INTERNATIONAL LABOUR OFFICE « STUDIES AND REPORTS Series D (Wages and Hours) No. 11 HOURS OF LABOUR IN INDUSTRY NETHERLANDS DECEMBER 1 9 2 3 GENEVA CONTENTS Page LEGISLATION. Labour Act of 1919 Scope Limitation of Working Hours Limitation of the Working Day General Administrative Measures Hours of Work in Offices Provisions not yet in Force Special Legislation Compressed Air Work Stone Cutters Loading and Unloading of Ships Mining Railways . " . . . . 6 6 7 9 10 11 12 13 13 13 14 14 14 ADMINISTRATION AND COLLECTIVE AGREEMENTS. Hours actually worked Transitional Exceptions Temporary Exceptions Collective Agreements Mining Metal Industries Textile Industry Wood Industry Building Trades Food and Drink Clothing Printing and Allied Trades 16 17 17 21 22 23 25 25 26 27 28 29 Legislation Hours of work in the Netherlands are regulated by the general Act of 1 November 1919 on hours of work and dangerous trades (Staatsblad, 1919, No. 64), as amended 20 May 1920. This Act, which provides for the protection of workers in dangerous trades as well as for the limitation of hours of work, superseded the Labour Act of 1911. In addition to this Act there are a number of special Acts with a limited field of application. These are as follows : Act of 22 May 1905 (Caissonwet, Staatsblad, 143) for the protection of workers in compressed air, amended by Acts of 1 July 1919 (Staatsblad, 248) and 4 December 1920 (Staatsblad, 859). Decree of 22 September 1906 on work in mining undertakings (Mijnreglement, Staatsblad, 248), amended by Decrees of 9 February 1917 (Staatsblad, 210) and 7 October 1922 (Staatsblad, 550). Act of 7 October 1911 (Steenhouwerswet, Staatsblad, 315), amended by Acts of 4 December 1920 (Staatsblad, 858) and 11 November 1921 (Staatsblad, 1167), regulating the work of stone cutters. Act of 16 October 1914 (Stuwadoorswet, Staatsblad, 486) concerning dock labourers, amended by that of 4 December 1920 (Staatsblad, 862). There are also various Decrees regulating hours of work of the different grades of staff on railways and light railways. The above texts include provisions for the safety of the workers, but it is only proposed to summarise those dealing with hours of work. The Act of 1919, which came into force on 24 October 1920, limited hours of work to 8 per day and 45 per week. The Act of 20 May 1920 (Staatsblad, 364) increased them to 8 % P e r day and 48 per week, a change which came into force on 18 June 1922 (Royal Decree of 26 May 1922, Staatsblad, 391). — 6 — LABOUR ACT OF 1919 (as amended by Act of iQ2o) Scope The Act applies generally to all work carried on in an undertaking. The term "undertaking " includes institutions for nursing the sick, lawyers', solicitors', and notaries' offices, etc. ; incorporated companies ; and building work under the control of the state, a province, municipality, or other public body in so far as operations are usually carried on therein similar to those carried on in a factory, workshop, pharmacy, café, or hotel. The following are excluded from the scope of the Act : (a) work subject to other regulations, such as work in mining undertakings, work regulated by the Stonecutters' Act, the work of dock labourers regulated by the Port Labour Act, work in railway undertakings, with the exception of that in factories or workshops and in cafés ; (b) agriculture, horticulture, sylviculture, and cattle rearing x ; (c) domestic service ; (d) the work of the head of an undertaking and his wife, except in bakeries ; (e) work done in technical and vocational schools by teachers and their pupils ; also work performed by the inmates of educational and reformatory institutions and of state prisons ; (f) work done by soldiers in the performance of military duty ; (g) work done on board merchant vessels and fishing vessels by the owner's family, including relations of the third degree, if they live on board. Of the provisions on hours of work, only those concerning factories or workshops and those applying to the work of young persons in offices had come into force on 1 November 1923. The following are deemed to be factories or workshops (Section 2) : (a) all open or covered spaces where the following operations or work connected with them are carried on (other than for the exclusive benefit of a household established therein) : manufacturing, altering, repairing, ornamenting, finishing, or in any other 1 Work in factories in which products of agriculture, horticulture, forestry, or cattle rearing are worked up, as well as oak and osier peeling, manufacture of hoops, breaking and swingling of flax or hemp, and the peeling or husking of bulbs, are, on the contrary, to be regarded as work covered by the Act (Section 1). way adapting or further adapting for sale, use, or destruction, any goods or materials ; (b) electrical works, with their sub-stations ; (c) building, earth works, or excavation ; hydraulic undertakings ; road making ; (d) land drainage. Limitation of Working Hours Hours of work in factories and workshops may not exceed 8 y2 per day and 48 per week (Section 24). In bakeries hours of work may not exceed 8 per day (except on Saturdays and certain other specified days, when 11 hours may be worked) and 48 per week (Section 40). Permanent Exceptions 1 Permanent