WEST PAKISTAN MATERNITY BENEFIT ORDINANCE, 1958

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WEST PAKISTAN MATERNITY BENEFIT ORDINANCE, 1958 
(XXXII of 1958) 
CONTENTS 
1. Short title and extent 
2. Definitions 
3. Employment of, or work by, women in factories prohibited during certain 
period 
4. Right to and liability for payment of maternity benefit 
5. Procedure regarding payment of maternity benefit 
6. Payment of maternity benefit in case of a woman's death 
7. No notice of dismissal to be given to a woman in certain cases 
8. Penalty for working for payment during permitted period of absence 
9. Penalty for contravention of this Ordinance by an employer and 
application of fine in payment of compensation 
10. Cognizance of offences 
11. Appeal against refusal to prosecute or grant sanction thereto 
12. Limitation 
13. Rules 
14. Exhibition of abstract 
15. Repeal and savings 
TEXT 
WEST PAKISTAN MATERNITY BENEFIT ORDINANCE, 1958
1
 
(XXXII of 1958) 
[17th December, 1958] 
An 
Ordinance 
to consolidate the law relating to employment of women in 
2
[establishments] in the 
Province of West Pakistan. 
Preamble.– WHEREAS it is expedient to consolidate the law relating to 
employment of women in 
3
[establishments] in the Province of West Pakistan; 
Now, Therefore, in pursuance of the Presidential Proclamation of the 7th day 
of October, 1958, and in exercise of all powers enabling him in that behalf the 
Governor of West Pakistan , is pleased to make and promulgate the following 
Ordinance:- 
1. Short title and extent.– (1) This Ordinance may be called the West Pakistan 
Maternity Benefit Ordinance, 1958. 
4
(2) It extends to the whole of 
5
[Pakistan]. 
2. Definitions.– (1) In this Ordinance, unless the context otherwise requires, the 
following expressions shall have the meanings  hereby respectively assigned to 
them, that is to say– 
(a) “child” includes a still-born child; 
6
[(b) “Director of Labour Welfare” means the head of the Labour Welfare 
Directorate of the Province, by whatever name called;] 
(c) “employer” means any person w ho has ultimate control over the 
appointment of a woman; 
7
[(d) “Establishment” means an organization, whether industrial, 
commercial, or otherwise;] 
                                                 
1Published in the Gaz. of West Pakistan Extr., 22 Dec. 1958 P.1715 
2Subs. for the word “Factories”  in long title and in the preamble by the Labour Laws (Amendment) Ac t, 1994 (XI 
of 1994), S. (31) and 3(2) respectively. Gaz. of Pakistan Extra., pt. 1 June 29, 1994  pp. 224 – 235. 
3Subs. for the word “Factories”  in long title and in the preamble by the Labour Laws (Amendment) Act, 1994 (XI 
of 1994), S. (31) and 3(2) respectively. Gaz. of Pakistan Extra., pt. 1 June 29, 1994  pp. 224 – 235. 
4Sub- sec. 2 subs. for the original by West Pakistan Ord.  VII of 1964,  sch 
5(a) subs. for the Province of West Pakistan except the “Tribal Areas” by P,O. 4 of 1975, section 2(1) & Sc h. Gaz. 
of Pak. EXtr. Pt. I, 1 Augt, 1975, p, 435 
(b) Ordinance applied to the Tribal Areas, of Balochistan by  Regulation, III of 1974 (29 July 1974) Gaz. of 
Balochistan Extr., 29 July,  
6Cl (b) subs. for the original Cl. (b), ibid 
7Subs. for the Origina l Cl. (d) by the Labour Laws (Amendment) Act 1994 (XI of 1994), S. 3(3)(a) Gaz. of Pak. Extr, Pt. 1, 
Ju;ne 29, 1994, pp.224-235. 
(e) “Government” means the 
8
[Provincial Government]; 
(f) “Inspector of Factories” means a person appointed as Inspector of 
Factories under section 10 of the Factories Act, 1934 (XXV of 1934); 
(g) “maternity benefits” means the amount payable under the provisions of 
this Ordinance to a woman employed in 
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[an establishment]; 
(h) “medical practitioner” means a med ical practitioner nominated for the 
purposes of this Ordinance by the employer with the approval of the 
Inspector of Factories; 
(i) “prescribed” means prescribed by rules made under this Ordinance; 
(j) “still-born child” means any child which has issued fo rth from its mother 
after the twenty -eighth week of pregnancy and which did not at any 
time after being completely expelled from its mother, breathe or show 
any other signs of life; 
(k) “wages” means wages as defined in clause ( vi) of section 2 of the 
Payment of Wages Act, 1936 (IV of 1936); and  
(l) “woman” means a woman worker. 
(2) Expressions used in this Ordinance but not defined herein shall have 
the meaning respectively assigned to them in the Factories Act, 1934 (XXV of 1934). 
3. Employment of, or work by, women in factories prohibited during certain 
period.– No employer shall knowingly employ a woman and no woman shall engage 
in employment in any 
10
[establishment] during the six weeks following the date on 
which she is delivered of a child. 
4. Right to and liability for payment of maternity benefit.– 
11
[(1) Subject to the 
provisions of this Ordinance, every woman employed in an establishment shall be 
entitled to, and her employer shall be liable for, the payment of maternity benefit at 
the rate of her wages last paid during the period of six weeks immediately preceding 
and including the days on which she delivers the child and for each day of six weeks 
succeeding that day: 
Provided that a woman shall not be entitled to maternity benefit unless she 
has be en employed in the establishment of the employer from whom she claims 
maternity benefit for a period of not less than four months immediately preceding the 
day on which she delivers the child.] 
 
