Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2019, published 109th ILC session (2021)

Angola

Hours of Work (Industry) Convention, 1919 (No. 1) (Ratification: 1976)
Weekly Rest (Industry) Convention, 1921 (No. 14) (Ratification: 1976)
Night Work (Women) Convention (Revised), 1948 (No. 89) (Ratification: 1976)
Weekly Rest (Commerce and Offices) Convention, 1957 (No. 106) (Ratification: 1976)

In order to provide a comprehensive view of the issues relating to the application of the ratified Conventions on working time, the Committee considers it appropriate to examine Conventions No. 1 (hours of work), Nos 14 and 106 (weekly rest), and No. 89 (women’s night work), together. Following its last comments, the Committee notes that the Government provides information in its reports on the provisions of the General Labour Act of 2015 (Act No. 7/15, thereafter, the Act) implementing the Conventions.

Hours of work

Article 2(b) of Convention No. 1. Variable distribution of hours of work during the week. The Committee notes that the Act establishes that normal hours of work are limited to eight hours a day and 44 hours a week (section 95(1)). The Act allows variable distribution of working hours by collective or individual agreement (section 3(17) and (34) and section 97(2)). The Committee notes that: (i) section 95(2) allows normal weekly working hours to be increased to 54 hours in case of modulated or variable working hours; and section 95(3), which sets limits to the possible extension of daily working hours, appears to apply only to intermittent work. The Committee recalls that Article 2(b) allows regular averaging of hours of work within the limits of 48 hours per week and nine hours per day. It also requires such working-time arrangement be adopted with the sanction of the competent public authority, or by agreement between employers’ and workers’ organizations. The Committee therefore notes that the regular averaging scheme under the Act is not fully in conformity with the Convention given that: (i) the weekly limit set in section 95(2) exceeds the 48-hour limit set in the Convention; (ii) no clear limit of nine hours per day is established in this context; and (iii) regular averaging schemes can be provided for by individual agreements. The Committee therefore requests the Government to review the corresponding provisions of the Act in light of the Article 2(b). It also request the Government to provide information on the implementation of regular averaging schemes in practice.

Article 5. Variable distribution of working hours over periods longer than the week. The Committee notes that section 104 of the Act provides for special working-time arrangements whereby continuous work is performed for a maximum of four weeks followed by an equal period of rest. According to section 104(2)(e), hours of work are calculated on an annual basis, based on a 44 hours working week. In this scheme, if shift work is involved, the daily hours of work may be up to 12 hours. No daily limit is otherwise specifically set. The Committee recalls that Article 5 allows for variation of daily limit of work over periods longer than a week only in exceptional cases and such variation may be established through agreement between workers’ and employers’ organizations to which the Government may give the force of regulations. The Committee requests the Government to provide information on the circumstances in which the working-time arrangements foreseen under section 104 of the Act may be implemented.

Article 6(2). Rate of pay for overtime. The Committee notes that section 117 of the Act provides that workers of small and micro-sized enterprises shall be remunerated for overtime with an increase of the rate of normal hours of work of 20 per cent and 10 per cent respectively, whereas workers in larger enterprises get much more favourable rates (up to 75 per cent in certain cases). The Committee requests the Government to take the necessary measures to ensure compliance with Article 6(2), which requires a rate of pay for overtime not less than one and one-quarter times the regular rate, regardless of the size of the enterprise.

Weekly rest

Article 7(1) of Convention No. 106. Permanent exceptions to the normal weekly rest scheme. With reference to the scheme provided for under section 104 of the Act, as described above, the Committee recalls that Article 7(1) provides that special weekly rest schemes can only be introduced with respect to specified categories of persons or specified types of establishments covered by the Convention (commerce and offices). Further to its request under Convention No. 1 above, the Committee therefore asks the Government to specify the categories of persons or types of establishments covered by the Convention in which the working-time arrangements foreseen under section 104 of the Act may be implemented.

Article 4(1) of Convention No. 14 and Article 7(4) of Convention No. 106. Consultations with representative employers’ and workers’ organizations in case of permanent exceptions. The Committee notes that section 119 of the Act provides for the possible adoption of permanent exceptions to the normal weekly rest scheme, whereby weekly rest can be given on a day other than Sunday, in case of continuous work or for reasons of public interest or technical reasons. The same provision refers to decisions of the public authorities to determine the specific activities or establishments concerned. The Committee recalls that Article 4(1) of Convention No. 14 and Article 7(4) of Convention No. 106 provide that measures concerning permanent exceptions to weekly rest shall be adopted in consultations with representative employers’ and workers’ organizations. The Committee requests the Government to provide information on the decisions adopted in application of section 119 of the Act and the consultations held in this regard.

Women’s night work

Article 3 of Convention No. 89. Prohibition of women’s night work. The Committee notes that section 245(1)(b) of the Act prohibits women form working at night in industrial undertakings. While noting that the Act also provides for exceptions and possible derogations from this principle, the Committee recalls that that protective measures applicable to women’s employment at night which go beyond maternity protection and are based on stereotyped perceptions regarding women’s professional abilities and role in society, violate the principle of equality of opportunity and treatment between men and women (see 2018 General Survey on working-time instruments, paragraph 545). The Committee therefore invites the Government to review the provisions of section 245 of the Act in light of this principle and in consultation with the social partners. Recalling that the Convention will be open for denunciation between 27 February 2021 and 27 February 2022, the Committee encourages the Government to consider its denunciation. It also draws the Government’s attention to the Night Work Convention, 1990 (No. 171), which is not devised as a gender-specific instrument, but focuses on the protection of all those working at night.