asked the Minister for Labour if he will list the items discussed at the recent meeting of the Council of Labour and Social Ministers.
35.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Council of Labour and Social Ministers Meeting.
34.
asked the Minister for Labour if plans for the legal restriction of overtime were discussed at the recent meeting of the Council of Labour and Social Ministers and if he will make a statement on the matter.
36.
asked the Minister for Labour the progress, if any, made at the recent meeting of the Council of Labour and Social Ministers regarding work sharing and if he will make a statement on the matter.
With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle I propose to take Questions Nos. 34, 35 and 36 together.
The items discussed at the Council of EEC Ministers for Labour and Social Ministers on 22 November 1979 were:
1. Draft resolution on work-sharing.
2. Commission Communication and draft Council resolution on linking work and training for young people in the Community.
3. Proposal for a Council regulation concerning the adaptation of Regulation No. 1408/71 and of the annexes thereto in respect of social security for self-employed migrant workers.
4. Commission Communication to the Council concerning consultation on migration policies vis-à-vis third countries.
5. Commission report to the Council on the activities of the European Social Fund in 1978.
6. Commission memorandum on employee participation in asset formation.
A detailed discussion took place in the Council on the draft resolution on work sharing and, despite differences of opinion on various aspects of the proposal, agreement was finally reached on the terms of a resolution. The provisional text of the resolution will, with the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, be circulated with the Official Report. While a resolution is not binding on the member states the resolution adopted should encourage the Commission and the Social Partners to continue their consultations and contacts with a view to the formulation of a Community approach to work sharing which, in the words of the resolution, "will achieve overall coherence and foster consensus, at Community level".
The resolution contains a section dealing with overtime indicating that the Council considers that limits should be applied to the systematic use of overtime and invites the Commission to present its conclusions on possibilities of developing a Community approach as regards limiting systematic overtime working.
Following is the provisional text of the Council resolution: