(a) Any person who is an employe under the provisions of section 52 of this act,¹ shall, subject to the recommendation and approval of the authority having the power to employ such person, receive each year a meritorious increment in an amount equal to five per cent of the compensation such person is receiving at the time such increment shall take effect. Such amount shall be prorated to each pay period, beginning with the pay period during which the anniversary date of such employe falls and continuing thereafter.

(b) Those employes who are eligible to receive the increased compensation under the provisions of subsection (a) of section 52 of this act upon the effective date of this amendatory act shall have an anniversary date the same as the effective date of this amendatory act beginning one year thereafter and continuing each year thereafter.

(c) Those employes who are eligible to receive the increased compensation under the provisions of subsection (a) of section 52 of this act at a time after the effective date of this amendatory act upon the completion of the required six-month period of employment shall have an anniversary date the same as the date on which the required six-month period of employment is completed beginning one year thereafter and continuing each year thereafter.