exceptions may be made by public administrative regulations 2. Maximum hours of work may be extended : (a) by 12 hours in the week for men and by 6 hours in the week for women employed on preparatory and supplementary work ; this applies not only to normal hours, but also to the hours of work provided for by temporary and special exceptions, and to the hours of work laid down as permanent exceptions for continuous work, and for certain specified classes of work (see (c) and (d) below) ; (b) to 12 hours per day and 72 per week for men who are employed entirely or mainly in watching ; (c) to 54 hours per week and 144 hours over a period of three consecutive weeks for men engaged in work which must be carried on continuously in shifts ; (d) to 11 hours per day and 48 per week for men and women engaged in certain special classes of work ; (e) to 12 hours per day and 84 per week for men in land drainage works, provided the weekly average for the calendar year is not more than 48 hours ; (f) to 16 hours per day on not more than three days in the year, with a maximum of 81 hours in any one week, for men in pastrycooks' and florists' establishments. These three 16-hour days are authorised during the seven-day periods preceding 6 December (St. Nicholas' day) and the three-day periods preceding Christmas and New Year's Day. 1 Section 25, Subsections 2 and 3. * The exceptions provided for are determined by General Administrative Regulation No. 442 of 11 September 1923. —8— Temporary Exceptions Special or general permission granted to deal with exceptional stress of work or exceptional circumstances (Section 28, Subsections 1 to 6).—Temporary exceptions may be granted for a limited period by written permission from the chief of the district for undertakings in which an accumulation of work usually occurs at certain seasons, or if special circumstances arise. The necessary permit may be granted conditionally or unconditionally, subject to the following maxima : (a) 10 hours per day, or an average of 48 hours per week, for young persons under 16 ; (b) 10 hours per day, or 55 per week, for young persons between 16 and 18 and for women ; (c) 11 hours per day and 62 per week for men. The chief of the district must, in every case, apply to the DirectorGeneral of Labour for authority to grant the permit if it is to apply to a period of more than 14 days, or if less than six days have elapsed since the previous permit affecting the same persons expired. If the chief of the district declines to grant a permit, the head or manager of an undertaking may lodge an appeal within 15 days with the Minister of Labour, whose decision is final (§§ 1 to 4). When occasion arises for granting a permit for the same reasons in respect of undertakings in one group in all or certain communes, the Minister of Labour may grant a general permit by a decision published in the Staatscourant (§6). Permission granted at the request of employers' or workers' representatives (Section 28, Subsection 7).—When in certain industries the employers' and workers' associations (or, failing such organisations, suitable representatives of the employers and workers in any industry) are of opinion that in any undertaking or group of undertakings in the industry in question it is desirable that more than 8% hours per day or 48 hours per week should be worked, the Minister of Labour may grant the necessary permit, conditionally or unconditionally, for hours of work not exceeding the following maxima : (a) 10 hours per day for young persons and women and 11 hours for men (18 hours per day for changing shifts for men employed on continuous processes) ; .(b) 48 hours per week for young persons under 16, 55 hours for young persons of 16 and upwards and for women, and 62 hours for men ; (c) 2,500 hours in the calendar year for all workers of 16 and upwards. During the transitional period of four years from 24 October 1920, the weekly maxima of 48 and 55 hours fixed for young persons and for women and the annual maximum of 2,500 hours — 9 — are to be increased proportionately in the different industries affected by temporary exceptions. Permits granted in cases of urgent necessity (Section 29).—For an undertaking in which emergencies may occur which make it impossible to apply for and obtain a permit from the chief of the district in time to be of use, the Minister of Labour may authorise, conditionally or unconditionally, the prolongation of working hours to 11 per day and 55 per week, without a special permit from the chief of the district. Such permits shall only be valid for a fixed number of days, not exceeding 80 in any one year. Before making use of such permits, the head or manager of an undertaking must give notice to the mayor and to the chief of the district in the form prescribed by the Minister. For purposes of exceptions under Section 29 counterfoil books of a prescribed pattern are needed. Transitional Exceptions.] Special Authorisations (Section 26).—The Minister may authorise a prolongation of 1 y2 hours per day and 7 hours per week in a given factory or workshop for a specified period up to 24 October 1924. General Authorisations (Section 27).