12
[* * * * * * * * * * * *] 
5. Procedure regarding payment of  maternity benefit .– (1) Any woman 
entitled to maternity benefit,– 
                                                 
8Subs. for “Government of West Pakistan”, ibid. 
9Subs. for “a factory” ibid, s 3(3)(a). 
10Subs. for “factory” by the Labour Laws (Amendment) Act 1994 (XI of 1994) S.3(4) Gaz. of Pak. Extr. Pt, I, June 29, 1994, pp. 
224-235. 
11Sub. Ibid S. 3(5)(a) 
12Sub-section (2) of Section 4 omitted by the Labour Laws (Amendment) Ord., 1993 (XIII), No. F.2(I)/93, Pub. The 25 th Sept. 
1993, s. 3(5)(b). 
(a) who is pregnant, may give notice either orally in person or in writing in 
the prescribed form to the employer that she expects to be confined 
within six weeks next following and may the rein nominate a person for 
the purposes of section 6; 
(b) who has not given the notice referred to in clause ( a) and has been 
delivered of a child, shall within seven days, give similar notice that she 
has been delivered of a child. 
(2) When such notice is  received, the employer shall permit the woman to 
absent herself from the factory from the date following the date of notice in the case 
mentioned in clause ( a) of sub -section (1) and from the day of delivery in the case 
mentioned in clause (b) thereof, until six weeks after the day of delivery. 
(3) An employer shall pay maternity benefit for twelve weeks to a woman 
entitled thereto in any of following ways selected by the woman, namely:- 
(i)  for six weeks before delivery within forty -eight hours of the pr oduction 
of a certificate signed by the medical practitioner stating that the 
woman is expected to be confined within six weeks of the date of the 
certificate, and for the remainder of the period for which she is entitled 
to maternity benefit within forty -eight hours of the production of the 
proof that she has been delivered of a child; or 
(ii) for the period of six weeks before delivery and including the day of 
delivery, within forty-eight hours of the production of proof that she has 
been delivered of a c hild and, for the remainder of the said period, 
within six weeks of the production of such proof;  or 
(iii) for the whole of the said period of twelve weeks, within forty -eight 
hours of the production of proof that she has been delivered of a child: 
 Provided that a woman shall not be entitled to any maternity benefit or any 
part thereof, the payment of which is dependent upon the production of proof under 
this sub -section that she has been delivered of a child, unless such proof is 
produced within six months of the delivery. 
(4) The proof required to be produced under sub -section (3) shall be either 
a certified extract from a birth register or a certificate signed by the medical 
practitioner or such other proof as may be accepted by the employer. 
6. Payment of maternity benefit in case of a woman’s death.– (1) If a woman 
entitled to maternity benefit under this Ordinance dies on the day she is delivered of 
a child or during the period thereafter for which she is entitled to the maternity 
benefit, the employer’s liability under sub-section (1) of section 4 shall not, by reason 
of her death, be discharged, and he shall pay the amount of maternity benefit due, 
13
[to the person nominated by her under subsection (1) of section 5 for the benefit of 
all her legal representatives, or, if she has made no such nomination, to all her legal 
representatives. 
(2) If a woman dies during the period for which she is entitled to maternity 
benefit but before she is delivered of a child, the employer shall be liable only for the 
period upto and including the day of her death, provided that any sum already paid to 
                                                 
13Subs. for the original words, semi.colon, brackets and figures by Act VIII of 1985, s. 2[See 1985 PLS 571] 
her in excess of such liability under clause ( i) of sub-section (3) of section 5 shall not 
be recoverable from her legal representative ; and any amount due at the woman’s 
death shall be paid to the person nominated by her under sub -section (1) of section 
5, 
14
[for the benefit of all her legal representatives, or, if she has made no such 
nomination, to all her legal representatives]. 
7. No notice of dismissal to be given to a  woman in certain cases .– (1) 
When a woman absents herself from work in accordance with the provisions of this 
Ordinance, it shall not be lawful for her employer to give her notice of dismissal 
during such absence or on such a day that the notice will expi re during such 
absence. 
(2) (a) No notice of dismissal given without sufficient cause by an employer to 
a woman within a period of six months before delivery shall have the 
effect of depriving her of any maternity benefit to which , but for such 
notice she may have become entitled under this Ordinance. 
 (b) If any question arises as to whether any notice of dismissal is one to 
which clause ( a) applies, such question shall be referred to the Inspector of 
Factories; and an appeal from the Inspector’s decision shall, within sixty days 
thereof, lie to the Director of Labour Welfare whose decision shall be final. 
8. Penalty for working for payment during permitted period of absence .– If 
a woman does any work in any 
15
[establishment] for which she receives payment i n 
cash or kind after she has been permitted by her employer to absent herself under 
the provisions of section 5, she shall be liable to a fine not exceeding ten rupees. 
9. Penalty for contravention of this Ordinance by an employer and 
application of fine in payment of compensation.– (1) If any employer contravenes 
any provision of this Ordinance, he shall be liable to a fine which may extend to five 
hundred rupees. 
(2) Whenever a Court imposes a fine under this section or confirms in 
appeal, revision or oth erwise such a sentence, it may, when passing judgement , 
order the whole or any part of the fine recovered to be applied in the payment of 
compensation to the woman concerned for any loss or damage caused to her. 
10. Cognizance of offences .– (1) No prosecut ion under this Ordinance shall be 
instituted except by, or with, the previous sanction of the Inspector of Factories and 
no such prosecution shall be instituted until the expiry of the period of appeal under 
sub-section (2) or, if such an appeal is preferr ed, unless the Director of Labour 
Welfare by his order thereon, sanctions a prosecution. 
(2) Where the Inspector of Factories decides either to institute a 
prosecution under this Ordinance or to grant sanction thereto, he shall forthwith 
communicate his or der to the person complained against, who may, within thirty 
days of the date of the said order, appeal to the Director of Labour Welfare against 
such decision; and the decision of the Director of Labour Welfare on such appeal 
shall be final and shall not be liable to be contested by suit or otherwise. 
                                                 
