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In its previous observation, the Committee drew the Government's attention to the fact that section 98 of the Labour Code of 1979 under which the State Labour and Social Security Committee may authorise with the agreement of the workers, in a number of branches or activities or for reasons of production or services, the replacement of holidays by supplementary remuneration, is in conflict with Article 4 of the Convention under which any agreement to relinquish the right to an annual holiday shall be void.

In reply, the Government states that under section 52(n) of Legislative Decree No. 67 of 19 April 1983, the State Labour and Social Security Committee, when making the authorisations envisaged unde section 98 of the Labour Code, is obliged to ensure that effect is given to the obligations derived from Conventions and that - specifically to give effect to this Convention - a provision has been introduced in the Labour Code (section 95) to the effect that workers shall be entitled to at least seven days of holiday with pay during the working year.

The Committee takes due note of the explanations given by the Government. It notes, nevertheless, that section 98 of the Labour Code clearly establishes the possibility (in the exceptional cases laid down by the above section) of the replacement of the workers' holidays by cash remuneration "without taking time off" and that the worker will receive a corresponding supplementary remuneration for the days worked "during the period for which he should have been on leave". In order to clarify any ambiguity and eliminate the possibility that the law be applied contrary to the provisions of the Convention, the Committee expresses the hope that the Government will take the appropriate steps to specify that section 98 cannot be applied to the minimum holidays provided for in section 95 of the Labour Code.