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COMMISSION OFTHEEUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TOTHE COUNCIL
concerning
theconsultation ofthetwosides ofindustry bytheMember States on
-ILOConvention 153concerning hours ofwork and rest periods
inroad transport ;
-ILORecommendation 161concerning hours ofwork and rest periodsCOM (82)273 final
Brussels ,17May1982
inroad transport
adopted bytheInternational Labour Conference in1979
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COMMUNICATION FROMTHECOMMISSION TOTHECOUNCIL
concerning
theconsultation ofthetwosidesofindustrybytheMemberStateson
-ILOConvention 153concerning hoursofworkandrestperiods
inroadtransport;
-ILORecommendation 161concerning hoursofworkandrestperiods
inroadtransport
adoptedbytheInternational LabourConference in1979
Introduction
1.Inaccordance withArticle19(5)(b)and(c)oftheILOConstitution
theMemberStatessubmitted thetwoinstruments referredtoaboveto
theauthorities "withinwhosecompetence thematterlies,fortheen­
actmentoflegislation orotheraction"andinformedtheDirector-General
oftheInternational LabourOfficeaccordingly .
2.AlthoughtheidenticallettersbywhichtheMemberStatesinformedthe
Director-Genera IoftheInternational LabourOfficeofthesubmission
oftheabovementionedinstruments indicatethat.thematterscoveredby;
Convention 153fallwithintheCommunity'sjurisdiction whilethose
coveredbyRecommendation 161fallwithinthejointjurisdiction of
theCommunities andtheMemberStates,itwasunderstood thattheseletters
innowayaffectthequestionofratification orotheractiontobetaken
onsuchinstruments (cfr.11321/80and12501/80).
3.AccordingtoaMemorandum fromtheGoverning BodyoftheInternational Labour
(1)Office,theinstruments submitted"shouldalwaysbeaccompanied orfollowed
byastatementorproposalsettingouttheGovernment'sviewsastothe
actiontobetakenontheinstruments
(1)"Memorandum concerning theObligation tosubmitConventions andRecom­
mendations totheCompetentAuthorities "-Article19oftheILOConsti­
tution-Geneva,1980,ref.Appl.19S(rev.3).

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4.Under ILO Convention 144,Governments are required toconsult their national
employers *andworkers' organizations onthe statement orproposals referred
toabove .
(1)5.Inaworking paper submitted on19June 1981 ,the Commission 'sdepartments
stated that the views expressed bythe national organizations onaconvention
orrecommendation submitted tothe Community should benotified bytheMember
States tothe Commission prior tothe submission bythe latter tothe Council
oftheproposal concerning that convent ion .orrecommendation and that this
procedure should befollowed inparticular for Convention 153andRecommenda­
tion 161 .ACommission proposal onthose two instruments will consequently
beforwarded tothe Council after the Member States have made known tothe
Commission the views expressed onthe subject bythe national professional
and trade union organizations concerned .
6.Itiscustomary forMember States toconsult employers andworkers onthe
basis ofaGovernment proposal .Inthe case inquestion ,inview ofthe fact
that thematters covered byConvention 153and some ofthose covered byRecom­
mendation 161are thesubject ofCommunity regulations ,itisfelt that the
Member States should have attheir disposal aCommission working paper setting
out what action could betaken from atechnical and legal point ofview on
the ILOinstruments which would enable them toconsult theemployers and
workers intheir countries .
7.TheCommunity instruments inquestion arethefollowing : (
(a)Council Regulation (EEC )No543/69of25March 1969 ontheharmonization
ofcertain social legislation relating toroad transport (OJNoL77,
29.3.1969 ,p.49)and theamendments arising outoftheRegulations
set out below :
1.Regulation (EEC )No514/72 (OJNoL67,20.3.1972 ,p.1),
(1)Commission working paper
-Observations onthe ILOdocument entitled "The relationship ofrights
andobligations under the Constitution ofthe ILOtorights andobligations
under treaties establishing regional groupings "(GB215/SC/4/1,215th session ,
Geneva ,February-March 1981 )(Doc .SEC(81 )887 )

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ι
ι
2.Regulation (EEC)No515/72(OJNoL67,20.3.1972,p.11)
3.Regulation (EEC)No2827/77(OJ,"'oL334,24.12.1977,p.1),
4.Regulation (EEC)No2829/77(OJNoL334,24.12.1977,p.11).
(b)CouncilRegulation (EEC)No1463/70ontheintroduction ofrecording
equipmentinroadtransport (0JNoL164,27.7.1970),asamendedby
CouncilRegulation (EEC)No1787/73of25June1973(0JNoL181,
4.7.1973)andCouncilRegulation (EEC)No2828/77of12December1977
(0JNoL394,24.12.1977).
8.Theratification ofConvention 153andRecommendation 161wouldimply
amendmentstotheCommunityregulations inquestion.Itshouldalsobe
borneinmindthattheCommissioniscurrentlyre-examining theCommunity
regulations inordertoimprovetheirapplication .Naturally,thisre-
examination mustnotbeallowedtoincreasethedifficulties intheareas
coveredbythisdocument.
Convention 153concerninghoursofworkandrestperiodsinroadtransport
9.Adetailedexamination ofConvention 153andCommunityregulationsreveals
anumberofminor,eveninsignificant,differences^^.
Onlyonedifferenceappearsreallyimportant;itconcernsbreaks.
(1)Thetransportofanimalcarcasesorwastenotintendedforhumanconsumption
(Article1.4a(2)(c)ofRegulation (EEC)No543/691.