14Subs. for the original words, ibid. 
15Subs. for the Word “Factory” by the Labour Laws (Amendment) Act, 1994 (XI of 1994) section 3(6). G az. of Pak. Extr. Pt. 1, 
June 29, 1994 pp. 224-235. 
(3) No Court inferior to that of a magistrate of the first class shall try any 
offence against this Ordinance or any rule made thereunder. 
11. Appeal against refusal to prosecute or grant sanction thereto.– Where on 
an application by an employer or a woman, 
16
[or the person nominated by her or any 
of her legal representative s] the Inspector of Factories refuses either to institute a 
prosecution under this Ordinance, or to grant sanction thereto, he shall withou t delay 
communicate to the applicant his order of refusal and an 
17
[applicant] aggrieved by 
such order may, within thirty days of the date thereto appeal to the Director of Labour 
Welfare against such order; and the decision of the Director of Labour Welfar e on 
such appeal 
18
 [which shall be taken after affording to the applicant an opportunity of 
being heard] shall be final. 
12. Limitation.– No Court shall take cognizance of any offence against the 
Ordinance or any rule made thereunder unless complaint there of has been made to 
the Inspector of Factories within six months of the date on which the offence is 
alleged to have been committed. 
13. Rules.– (1) Government may make rules to carry out the purposes of this 
Ordinance. 
 (2) In particular and without preju dice to the generality of the foregoing 
power, such rules may provide for– 
(a) the preparation and maintenance of a muster roll or register or 
combined muster roll and register and the particulars to be entered in 
such muster roll, register or combined mus ter roll and register or in the 
register kept or deemed to have been kept under section 41 of the 
Factories Act, 1934 (XXV of 1934); 
(b) the inspection of 
19
[establishment] for the purposes of this Ordinance by 
the Inspector of Factories; 
(c) the exercise of powers and the performance of duties by the Inspector 
of Factories for the purposes of this Ordinance; 
(d) the method of payment of maternity benefit in so far as provision has 
not been made in this Ordinance; 
(e) the forms of notice under clause (a) and clause (b) of sub-section (1) of 
section 5; and  
(f) procedure to be observed in the disposal of appeals under sub -section 
(2) of section 7 or subsection (2) of section 10 or section 11. 
 (3) Any such rule may provide that a contravention thereof shall be  
punishable with fine which may extend to two hundred and fifty rupees. 
                                                 
16Words inserted by Act, VIII of 1985, s. 3(a). 
17Subs. for “employer or a woman”, ibid, s. 3(b). 
18Words inserted, ibid, s.3(c). 
19Subs. for the Word “{Factories” by the Labour Laws (Amendment) Act 1994 XI of 1994). S. 3(7) Gaz. of Pak Extr. Pt. 1, June 
29, 1994, pp. 224-235. 
(4) All rules made under this Ordinance shall be laid before the  
20
[* * *] Provincial Assembly, as soon as may be after they are made, and if the 
Assembly within next subsequent seven days on which the Assembly has sat after 
any such rule has been laid before it, resolves that the rule shall be annulled, the rule 
shall forthwith be void, but without prejudice to the validity of anything previously 
done thereunder or to the making of a new rule. 
14. Exhibition of Abstract.– An abstract of the provisions of this Ordinance and 
the rules thereunder in the regional language shall be exhibited in a conspicuous 
manner by the employer in every part of the  
21
[establishment] in which women are 
employed. 
15. Repeal and savings.– (1) The following enactments are hereby repealed:– 
22 [(a) the Sind Maternity Benefit Act, 1929; 
(aa) the Bombay Maternity Benefit Act, 1929, as applicable in the District of 
Karachi;] 
(b) the Punjab Maternity Benefit Act, 1943.  
(2) Notwithstanding the repeal of the enactments mentioned in sub -section 
(1), everything done, action taken, obligation, liability, penalty or punishment 
incurred, inquiry or proceeding commenced, officer appointed or person authorised, 
jurisdiction o r power conferred, rule made and order issued under any of the 
provisions of the said enactments shall, if not inconsistent with the provisions of this 
Ordinance, continue in force and, so far as may be, be deemed to have been 
respectively done, taken, inc urred, commenced, appointed, authorised, conferred, 
made or issued under this Ordinance. 
                                                 
20The words “West Pakistan” omitted P.O. 4 of 1975, section 2(3), GAz. of Paki. Extra, Pt. 1, 1 Aug. 1975, p. 435. 
21Subs. for the word “Factory” by the Labour Law (Amendment) Act 1 994 (XI of 1994), S. 3(8). Gaz. of Pak Extr. Pt. 1, June 
29, 1994, pp. 224-235. 
22Clause (a) and (aa) subs. for the original clause by West Pakistan Ord. 1964 Sch.