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The Committee notes the Government's first report on the application of the Convention. It notes that section 71 of the Labour Code provides for recourse, following consultation with workers' representative organizations, to the calculation of normal hours of work as an average over a period of up to one year, without specifying the categories of employment concerned. In this connection, the Committee wishes to draw the attention of the Government to the fact that Recommendation No. 116 on the reduction of working hours, 1962, provides for the calculation of normal average hours of work; however, only in cases where "special conditions in certain branches of activity or technical needs justify it" (Paragraph 12). It must in fact be restricted to exceptional cases where the nature of the work, technical reasons or seasonal variations and periodic pressure of work make it necessary. In the light of these indications, the Committee hopes that the Government will take account of the provisions of the Recommendation and amend section 71 of the Labour Code in consequence. It requests it to keep the ILO informed on all developments in this regard.