ν-
Breaks
Article7oftheConvention -ontainsthefollowingprovisions onthismatter:
"1.Everywage-earning driv-<.,hallheentitledtoabreakafteracontinuous
"periodoffivehourso.work•.definedinArticle4,paragraph 1,ofthis
"Convention .
"2.Thelengthofthebreakefcrredtoinparagraph 1ofthisArticleand,
"asappropriate ,triewa>nwhichthebreakmaybesplitshallbedetermined
"bythecompetentautho ,>tyorbodyineachcountry."
Furthermore,Article4orConvention defines"hoursofwork"asfollows:
"1.ForthepurposeofthicConvention theterm"hoursofwork"meansthetime
"spentbywage-earning c'~vi?rson-
"(a)drivingandotii**"wi"kduringtherunningtimeofthevehicle;and
"(b)subsidiary workinconnection withthevehicle,itspassengers or
"itsload.
"2.Periodsofmereattenda^e orstand-by,eitheronthevehicleoratthe
"workplace andduringv,'ht!edriversarenotfreetodisposeoftheir
"timeastheyplease,ma'beregardedashoursofworktoanextenttobe
"prescribedineachcouiTybythecompetentauthorityorbody,bycollective
"agreements orbyanyot'rrmeansconsistent withnationalpractice."
10.Regulation (EEC)No543/6°,however,doesnotspecifythetimepfthebreak
inrelationtoworkingtimeandthereforeallowsthedrivertocarryout
workotherthandrivingforjnunlimitedperiodandthendrive[forfour
hoursimmediately afterward "withoutbeingobligedtotakeabrjeak
I■
(Article and8);thisallowstheworkertoworkwithinthemeaning
ofArticle <'(1)oftheConventionforsixorsevenhoursorevenlonger
beforetakingabreak.
11.InArticle17(1ifitsproposalforaCouncilRegulation ontheharmonization
(1)ofcertainsociIlegislation relatingtoroadtransportof9March1976,
theCommission ;rposedasimilarsystemtoArticle7oftheConvention butwith
thefollowingtw>iif-ferenc'
/
(1)0JNoC103,6.5.

-S­
-inthe Commission proposal ,periods ofmere attendance atwork cannot be
considered asabreak ,while Article 7specifically states (asaresult
ofanamendment putforward bytheNine )that "break "means "aninterrup­
tion ofwork within themeaning ofArticle 4(1 )(actual work );
-the Commission proposal lays down that thebreak should betaken after four
hours ,while theConvention stipulates that itshould betaken after five
hours .
Itshould benoted that these twoaspects ,are still being discussed within the
Council .
12.Naturally ,there arealternatives tothe solutions put forward inthe
Commission 's1976 proposal .
The most obvious solution would betoreplace thebreaks after four hours
ofcontinuous driving laid down inRegulation (EEC )No543/69bybreaks after
four hours ofwork within themeaning ofArticle 17ofthe Commission Proposal
of9March 1976 .The basis fordefining "hours ofwork "would betheactivities
referred toinArticle 14(2 )(c)and (d)ofRegulation (EEC )No543/69,andthe
possibilities ofsplitting upthebreak provided for inArticle 8(1),second
subparagraph ,and the special arrangements for atwo-man crew specified in
Article 8(4 )would continue toapply .The length ofbreaks would bethe same
for both one-man and two-man crews .
13.Theelimination ofthedifferences between ILO Convention 153andRegulation
No543/69would enable the latter toberegarded asthemeasure making effective
theprovisions ofthesaid Convention ,within themeaning ofArticle 19(5)(d )
ofthe ILO Constitution .
14.Inconclusion ,theCommission feels that ratification ofthis Convention
isdesirable forreasons ofsocial progress ,harmonization ofconditions
ofcompetition and road safety .

Recommendation 161concerning hours ofwork and rest periods inroad transport
Preliminary remarks
15.Inorder toensure that Member States have the most complete list possible
ofthedifferences between the two ILO instruments inquestion and Community
regulations forthepurpose ofconsulting their employers' andworkers' organi
zations ,theCommission hasalso examined Recommendation 161 .
16.Daily spreadover
Onthis point ,paragraph 13oftheRecommendation stipulates the following :
"1.The competent authority orbody ineach country should prescribe forthe
" various branches ofthe road transport industry themaximum number of
" hours which may separate twosuccessive daily rest periods .
"2.The spreadover should not besolong astoreduce theperiod ofdaily
•" rest towhich the workers are entitled ".
17.The proposal for aCouncil Regulation ontheharmonization ofcertain social
legislation relating toroad transport submitted bythe Commission tothe
(1)Council on9March 1976 satisfies all these requirements .
Weekly rest i
18.Onthis point Recommendation 161 contains the following provisions :
"23.Theminimum duration oftheweekly rest should be24consecutive
" hours ,preceded orfollowed bythedaily rest .
"24.Theweekly rest should ,asfaraspossible ,coincide with aSunday
" orwith traditional andcustomary days ofrest ,and itshould during
" agiven period bepossible forthis rest tobespent athome acertain
" number oftimes ,tobedetermined bythecompetent authority orbody
ineach country .
25.Inlong-distance transport ,itshould bepossible tocumulate weekly
" rest over twoconsecutive weeks .Inappropriate cases ,thecompetent
" authority orbody ineach country mayapprove thecumulation ofthis
" rest over alonger time .
(1)OJNoC103,6.5.1976 ,p.2social
the

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19.Article 12ofRegulation (EEC )No543/69should therefore beamended
tomeet the requirements ofparagraph 24.
Asregards therequirements specified inparagraph 25/these would be
met ifthe Council adopted thedefinition of"week "contained inArticle 1(4 )
ofthe Commission proposal of9March 1976 .
/