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The Committee notes with interest the detailed information provided in the Government’s first report. It also notes the observations made by the Commission for Local Authority Employers (KT) and the Central Organization of Finnish Trade Unions (SAK).

Article 7(a) of the Convention. While noting the information contained in the Government’s report concerning the maternity and the parental allowance, the Committee requests the Government to provide in its next report supplementary information on measures taken or envisaged to ensure that part-time female workers receive equivalent treatment to full-time workers in respect of other aspects of maternity protection, such as maternity leave, health protection of the mother and the child, transfer to more appropriate work, protection against dismissal and income maintenance.

Article 8. The Committee notes that the sickness insurance and employment pension systems operate on the basis of the level of earnings and exclude employees whose annual or monthly income is below prescribed minimum amounts. While noting that the thresholds communicated by the Government in its report appear sufficiently low, the Committee requests the Government to communicate additional information on the periodical review of the thresholds in force, the consultations with employers’ and workers’ organizations prior to their establishment, review or revision, and any consideration given to the progressive extension of protection to the workers excluded, as required under this Article of the Convention.

Article 9. The Committee notes the Government’s reference to the possibility of reduced working time for social or health reasons, partial childcare leave and part-time pension for ageing employees to demonstrate its effort to facilitate flexible work arrangements, freely agreed upon between the employer and the employee, especially having regard to the needs of specific groups such as workers with family responsibilities and older workers. The Committee requests the Government to supply general information on its employment policy in respect of part-time work, the measures taken to publicize possibilities of part-time work and to address the needs of other categories of workers such as the unemployed, disabled workers or workers undergoing education or training, as well as the results of any recent research on the degree to which part-time work responds to the economic and social aims of employers and workers.

In this connection, the Committee notes the comments made by the Commission for Local Authority Employers (KT) according to which the use of part-time employment contracts requires the removal of obstacles to part-time work, especially in view of the negative attitude of the workers’ movement towards all kinds of part-time work irrespective of how well it may meet the needs of employers and employees alike. It also notes the views expressed by the Central Organization of Finnish Trade Unions (SAK) to the effect that it is essential to develop legislation and collective agreements ensuring equal treatment for part-time workers since the terms of collective agreements are often intended to regulate full-time work conditions and cause practical problems when applied to part-time employees. The Committee requests the Government to indicate in its next report how it plans to address the concerns of its social partners regarding the promotion of part-time work and the need to guarantee in practice the equality of treatment for part-time workers.

Article 11. The Committee would appreciate receiving copies of any collective agreement containing specific regulations on part-time work, particularly as regards the protection referred to in Articles 4 to 7 of the Convention.

Part V of the report form. The Committee notes the statistical information concerning the percentage of part-time employment, the proportion of male and female part-time workers, and the total number of part-time civil servants. The Committee would be grateful to the Government for continuing to provide up-to-date information concerning the application of the Convention in practice, including extracts from inspection reports containing the number and nature of infringements observed and the penalties imposed, copies of recent surveys or studies relating to part-time employment issues, and any other particulars bearing on the implementation of the requirements set forth in the Convention.