Dear Kumar,
Subject to the applicability provisions u/s 1(3) of the IE(SO)A,1946, the Act is applicable to all industrial establishments falling within the ambit of the definition ' Industrial establishment ' u/s 3(e) of the Act.
Section 12-A of the Act describes the situation of temporary application of the Model Standing Orders framed under the Act. This is applicable only when the establishment happens to be one which has failed to get the Standing Orders certified though falling under the application clause. In other cases, in respect of matters relating to the conditions of employment only the contract of employment will hold good with reference to the principles of natural justice and the provisions of any labor law applicable to such establishments.
If we analyse your query in this back drop, the following would be the answer according to the best of my judgement:
The definition of ' industrial establishment' u/s 3(e) of the IE(SO)A,1946 includes only 4 specific categories of establishments in which the Establishments under the S&E Act is not covered. Therefore, the applicability of the IE(SO)A to ' the service industry' as generalized in the query or the establishments falling under the S&E Act has to be traced to clause (i) of the definition of the term ' industrial establishment' u/s 3(e) of the IE(SO)A,1946 which is the industrial establishment as defined under the Payment of Wages Act,1936.
Section 2(ii) of the PWA,1936 enumerates an exhaustive list of establishments in this regard under it's clauses (a) to (h). If I were permitted to draw an analogy from the State of Tamilnadu's notification that the provisions of the PWA,1936 would apply to Shops and Establishments employing 20 or more persons, the same would be the position in other States too.
Therefore, the IE(SO)A,1946 would be applicable to any service industry or establishments falling under the S&E Act subject to the number criterion mentioned and fixed under the provisions of section 1(3) of the Act.