

(a)Any working Journalist has been in continuous service, whether before or after the commencement of this Act, for not less than three years in any newspaper establishment, and-

(i)His services are terminated by the employer in relation to that newspaper establishment for any reason whatsoever, otherwise than as a punishment inflicted by way of disciplinary action; or

(ii)He retires from service on reaching the age of superannuation; or

(b)Any working journalist has been in continuous service whether before or after the commencement of this Act, for not less that ten years in any newspaper establishment, and he voluntarily resigns on or after the lst day of July, 1961, from service in that newspaper establishment on any ground whatsoever other than on the ground of conscience-, or

(c)Any working journalist has been in a continuous service, whether before or after the commencement of this Act, for not less than three years in any newspaper establishment, and he voluntarily resigns on or after the lst day of July, 1961, from service in that establishment on the ground of conscience; or 

(d)Any working journalist dies while he is in service in any newspaper establishment; 

the working journalist or, in the case of his death, his nominee or nominees or if there is no nomination in force at the time of the death of the working journalist his family, as the case may be, shall, without prejudice to any benefits or rights accruing under the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947 (14 of 1947), be paid, on such termination, retirement, resignation or death, by the employer in relation to that establishment, gratuity which shall be equivalent to fifteen days' average pay for every completed year of service or any part thereof in excess of a months :

Provided that in the case of a working journalist referred to in Cl. (b), the total 'amount of gratuity that shall be payable to him shall not exceed twelve and a-half months' average pay:

Provided further that where a working journalist is employed in any newspaper establishment wherein not more that six working journalists were employed on any day of the twelve months immediately preceding the commencement of this Act, the gratuity payable to a working journalist employed in any such newspaper establishment for any period of service before such commencement shall not be equivalent to fifteen days' average pay for every completed year of service or any part thereof in excess of six months but shall be equivalent to---

(a)Three days' average pay for every completed year of service or any part thereof in excess of six months, if the period of such past service does not exceed five years;

(b)Five days' average pay for every completed year of service or any part thereof in excess of six months, if the period of such past service exceeds five years but does not exceed ten years; and

(c)Seven days' average pay for every completed year of service or any part thereof in excess of six months, if the period of such past service exceeds ten years.

Explanation. -For the purposes of this sub-section and sub-section (1) of Sec. 17, "family" means-

(i)In the case of male working journalist, his widow, children, whether married or unmarried, and his dependent parents and the widow and children of his deceased son:

Provided that a widow shall not be deemed to be a member of the family of the working journalist if at the time of his death she was not legally entitled to be maintained by him;

(ii)In the case of a female working journalist, her husband, children, whether married or unmarried, and the dependent parents of the working journalist or of her husband, and widow and children of her deceased son:

Provided that if the working journalist has expressed her desire to exclude her husband from the family, the husband and his dependent parents shall not be deemed to be a part of the working journalist' family, And in either of the above two cases, if the child of a working journalist or of a deceased son of a working journalist has been adopted by another person and if, under the personal law of the adopter, adoption is legally recognized, such a child shall not be considered as a member of the working journalist.

(2)Any dispute whether a working journalist has voluntarily resigned from service in any newspaper establishment on the ground of conscience shall be deemed to be an industrial dispute within the meaning of Industrial Disputes Act, 1947 (14 of 1947), or any corresponding law relating to investigation and settlement of industrial disputes in force in any State.

(3)Where a nominee is a minor and the gratuity under sub-section (1) has become payable during his minority, it shall be paid to a person appointed under sub-section (3) of Sec. 5-A

Provided that where there is no such person payment shall be made to any guardian of the property of the minor, appointed by a competent court or where no such guardian has been appointed, to either parent of the minor, or where neither parent is alive, to any other guardian of the minor:

Provided further that where the gratuity is payable to two or more nominees, and either or any of them dies, the gratuity shall be paid to the surviving nominee or nominees. 

1.Subs. by Act 65 of 1962, Sec. 3 (w.e.f. 15th January, 1963).

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