—Within four years of the coming into force of the Act (i.e. until 24 October 1924) public administrative regulations may be issued authorising workers in certain industries or those who do certain kinds of work or work in certain circumstances, to be employed for not more than 1 y2 hours per day and 7 hours per week beyond normal hours. (The original Act of 1919 allowed an extension of 2 hours per day and 10 hours per week (with an 8-hour day and 45-hour week), so that in both cases the maximum working hours allowed are 10 per day and 55 per week.) In industries where continuous work is necessary, the normal hours of work may be extended to 62 in one week and to 168 in three consecutive weeks. From 24 October 1923 the following daily maxima are authorised : in florists' shops : 10 hours per day and 55 per week, for the whole staff ; in butchers' shops engaged principally in retail trade : 9 hours per day and 55 per week, for men over 16 ; in nitrogen factories : 10 hours per day and 55 per week for men over 15. Limitation of the Working Day The working day is from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., except on Saturdays, when it terminates at 1 p.m. (Sections 23 and 24). Permanent Exceptions (Section 25) Public administrative regulations may authorise : (a) workers over 15 engaged in certain specified classes of work or in certain special work to work between 5 a.m. and 10 p.m., and male workers over 18 to work between 5 a.m. and 11 p.m. ; — 10 — (b) boys over 14 to work in glass works between 5 a.m. and 10 p.m. and in brick yards and peat works between 5 a.m. and 6 p.m. Temporary Exceptions (Sections 28 and 29) In cases of urgent pressure of work occurring regularly at certain seasons of the year, or in order to meet exceptional circumstances, the district inspector may authorise work before 7 a.m. and (or) after 6 p.m., in accordance with the rules laid down in Section 28, Subsections 1 to 6. Young persons under 18 and women may in no case work between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. ; and an interval of at least 11 consecutive hours must occur between two days' work (Section 30). As an exception to this rule, women over 21 engaged in herring skewering may be employed until midnight from 1 October to 15 March, and until 2 a.m. between 15 March and 1 June (Section 25, Subsection 1 b), provided always that they shall have an uninterrupted rest period of at least 9 hours. Male workers over 18 may be authorised to work at any hour of the day or night, either by public administrative regulation in cases of social or technical necessity (Section 25, Subsections 3 and 4), or by special permit, in cases of seasonal pressure of work or exceptional circumstances (Sections 28 and 30). The Working Day in Bakeries All work, including the distribution of bread by working assistants, must take place between 6 a.m. and 8 p.m. In bakeries employing at least six workers work may begin at 5 a.m. ; and the district inspector may authorise one-third of the staff to begin work two hours earlier in order to prepare furnaces and dough. On Saturdays all work shall begin two hours earlier. The Minister may grant permission for work to begin at 5 a.m. in certain communes or groups of communes ; in all such cases work shall begin only one hour earlier on Saturdays. General Administrative Measures Twenty years' experience has shown clearly that hours of work can only be regulated within fairly elastic limits by making it obligatory to post time-tables of hours of work and enforcing strict observance of the time-table posted. This rule was adopted in 1911, when the Act on the Employment of Women and Young Persons was amended, and became Section 68 of the Act of 1919. This Section is one of the most important of the Act ; without it the provisions concerning hours of work would lose most of their value. The work schedule posted must show the times at which daily hours of work begin and end, the breaks for rest, and the weekly rest day or period for the whole staff of undertakings, factories, or — 11 — workshops, but in offices for young persons only 1 . If the arrangement of work is not the same for every day or week, the various particulars shall be posted separately in the work schedule. Similarly, if the arrangement of work is not the same for all persons employed in the undertaking, the particulars for each class shall be stated on a separate sheet of the work schedule. Each sheet of the work schedule comes into force on the date fixed therein, or in default of this, on the date the sheet bears. It remains in force until replaced by a new sheet. When a new sheet of the work schedule comes into force, the sheet which has been replaced is thereby cancelled. The head or manager of the undertaking must send a copy of the sheet to the district inspector at latest on the day on which it comes into force. These sheets are on sale in post offices, and have attached to them a prepaid post card bearing the copy to be sent to the inspector. If necessary, the latter immediately informs the head of the undertaking of the points at which the proposed time-table does not conform to legal requirements, and requests him to conform to the provisions of the Act. The post cards must be handed in at a post office, where the corresponding sheet of the schedule is stamped