XN000022-1988-02-26 — Page 7

6

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 1988

"THE NEW REGULATIONS ALSO ALLOW WOMEN EMPLOYED IN INDUSTRY WORK UP TO 11 PM, INSTEAD OF 8 PM AS IN THE PAST.

ΤΟ

"THIS DOES NOT MEAN THAT EMPLOYEES CAN BR ASKED ΤΟ WORK EXCESSIVELY LONG HOURS AS THE REGULATIONS STILL STIPULATE THAT WOMEN AND YOUNG PERSONS MUST BE GIVEN AT LEAST ONE REST DAY PER WEEK AND THE TOTAL HOURS WORKED DURING ONE DAY MUST NOT EXCRED 10 HOURS, INCLUDING OVERTIME, HE SAID.

"BUT YOUNG PERSONS AGED 15 TO 17 ARE STILL BEING EMPLOYED IN OVERTIME WORK,"

PROHIBITED FROM

SPOKESMAN SAID

AS FOR THE METHOD OF CALCULATING OVERTIME, THE THAT THE ANNUAL QUOTA OF 200 HOURS FOR EACH INDUSTRIAL UNDERTAKING REMAINED UNCHANGED.

HOWEVER, TO ENABLE EMPLOYERS TO MAKE MORE FLEXIBLE USE OF THE QUOTA, THE NEW REGULATIONS ENABLED EMPLOYERS TO CHOOSE A METHOD OF CALCULATION BEST SUITED TO THEIR NEEDS.

ΤΟ

"AN EMPLOYER MAY NOW OPT TO CALCULATE OVERTIME BY REFERENCE DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE FACTORY, OR DIFFERENT GROUPS OF WOMEN EMPLOYED IN DIFFERENT PROCESSES, OR BY REFERENCE TO INDIVIDUAL WOMEN, HE SAID.

**

I

'EMPLOYERS WHO OPT FOR ANY OF THESE ALTERNATIVE WAYS OF CALCULATING OVERTIME MUST COMPLY WITH CERTAIN CONDITIONS IMPOSED BY THE COMMISSIONER FOR LABOUR, FAILING WHICH THEY MAY BE REQUIRED TO REVERT TO THE STANDARD METHOD OF CALCULATING THE HOURS OF OVERTIME BY REFERENCE TO THE FACTORY AS A WHOLE,

THE

OTHER AMENDMENTS PROVIDE FOR THE REMOVAL OF DIFFERENCES IN PERIOD OF EMPLOYMENT FOR YOUNG PERSONS AGED UNDER 16 AND THOSE AGED 16 AND OVER, AND THE REVOCATION OF THE REGULATION PROHIBITING THE USE OF WORK ROOMS BY WOMEN AND YOUNG PERSONS DURING MEAL OR REST INTERVALS.

ON

OF

THEY ALSO PROVIDE FOR THE REMOVAL OF THE RESTRICTION OVERTIME WORK BY WOMEN WORKERS ENGAGED ON SHIFTS, AND THE DELETION CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS CONCERNING THE REGISTER OF WOMEN AND YOUNG PERSONS EMPLOYED IN FACTORIES.

THE SPOKESMAN SAID THAT HE DID NOT EXPECT THE NEW MEASURES 'OULD LEAD TO ABUSES AS ENFORCEMENT ACTION WOULD CONTINUE ΤΟ BE CARRIED OUT BY THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT TO ENSURE PROPER COMPLIANCE

WITH

THE LAW.

THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT WILL WRITE TO INDIVIDUAL EMPLOYERS WHO ARE KNOWN TO EMPLOY WOMEN ON OVERTIME WORK, TO EXPLAIN TO THEM HOW TO EXERCISE THEIR OPTION FOR CALCULATING OVERTIME.

THE DEPARTMENT