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Weekly Rest (Commerce and Offices) Convention, 1957 (No. 106) - Ethiopia (RATIFICATION: 1991)

The Committee notes with interest the information provided by the Government in its first report. It requests the Government to provide further clarification, in its next report, on the following points:

Article 1 of the Convention. The Committee notes that section 5 of the Proclamation No. 43/1993 concerning the Determination of Working Days and Hours of Government Offices provides that the working hours of public enterprises are to be fixed by collective agreements or rules of employment in accordance with the appropriate law. It appears that the Labour Proclamation No. 42/1993 applies to public enterprises as they are not listed among the exceptions in section 3(2). Since the Convention applies to establishments, institutions and administrative services, whether public or private, in which the persons employed are mainly engaged in office work, the Government is requested to confirm that public enterprises are covered by the Labour Proclamation No. 42 and that any collective agreements made under Proclamation No. 43 must conform with the provisions concerning weekly rest set out in Part IV, Chapter II of the Labour Proclamation.

Article 3. The Committee notes from the Government's report that existing legislation and collective agreements ensure the application of the Convention to post and telecommunications services, newspaper undertakings, and theatres and places of public entertainment. The Government is, therefore, invited to communicate a declaration to the Office accepting the obligations of the Convention with respect to these establishments, in accordance with paragraph 2 of this Article.

The Committee further notes that section 3(3)(c) of the Labour Proclamation No. 42/1993 provides that the Council of Ministers shall issue regulations governing conditions of work applicable to personal services. The Government is requested to indicate, in future reports, the extent to which effect is given or proposed to be given to the Convention in establishments, institutions and administrative services providing personal services and to supply copies of any relevant regulations issued by the Council of Ministers under section 3(3)(c) of the Labour Proclamation.

Article 6, paragraph 4. The Government is requested to indicate the manner in which the traditions and customs of religious minorities have been been respected, as far as possible, in the determination of weekly rest measures.