I thank the Minister for his comprehensive reply. After the House has had time to study the Official Report would the Minister consider allowing the House time to debate the document because it is a very important subject related to our employment prospects?
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Fields of Action
Training work experience schemes
The Council has adopted a position in a separate resolution.
Overtime
The Council considers that:
(i) limits should be applied to the systematic use of overtime; these limits should take account of the necessary flexibility of the production process of the undertaking and of the situation on the labour market; (ii) given the different situations in the member states of the Community, provision should be made for the gradual implementation of this principle, taking into account the problems which could arise in this context for low paid workers in some member states;
(iii) implementation should take place in accordance with the usual procedures in force in each member state of the Community, while respecting the autonomy of the social partners;
(iv) one appropriate method of achieving such limits would be, for example, to introduce the principle of compensatory time-off for systematic overtime without such a form of compensation covering necessarily all the hours of overtime worked;
(v) supervision should be organised in accordance with the procedures in force in each member state.
Flexible retirement
The Council points out that it considers it very important that the Commission continue its work on flexible retirement.
The Council considers that flexible retirement—which should be voluntary—should be developed in liaison with other measures to facilitate a gradual withdrawal from working life at the end of the worker's career, such as part-time work and longer holidays for older workers.
Part-time work
The Council notes that part-time work is now a reality on the labour market, but considers that the conditions applying thereto should be clarified.
The Council believes that a Community approach should be based on the following principles:
(i) part-time work must be voluntary and open to both men and women. It would not be imposed on persons who wish to work full-time. Furthermore, particular care must be taken to ensure that part-time work is not limited to work by women or to work of low skill and responsibility;
(ii) it would be desirable to examine the extent to which part-time work could be made more readily available to certain groups of workers, particularly parents with young children and older workers;
(iii) part-time workers should in principle have the same social rights and obligations as full-time workers, bearing in mind the specific character of the work performed;
(iv) part-time work should not be limited to half-time work, but could be based on a daily, weekly or monthly cycle adapted to the needs of different groups of workers and undertakings.
Temporary work
The Council notes that in the majority of member states temporary work has developed considerably over the last few years.
The Council considers that Community action to support action by member states should be undertaken to ensure that temporary employment is controlled and that temporary employees receive social security protection.
Shift work
The Council considers that shift work should be viewed in the context of the aspects relating to working and health conditions.
The Council considers that the economic aspects of the problem must also be taken into consideration, particularly with regard to the competitiveness of undertakings.
Annual hours of work
The Council invites the Commission to examine, with the social partners, the conditions under which a Community approach on the subject of a reduction in annual working time could be established; this approach could, where appropriate, be taken into account in agreements at national, inter-trade or sectoral level.
The Council asks that in such action account should be taken of the need to improve working conditions and the importance of preventing dismissals and favouring new recruitment.
Likewise, the need to preserve conditions of competition should be taken into consideration, as should the effects on labour costs of reducing annual working time.
Account should also be taken in such action of the series of new measures that might be adopted on the re-organisation of working time in the light of the guidelines advocated above.
Final provisions
In the light of the progress achieved in regard to the different aspects of the reorganization of working time referred to in this Resolution, the Council, recalling the conclusions reached by the European Council in Paris on 12 and 13 March 1979, asks the Commission to present:
—its conclusions on possibilities of developing a Community approach as regards limiting systematic overtime working and reducing actual annual hours of work in the Community;
—specific communications on flexible retirement, part-time work and temporary work.
In addition, the Council invites:
—the Commission to continue wide-ranging consultations on the subject of re-organisation of working-time with the social partners;
—the social partners to continue and strengthen their contacts at Community level, and to assist the efforts of the Council and the Commission and to continue their action, in the member states within the framework of their own responsibilities.
These consultations and contacts should lead to the formulation of a Community approach making for overall coherence and fostering consensus at Community level."
I have no objection at all. It depends on how the Order of Business of the House is arranged. The Deputy will have a copy of the resolution. I agree that it is a subect of some importance. I must confess I was pleased with the outcome of the meeting. As I said in my reply, the resolution is not binding. We started that morning from a position where some of the member states were very far apart and finished up with a resolution that evening. That was very satisfactory progress. That the Commission, with the Social Partners, can now continue from there and are in fact instructed or asked to continue from there is a major step forward. I will certainly give consideration to what the Deputy has asked.