in order to attest the correctness of the date it bears. No worker is allowed to work outside the hours specified for him on the work schedule. Public administrative regulations may grant total or partial exemption from these provisions, subject to certain conditions ; this was laid down by the Royal Decree of 11 September 1923 (Staatsblad, 443). The name, Christian name, and date of birth of all workers employed in the undertaking must be entered in a register, which must also mention the sheet of the work schedule applying to each worker. Hours of Work in Offices The following are deemed to be offices (Section 4) : all closed premises where administrative work is habitually carried on, excepting : (a) post, telegraph, and telephone offices ; (b) premises forming part of a factory or workshop, shop, pharmacy, café or hotel, hospital or similar institution ; (c) offices of press agencies and daily papers, weekly and other periodicals in so far as journalistic work is done therein. The provisions of the Act-also apply to lawyers', solicitors', and notaries' offices, etc. ; and to offices belonging to societies and institutions with legal personality. 1 Section 68 provides that a work schedule shall be posted in all factories, workshops, shops, offices, chemists' establishments, restaurants, hotels, or hospitals. Hitherto, however, it has only been put into force in factories and workshops, and in offices for young persons. — 12 — Hours of work in offices are at present regulated in practice for young persons under 18 years of age only (since 31 December 1922)x. Working hours are fixed at 8 y2 per. day and 48 per week (Section 52). As in factories and workshops, overtime may be authorised for workers over 16 years of age, provided that not more than 10 hours per day or 55 hours per week are worked. The provisions regarding overtime are the same as those for factories and workshops. Provisions not yet in Force Shops (Sections 44 to 48).—Maximum hours of work are to be determined by public administrative regulations. They may not be less than 8% per day and 48 per week or more than 10 per day and 55 per week. For young persons hours of work must fall between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. and for male workers over 18 between 6 a.m. and 11 p.m. On one day of the week hours of work must either end before, or begin after, 1 p.m. Men whose work consists exclusively or mainly in watching shall not be employed more than 12 hours a day. Rules concerning hours of work and rest periods are to be established by public administrative regulations. Offices (Sections 49 to 53).—Hours of work may not exceed 8% per day and 48 per week. Male workers over 18 whose work consists exclusively or mainly in watching may, however, be employed up to 12 hours a day. In special circumstances or to meet exceptional pressure of work authorisation for male workers over 18 to work 10 hours per day and 55 hours per week may be given either by the district inspector or, on appeal, by the Minister. In cases of urgent necessity authorisation to work 11 hours per day and 55 hours per week may be granted, but in no case for more than three consecutive days or 24 days annually. Further, in cases where employers' and workers' organisations or the representatives of the employers and workers in an industry consider it desirable, the Minister may authorise the employment of male workers over 16 in excess of normal working hours, but in no case for more than 10 hours per day, 55 hours per week, or 2,500 hours in the year. When such authorisations apply to a group of undertakings, they are to be published in the Staatscourant.2 Pharmacies (Sections 54 to 58), Nursing Institutions (Sections 64 to 66).—Maximum hours of work in these establishments are to be fixed by public administrative regulations. They may not be less than 8% P e r day and 48 per week or more than 10 per day and 55 per week, except in certain specified cases. 1 See below provisions not yet in force. The provisions of Sections 49 to 53 for male and female workers under 18 years of age were put into force from 31 December 1922 by the Royal Decree of 25 November 1922, No. 636. 2 — 13 — Cafés and Hotels (Sections 59 to 63).—Maximum hours of work in cafés and hotels are also to be fixed by public administrative regulations. They may not be less than 8% per day and 48 per week or more than 9 per day for young persons and 10 per day for members of the staff over 18, except in specified cases. Male workers over 18 years of age whose work consists exclusively or mainly in watching may be employed up to 12 hours a day. Work outside Factories or Workshops, Shops, Offices, Pharmacies, Cafés, Hotels, and Nursing Institutions.