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Article 4 of the Convention. Total or partial exceptions. The Committee notes that section 14 of the Working Hours Act (1982:673) provides that temporary exceptions to the normal weekly rest scheme may be made where required by special circumstances that the employer could not have foreseen. It would appreciate receiving more detailed information on the practical implementation of this provision, including the number of such derogations recorded, the sectors concerned, the average duration of limitations or exemptions from weekly rest rules, etc.
In addition, the Committee notes that section 14 of the Working Hours Act, as amended by Act SFS 2005:165, authorizes temporary exceptions only on condition that the employee is allowed corresponding compensatory leave, without specifying however the time frame within which such compensatory rest must be granted. Recalling that, according to the spirit of the Convention, workers should not work for unreasonably long periods without receiving the rest periods to which they are entitled, the Committee requests the Government to indicate how the granting of compensatory rest is regulated, whether by order of the Work Environment Authority or otherwise, and to communicate copy of any relevant document.
Article 6. List of exceptions. The Committee would be grateful if the Government would supply an updated list of all the categories of workers and types of establishment which are currently exempted permanently or temporarily, in whole or in part, from the general weekly rest scheme of 24 consecutive hours in every period of seven days provided for in Article 2 of the Convention.
Part V of the report form. Application in practice. In view of the fact that the Government has supplied for the last time information on the practical application of the Convention in 1982, the Committee requests the Government to provide up to date information in this regard, including, for instance, statistics on the number of workers covered by the relevant legislation, labour inspection results showing the number of infringements observed and sanctions imposed, copies of relevant collective agreements containing clauses on weekly rest, etc.
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 these instruments continue to respond to current needs (see GB.283/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 decision taken or envisaged in this respect.