Trade Union Representatives (Entry into Estates)

Trade Union Representatives (Entry into Estates) AN ACT TO SECURE AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVES OF TRADE UNIONS THE RIGHT TO ENTER ESTATES FOR THE PURPOSE OF VISITING MEMBERS OF SUCH UNIONS OR OF HOLDING OR ADDRESSING MEETINGS OF SUCH MEMBERS. BE it enacted by the Queen’s Most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate and the House of Representatives of Ceylon in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows: Short title. 1. This Act may be cited as the Trade Union Representatives (Entry into Estates) Act, No. 25 of 1970. Power of authorized representatives of trade unions to enter estates for certain purposes. 2. (1) An authorized representative of a trade union shall, on producing a certificate of identity, if so required, have the right to enter an estate at all reasonable times (a) for the purpose of visiting members of such union who are resident on such estate, and (b) for the purpose of holding or addressing meetings of members of such union who are employed on such estate: Provided, however, that entry into an estate for any purpose specified in paragraph (b) shall not be demanded as of right by such authorized representative unless not less than one week’s notice in writing of the intended entry for such purpose has been given to the person in charge of the estate. (2) Any person who wilfully obstructs an authorized representative of a trade union in the exercise of any right under sub-section (1) shall be guilty of an offence and shall on conviction after summary trial before a Magistrate be liable to imprisonment of either description for a term not exceeding three months or to a fine not exceeding one thousand rupees or to both such imprisonment and fine. Interpretation. 3. In this Act ” authorized representative “, when used with reference to a trade union, means any person who has been appointed by the President or the Secretary of that union to be a representative of that union for the purpose of this Act; ” certificate of identity “, when used with reference to any person who is an authorized representative of a trade union, means a document issued to such person by the President or the Secretary of that union and stating that for the purposes of this Act such person is a representative of that union; ” estate ” means any land or group of lands- (a) which forms a separate and distinct property; (b) which belongs to or is held by one or several persons; and (c) of which an extent of not less than fifty acres is under cultivation for any purpose other than the production of foodstuffs as defined in the Food Production (Estates) Act; and ” trade union ” means any trade union registered under the Trade Unions Ordinance.