Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Order)

This Order excludes from the operation of section 12 of the Employment Protection (Consolidation) Act 1978 employees to whom the National Agreements of the Wire and Wire Rope Industries relate. It supersedes the Guarantee Payments (Exemption) (No. 4) Order 1977 which is revoked by this Order. The present Order has been made to take account of the revised National Agreements the material provisions of which are set out in Schedule 2. These differ from the provisions in Schedule 2 to the previous Order in that the standard working week has been reduced to 39 hours and the procedure for settling disputes has been simplified. In addition paragraph 4(a)(ii) of Schedule 2 to the previous Order (dealing with short-time working) has been omitted.

Copies of the Agreements are available for inspection between 10 am and noon and 2 pm and 5 pm on any week-day (except Saturdays) at the offices of the Department of Employment, Caxton House, Tothill Street, London SW1H 9NF.