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With reference to its previous comments on the need to amend the draft Labour Code so as to ensure the adoption of provisions that are in keeping with the principles of freedom of association regarding the right to strike and the unduly broad powers of supervision of the competent authorities over trade union assets, the Committee takes due note of the assurances in the Government's report that, in order to take account of the Committee's comments, it plans to limit the conciliation period for collective disputes to ten days, to provide that a strike that is initiated after an arbitration award has been challenged shall not give rise to the termination of work contracts and to limit cases in which supervision of trade union assets may be required to complaints made by trade union members.

Furthermore, in its reply to the general observation of 1992, the Government indicates that only citizens of Chad or foreigners who have resided in the country for seven years and are covered by a reciprocity clause are eligible for trade union office. The Committee considers that the Government should make its legislation more flexible to allow organizations to elect their officers freely and to allow foreign workers to be eligible for trade union office at least after a reasonable period of residence in the country, and that seven years is clearly not a reasonable period.

The Committee trusts that the Government will shortly adopt provisions enabling the Convention to be better applied and asks it to report on any developments in these matters.