—Hours of work outside these establishments may not exceed 10 per day and 55 per week, except in cases provided for by public administrative regulations. They may not, on the other hand, be limited to less than 8% per day and 48 per week. In cases of exceptional pressure of work, the district inspector may authorise the prolongation of hours of work to 72 per week for men and 66 for women and young persons, or 62 and 55 hours respectively when the normal working hours are less than 10 per day and 55 per week. In cases of urgent necessity permission may be given, for not more than one year and not more than 24 days annually, to prolong the working day to 12 hours and the working week to 72 hours for men and to 11 and 66 hours respectively for women. When the normal working hours are less than 10 per day and 55 per week, prolongation to 11 and 62 hours respectively may be allowed. SPECIAL LEGISLATION Compressed Air Work By the Decree of 26 January 1907 issuing public administrative regulations under the Act of 22 May 1905 concerning the safety of workers engaged in construction work in compressed air, the working day for work carried on under pressures varying from % to 3 atmospheres is fixed at 8 hours, less the minimum time necessary for opening and closing locks. Stone Cutters The Act of 11 November 1921, which came into force on 16 July 1923, fixes the maximum hours of work at 8 per day and 45 per week for male workers over 18, and at iy2 per day and 42% per week for male workers under 18. No work may be done before 7 a.m., after 1 p.m. on Saturday, or after 6 p.m. on other days, except with the permission of the district inspector, which may not be granted for more than 30 days annually. Stone-cutting work is described in the Act as any work carried on in an undertaking by a stone cutter on natural or artificial stone with tools worked either by machinery or otherwise, excepting damp grinding, rubbing, sawing, or polishing, or the fitting of — 14 — marble goods in undertakings to be specified by public administrative regulation ; and the manufacture of switchboards in electrical workshops. Loading and Unloading of Ships The Act of 16 October 1914 respecting workers engaged in loading and unloading ships permits the employment of male workers over 18 years of age only. Hours of work are limited to 10 per day and 60 per week. Authorisation to work overtime may be granted by the chief of the district in exceptional circumstances for certain classes of work or workers. Working hours may in no case exceed 24 consecutive hours, including rest periods of not less than 6 hours in general, and 4 hours in certain special cases. The Act applies to all ocean-going vessels, excluding warships and fishing vessels. Mining By the Decree of 22 September 1916 the maximum hours of work for underground work were fixed, as from 1 January 1908, at 8% per day, from the time when a shift begins the descent of the shaft until the time when the same shift begins to reascend. The time taken in ascending the shaft may not exceed the time of descent by more than 15 minutes, and workers shall be taken up and down, as far as possible, in the same order. The working day underground of workers operating pit signals shall be 8 hours, not including the time necessary for changing shifts. As will be seen later, the 8-hour shift was introduced in 1919 in both state and private mines. Railways The Royal Order of 28 February 1922 modified the rules concerning periods of duty laid down by Royal Decree No. 1072 of 29 December 1919, both for main and local lines. The Dutch system of regulation fixes not working hours but the "period of duty ", by which is meant the period between two uninterrupted rest periods, deducting breaks occurring within such period. Such deduction is not permitted for breaks of less than half an hour ; those occurring between 9 p.m. and 9 a.m. ; those which are not fixed before the establishment of the service roster ; and breaks which cannot be taken on the spot (except for maintenance staff). The period of duty of the different grades of staff is determined by fixing a maximum daily duty and a maximum period of duty over a period of two weeks. Train Staff (a) Drivers and Stokers. — 15 — Maximum period of duty : 12 hours ; this may be increased to 14 hours twice in a period of two consecutive weeks. Maximum total period of duty over two consecutive weeks : 108 hours. (b) Guards, etc. Maximum period of duty : 12 hours ; this may be increased to 14 hours twice in a period of two consecutive weeks. Maximum total period of duty over two consecutive weeks : 114 hours. Other Staff (a) Staff employed on Continuous or Strenuous Work. Maximum period of duty : 10 hours. Maximum total period of duty over two consecutive weeks : 90 hours for persons employed in offices of managers, heads of branches, departments, sections, or workshops ; inspectors, engineers, or commercial agents ; 96 hours for persons employed in other offices or on work other than the daily upkeep of rolling stock ; 102 hours for the remainder of the staff. (b) Signal and Line Staff. Maximum period of duty : 12 hours. Maximum total period of duty over two consecutive weeks : 144 hours for staff living at or near their place of work ; 132 hours for others. (c) Staff employed on Maintenance of Way and Works and Transport of Coal. Maximum period of duty : 10 hours. ¿Maximum total period of duty over two consecutive weeks : 102 hours. Where, however, this total is less than 100 hours from November to February inclusive it may be increased to 114 during the other months, provided that the average for the year does not exceed 102. (d) Staff of Locomotive Sheds or Small Workshops attached to them. Maximum period of duty : 10 hours. Maximum total period of duty over