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The Committee takes note of the comments of the Union of Press Workers of Buenos Aires (UTPBA) concerning the repeal on 16 June 1998 of the Conditions of Service of professional journalists and of the Conditions of Service of administrative employees of newspaper companies and requests the Government to send its comments on the matter to allow it to examine these comments at its next meeting.

The Committee also takes note of the recently adopted Act No. 25013 establishing amendments to certain provisions governing employment contracts and to certain laws and current rules governing collective labour agreements, and observes that sections 13 and 14 of the Act stipulate as follows.

Section 13. The Ministry of Labour and Social Security is to set up a mediation and arbitration service following consultations with the most representative employers' organizations and with the General Confederation of Labour; the service will intervene in collective disputes at the request of the parties concerned.

Section 14, paragraph 1. Representation of workers in negotiations on collective labour agreements of whatever type will be the responsibility of higher-level trade union associations which will be able to delegate their power to negotiate to their decentralized structures.

The Committee considers that some of these provisions may present problems in relation to the Conventions ratified by Argentina and proposes to examine them in greater depth next year as part of its examination of the application of Convention No. 98 within the regular reporting cycle.