Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 1988, published 75th ILC session (1988)

White Lead (Painting) Convention, 1921 (No. 13) - Sweden (Ratification: 1923)

Article 3, paragraph 1, of the Convention. The Committee notes the Government's explanations, in reply to its direct request of 1984, concerning the reasons why the prohibition on employing women in painting work involving the use of lead paint has been removed from the national legislation. The Government states that from the Swedish view of entitlement to work, it is essential that neither women nor men should be unnecessarily impeded from access to work and employment prohibitions or special conditions referring to the gender of the employee are only to be considered when work is liable to entail gender-specific hazards. Accordingly, special provisions were included in the 1984 ordinance on lead (AFS 1984:12), which lays down that female employees under 50 are to be informed of the hazards to the employee in the event of pregnancy, requires a female employee to notify the employer of her pregnancy without delay and prohibits employment or work involving the use of lead for female employees who are pregnant or who are nursing and have reported the fact to the employer.

In this connection, the Committee refers to paragraphs 62 to 66 of its general report. It requests the Government to provide information on the practical application of the above provisions and a copy of Ordinance AFS 1984:12 in its next report.