two consecutive weeks : 100 hours. (e) Other Grades. Maximum period of service : 10 hours, but 14 not more than twice weekly. Maximum period of duty over two consecutive weeks : 114 hours. Section 90 of the Decree provides that the Minister may, after consulting the managers of the railways, shorten the period of duty and the total period of duty over two consecutive weeks, as determined by the Decree, for grades of staff designated by him. 1 1 A Royal Decree respecting the staff of large railway shops is in course of preparation. — 16 — Administration and Collective Agreements Before attempting to show how the foregoing legislation has been put into force in various industries, the number of factories and workshops and of workers covered by the provisions of the Act on the safety of workers and of the Labour Act may be shown by the following table, drawn from the Statistical Year Book of the Netherlands for 1919. Industrial group Pottery, glass, stone, lime, etc Diamonds and other precious stones. . . Printing, lithography, etc Building Stone cutting Chemical and allied industries Wood, cork, and straw Clothing and cleaning Art products Leather, boots and shoes, linoleum, rubber Coal ; peat works Metal industries : Metal working Steam and other machinery Shipbuilding and coachbuilding . . . Paper Textiles Gas and electricity works Food trades : Bakeries Flour milling Dairying Tobacco and cigar factories Various Drainage works Total Factories and workshops 1,115 250 1,407 7,673 343 983 5,866 11,538 138 2,790 196 5,640 3,314 1,643 815 2,075 664 Workers 15,219 3,104 1,297 1,475 6,359 1,376 34,973 9,694 20,768 32,483 1,787 16,968 43,989 77,799 976 20,075 2,985 40,262 54,027 30,708 14,901 62,998 9,916 38,304 8,489 10,819 26,742 61,976 1,823 76,280 623,462 HOURS ACTUALLY WORKED No information has yet been issued concerning the administration of the 1919 Act as amended, and the factory inspectors' report for 1922 has not yet appeared. This report, moreover, will — 17 — only be based on a relatively short experience, since the new provisions of the factories and workshops Act only came into force on 18 June 1922. A recent official communication, however, makes it clear that the amendments to the Labour Act of 1919 passed in 1922 did not, in fact, result in an appreciable increase of hours of work, since the principal industries were enabled, thanks to the transitional measures to continue working under the régime of the 1919 Act, i.e. 48 hours in textile and metallurgical industries, 50 hours in rope making, manufacture of nets, and laundries, or even 55 hours in machinedriven dairies, brickyards, butchers' establishments, peat works, and sail making. Transitional Exceptions Transitional exceptions are at present regulated by the Royal Order of 12 October 1923 amending the provisional Order of 6 October 1922. The provisions of this Order are summed up in the following table ; in each case the exception holds good up to 24 October 1924. Hours of works Industrial Group daily weekly Class of workers Food trades. Retail butchers' establishments 9 50 Chemical products. Manufacture of nitrogen compounds . . manual workers 16 years and over 10 55 men, 15 years and over 10 55 manual workers 10 55 manual workers — 62 168 maximum in 3 consecutive weeks men, 18 years and over Textile industry. Dressing size manuVarious. Florists' workshops which are also used for the sale of flowers Continuous work. Three-shift system . Temporary Exceptions Below is a list of the exceptions authorised since the date on which the present provisions came into force, i.e. from 3 June 1922 to 15 September 1923, under Section 28, Subsection 5, of the Act, by which the Minister is empowered to authorise overtime in entire branches of industry. . — 18 — Period Industrial group Mines and quarries. Peat works . . . . Peat works in six provinces . . . . Food trades. Butchers' establishments 18-30 Sept. 1922 11 hours daily, 55 weekly for adults on or in connection dredges ; Order of 6 1923). 18 Dec. 1922-6 Jan.1923 Hours varying on different days between 8 %> 9, 10, and 11 for adults, with holidays on Monday, 25 Dec. 1922 and Monday, 1 Jan. 1923, and work until 12.30 on 26 Dec. (Order of 15 Dec. 1922). Alternately 8 % a n d H hours daily, with a holiday on Monday, 2 Apr. 1923. Hours varying on different days between 8, 9, 10, and 11 for adults. (Order of 5 May 1923). 7- 2 May; 14-26 May 1923 Dairies: Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague, Utrecht, Harlem, Arnhem Other dairies . . . Condensed milk factories Pastrycooks confectioners and . . Building materials. Cement factories. . 10 hours daily, 55 hours weekly. 9 Apr.-31 July 1923 26 Mar.-7 Apr. 1923. Butter and cheese Hours and Conditions of work hours (work with April 1 Apr. 1923-31 Mar. 1924 During 26 weeks : 10 hours daily, 55 hours weekly, with a period of 13 weeks during which hours shall not exceed 7 daily and 42 weekly. 1 Apr. 1923-31 Mar. 1924 17 weeks : 10 hours daily, 55 hours weekly. 9 weeks : 9 hours daily, 55 hours weekly. 17 weeks : 10 hours daily, 55 hours weekly ; 9 weeks : 9 hours daily, 50 hours weekly ; with a period of 17 weeks during which hours shall not exceed 8 daily and 45 weekly. 1 Apr. 1923-31 Mar. 1924 1 Apr. 1923-31 Mar. 1924 6-31 Mar. 1923 14-19 May 1923 1 Apr.