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The Committee notes the information supplied in the Government's report in reply to its previous comments.

Article 4, paragraph 1, of the Convention. The Committee notes the Government's statement that the Act on the Minimum Wages (No. 96/1996 of the Digest of Laws) was published in the Digest of Laws of the Slovak Republic, thus having become generally known by the persons concerned. The Committee recalls paragraph 359 of its 1992 General Survey on minimum wages, according to which the publication of minimum wage rates in the Official Gazette is not by itself sufficient to ensure that the employers and workers concerned are made aware of the rates in force. It again requests the Government to indicate the additional measures taken or envisaged to ensure that publicity is given to minimum wage rates, for example, through the publication of minimum wage rates in publications other than the official compilation of laws, the posting of notices in places where wages are paid or at the workplace, or by other means.

Article 5, in conjunction with point V of the report form. The Committee notes that the minimum wage is SKK2,700 per month for the year 1997 and applies to all groups of workers in industry, agriculture, services, private sector. It requests the Government to specify if young workers are or are not covered by this minimum wage. It also requests the Government to supply, in accordance with general information on the application of the Convention in practice: (i) the minimum wage rates in force; (ii) the available data on the number and different categories of workers covered by minimum wage provisions; and (iii) the results of inspections carried out (e.g. the number of violations of minimum wage provisions revealed, the penalties imposed, etc.).