8. (1) Every employer shall keep his shop or commercial establishment, not included in Schedule II, closed on —
(a) one day in a week ; and
(b) such public holidays in a year as may be prescribed, to be hereinafter referred to, as close days.
(2) The choice of a close day, not being a close day which is a public holiday shall, subject to the approval of the authority appointed by the State Government in this behalf, rest with the employer. A notice specifying all close days shall be prominently displayed by the employer in a conspicuous place in the shop or commercial establishment.
(3) The close day shall not be altered by the employer except once in a year and with the approval of the authority appointed under sub-section (2), to be obtained in the manner prescribed. Any such alteration shall take effect as from the first day of January of the year following :
Provided that where the employers in one locality do not observe the same day of the week as the close day, the authority appointed under sub-section (2) may, in the manner prescribed, fix a day as the close day for such locality :
Provided further that the authority may, on the written request of the majority of the employers in a locality, at any time after six months from the date on which a close day was earlier fixed, alter, with effect from a date to be specified by him, the close day, not being a close day which is a public holiday.
Explanation — “locality” means any compact area declared as such by public notice by the authority appointed under sub-section (2).