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The Committee notes that the Labour Relations Act of 24 April 2002, which entered into force on 1 January 2003, repealed the Labour Relations Act of 1990. It asks the Government to provide further information on the following points.

Article 6 of the Convention. Paragraphs 1 and 3 of section 156 of the Labour Relations Act appear to be contradictory, inasmuch as the minimum weekly rest to be granted within every period of seven days shall be regarded as an average in a period of 14 successive days. The same applies to the provisions made under section 158(2)-(4) of the Act, which permit that weekly rest may be granted and taken within a period up to six months. The Committee recalls that the Convention provides for a rest period comprising at least 24 continuous hours at regular seven-day intervals. It therefore requests the Government for clarification on this point and to ensure that the law and practice are in line with the Convention.

Articles 7 and 8. The Committee notes from the report of the Government the observation communicated by the Association of Free Trade Unions of Slovenia (ZSSS). As far as work on weekly rest days and public holidays in commercial establishments in the retail sector is concerned, the ZSSS alleges that employers, without taking account of the procedure laid down in the Retail Act for such cases, usually threaten their staff with lay-offs, if they refuse to agree with working on a weekly rest day. Most of the employees in the retail sector, since working on fixed-term contracts, have to face their contracts not being renewed in case they disagree with working on a weekly rest day. The Committee invites the Government to indicate its position on the allegations made by the ZSSS and to provide the text of the Retail Act with its next report.