Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2008, published 98th ILC session (2009)

Weekly Rest (Industry) Convention, 1921 (No. 14) - Dominica (Ratification: 1983)

The Committee notes that the Government’s report has not been received. It hopes that a report will be supplied for examination by the Committee at its next session and that it will contain full information on the matters raised in its previous direct request, which read as follows:

Article 2, paragraph 1, of the Convention. Scope of application. The Committee notes that the Government confirms that the provisions of the Labour Standards Act, 1977, on weekly rest do not apply to managerial employees, although it indicates that the contract of employment of every employee must specify the hours of work. It further notes that it has been accepted as customary practice that employees work six days a week. In this respect, the Committee wishes to emphasize the importance of the weekly rest in protecting the health of workers and accordingly their safety and that of third parties. It hopes that the Government will soon be in a position to amend the Labour Standards Act, 1977, so as to extend the rules on weekly rest to managerial employees, in conformity and within the limits prescribed by the Convention.

Part V of the report form. The Committee notes that the Government is not currently in a position to provide statistical data on the results of the activities of the inspection services. It requests the Government to provide, at the earliest possible opportunity, a general appreciation of the application of the Convention in practice, including information on contraventions reported to the legislation on weekly rest and the penalties imposed in this respect.

Finally, the Committee takes this opportunity to recall that, based on the conclusions and proposals of the Working Party on Policy regarding the Revision of Standards, the ILO Governing Body has decided that the ratification of up to date Conventions, including the Weekly Rest (Industry) Convention, 1921 (No. 14), and the Weekly Rest (Commerce and Offices) Convention, 1957 (No. 106), should be encouraged because they continued to respond to current needs (see GB.238/LILS/WP/PRS/1/2, paragraphs 17–18). The Committee accordingly invites the Government to contemplate ratifying Convention No. 106 and to keep the Office informed of any decisions taken or envisaged in this respect.