-30 Sept. 1923 16 weeks : 10 hours daily, 55 hours weekly. 9 weeks : 9 hours daily, 50 hours weekly. Alternately 8 and 10 hours daily. 9 y2 hours daily, 53 hours weekly. From 1 Oct. 1923 to 31 March 1924 hours must not exceed 8 hours daily, 45 hours weekly. — 19 — Industrial group Tilemaking works in all communes in Utrecht, Southern Holland, and Gelderland Brickyards . . . . Various. Preparation of flower bulbs . : . Period Hours and Conditions of work 1 July-31 Oct. 1923 14 July-30 Sept. 1923 10 hours daily, 55 hours weekly. Hours of work in undertakings where workers are employed for 9 hours or more shall fall within a period of 12 hours. (Order of 14 July 1923). 25 June-18 Aug. •1923 10 hours daily, 55 hours weekly. (Order of 21 June 1923). Industry in general. General regulations for making up time lost through Roman Catholic . Order of 9 Feb. 1923. All industries. Government Jubilee Holiday . . . . Order of 10 Aug. 1923. The following table shows exceptions authorised between 3 J u n e 1922 and 15 December 1923 in accordance with Section 28, Subsection 7, by which workers' and employers' organisations are allowed to distribute 2,500 hours of work over a calendar year by mutual agreement, either in a single undertaking or for an entire branch of industry. Undertaking or industry Nature of the exception Metal industries. "Gusto ", shipbuilding yards, Prolongation hours. "Kips", engineering of normal working office, " D o r d t " , electric motor factory, Gas meter factory, Dordrecht . United Sheet Metal Factory, Do. Do. Do. Do. Metal Goods Factory (formerly Bekker and Sons), Dordrecht Netherlands Nail Factory, Do. Do. Spring mattress factory and ironmongery works (formerly Do. , — 20 — Undertaking or industry Nature of the exception Textile industry. Wool weaving and Spinning Company, Wierden . . . . Transport. Dutch Railway Company, Utrecht Various. Picker Fabriek, Eibergen. . . Food trades. Oranger Brewery, Rotterdam . Wood industry. Wood working undertakings, properly so called, to which collective agreements apply . Clothing industry. Cutters in certain undertakings Boot and shoe factories . . . Prolongation hours. of normal working Do. Do. Do. Rules concerning holidays allowing 9 y2 hours daily to be worked on 26 days (except Saturdays) between 3 Dec. 1922 and 1 Feb. 1923. Order of 8 June 1923 (see section on wood industry). Prolongation of normal working hours for seasonal work. Order of 11 Oct. 1922. Order of 24 July 1923 (see section on clothing trades). Printing and bookbinding. Lithographic works 1 Bookbinding works 1 Mines and quarries. Peat works situated in the fifth labour inspection district . . 1 Order of 13 Apr. 1923. Order of 29 March 1923. Order of 31 March 1923. Order of 29 March 1923 : 2 Apr.-13 Oct. 1923, 10 hours daily, 55 hours weekly; 15 Oct.-17 Nov. 1923, 8 hours daily, 45 hours weekly ; 19 N0V.-22 Dec. 1923, 6 hours daily, 34 hours weekly ; 7 J an.-9 Feb. 1924, 6 hours daily, 34 hours weekly; 11 Feb.-15 Mar. 1924, 8 hours daily, 45 hours weekly. See below under section on printing and allied trades. A note issued by the Ministry of Labour, Commerce, and Industry in September 1923, in reply to a series oí questions from the Catholic Deputy, Mr. Kuiper, shows the total extent of temporary exceptions [authorised in Dutch industry since 1 January 1923. Exceptions were less numerous in 1923 in the textile, clothing, and boot and shoe industries, and the manufacture of cigars (an industry in which 55 hours weekly were worked in 1923 with a subsidy, with a view t o lessening the number of unemployed). Exceptions were in force in the majority of undertakings in the following industries : pottery (50 hours), bottle making (51 hours), dredging (62 hours), basket making (55 hours), clog making (55 hours), construction of vesselsfor inland navigation (55 hours), foundries (53 to 55), wire drawing, manu- — 21 — facture of screws and bolts (53 to 55 hours), electric lamp making (50 to 55 hours). Recent additions to this list include certain shipyards for the construction of ocean-going vessels, flax crushing workshops, tile making works in northern and central Holland, and the manufacture of cane furniture. The exceptions, which were allowed in view of the unfavourable economic •conditions prevailing, were generally valid for three months. This period was fixed in order to allow manufacturers to draw up a time-table and to give the factory inspector an opportunity of refusing an extension if the position of the undertakings had improved. Exceptions were only granted for a longer period (six months at the most) in cases where it was rendered necessary by the nature of the orders received. The reasons for which exceptions have been granted are stated by the Minister as follows : The causes of the depression from which various industries are suffering are of different kinds, and the reasons which justify the granting of exceptions are therefore numerous. In certain industries it is only possible to compete with countries where real wages and other costs of production are less owing t o depreciation in the currency by a considerable diminution of the costs of production. In many instances this aim can only be satisfactorily attained