4
Article
No.
3 (cont'd)
4
5
Provisions
(d) generally, to the promotion of
appropriate continuing education and training, helping workers to adjust to contemporary requirements.
The policy shall take account of the stage of development and the particular needs of the country and of different sectors of activity, and shall be co-ordinated with general policies concerning employment, education and training as well as policies concerning hours of work, with due regard as appropriate to seasonal variations of hours of work or of volume of work.
The means by which provision is made for the granting of paid educational leave may include national laws and regulations, collective agree- ments, arbitration awards, and such other means as may be consistent with national practice.
Comments
September
The Government's policy of introducing from /1978 free education up to junior secondary level and compulsory educa- tion up to that level by September 1980, coupled with plans to introduce a minimum age for employment into the non-industrial sector with the eventual aim of raising the minimum age for employment in all economic activities to 15, will create a shortage of workers in the short term. The introduction of paid educational leave simultaneously will bring additional difficulties to employers in planning their production schedules.
It is therefore advisable to consider the question of paid educational leave after the effects of compulsory education and the raising of the minimum age for employment could be fully assessed.
As the trade union movement is relatively weak, the means of providing for the granting of paid educational leave will have to be by legislation rather than collective agreement. However, some employers might consider that further education of employees, other than apprentice training, is a matter between the employers and their employees, and would oppose any form of legislation which might compel an employer to grant educational leave whether paid or not to the employees.