6-K. (1) Whenever a workman (other than a substitute or a casual workman) whose name is borne on the master rolls of an industrial establishment and who has completed not less than one year of continuous service under an employer is laid-off, he shall be paid by the employer for all days during which he is so laid off, except for such weekly holidays as may intervene, compensation which shall be equal to fifty per cent of the total of the basic wages and dearness allowance that would have been payable to him had he not been so laid-off ;
Provided that the compensation payable to a workman during any period of twelve months shall not be for more than forty-five days.
(2) Notwithstanding anything contained in the proviso to subsection (1), if during any period of twelve months, a workmen is laid-off for more than forty-five days, whether continuously or intermittently and the lay-off after the expiry of the first forty-five days comprises continuous period of one week or more, the workman shall, unless there is any agreement to the contrary between him and the employer, be paid, for all the days comprised in every such subsequent period of lay-off for one week or more, compensation at the rate specified in subsection (1) ;
Provided that it shall be lawful for the employer in any case falling within this sub-section to retrench the workman in accordance with the provisions contained in section 6-N at any time after the expiry of the first forty-five days of lay-off and when he does so, any compensation paid to the workman for having been laid-off during the preceding twelve months may be set-off against the compensation payable for retrenchment.
Explanation "Substitute workman" means a workman who is employed in an industrial establishment in the place of another workman whose name is borne on the muster rolls of the establishment, but shall cease to be regarded as such for the purposes of this section, if he has completed one year of continuous service in the establishment.