by increasing hours of work (e. g. in bottle making, iron foundries, and the flax industry). In other industries it has only been found possible to obtain orders by lowering prices, and this can only be achieved by prolonging hours of work (e. g. in factories producing cloth for tropical countries and in other industries producing articles which are not of prime necessity). In other industries again, the Dutch producer can only obtain orders by promising rapid delivery, which foreign manufacturers selling at a lower price are unable to guarantee (e. g. in lithography and in the manufacture of machine parts). In order to execute-orders of this nature an increase of hours of work will more often prove necessary in the future. In another group of industries the manufactured articles have to be sold at such a low price that the wages which could be paid on the basis of an 8%-hour day would not support the workers (e. g. clog and basket making). In these cases the principal reason for increasing hours of work is the competition of countries producing more cheaply and that of home workers. Certain industries which found their chief market in countries where import duties have been considerably increased can only retain such markets by lowering their prices, which in turn calls for a decrease in the cost of production. Finally, many undertakings can only continue work by decreasing their output considerably, in view of the decrease in demand, and the increase in the cost of production resulting from this fact renders their products unsaleable. In these cases it is only possible to carry on work with a diminished staff and an increased working day (e. g. certain chemical factories). At the present time, when difficulties of this nature are constantly increasing, it is of the utmost importance to the workers that the continuance of industrial activity should be rendered possible by prolonging hours of work. COLLECTIVE AGREEMENTS The provisions of collective agreements form a useful complement to the provisions of the Act, as regards both the distribution of hours of work and the limitation of overtime and rates of overtime pay. It is well known that the use of collective agreements has become increasingly prevalent in the Netherlands, especially since 1918. Statistics published by the Central Statistical Office — 22 — show that on 1 January 1922 there were 702 collective agreements in force covering 20,887 undertakings and 257,552 workers. Certain collective agreements are national in scope. Except in the textile and metallurgical industries the provisions of national collective agreements were extended or renewed during the year 1923. The provisions of collective agreements have conformed to amendments in the law. In many of them a 48-hour working week was substituted for a 45-hour week in 1922 (bookbinding, building, wood industry, bakeries, confectionery, manufacture of cigars) ; in other cases this only took place in 1923 (printing, installation of heating apparatus, painting, breweries, etc.). The 45-hour week is now maintained in only a very small number of collective agreements. It is now proposed to examine the present regulations regarding hours of work and overtime in the most important industries, under the terms of collective agreements and the provisions of Acts or Ministerial Decrees. Mining Collective Agreement : 17 October 1921. The 8-hour day or shift was instituted by the managements of private and state mines for both underground and surface workers as from 1 April 1919, with a transitional arrangement for surface work up to 1 October 1919. At present hours of work are regulated by the collective agreement of 17 October 1921, which was concluded between the mining managements and the four miners' unions (Modern, Christian, Protestant, Neutral) for an unspecified period ; it may, however, be denounced on six months' notice. Under its terms the working day for underground workers was fixed at 8 hours in the 24, from the time when the shift begins descending the shaft until it begins to reascend. On Saturdays the working day is 6 hours, except for those workers whose hours are regulated by a time-table. For surface workers the working day is fixed at 8 hours in the 24, with certain exceptions necessitated in the interests of the undertaking. The agreement provides that overtime shall be avoided as far as possible for underground workers : the regulations governing it are contained in the Mining Regulations of 22 September 1906. Under clause 247 underground work may be prolonged by not more than 2 hours per day, on three days in any period of seven consecutive days for pit repairers, and for other workers by not more than 2 hours per day on two days. These provisions do not apply to pit signal workers or to those working in a higher temperature than 30° C. or where water hampers their work ; in these cases hours of work underground may not exceed 6 hours in the 24. Surface workers may not work more than 18 hours overtime a month, except to make up for cessations of work caused by interruptions in the working of the undertaking. — 23 — Overtime is paid at the following increases on normal rates : Per cent. The 2 hours immediately preceding or following normal working hours 25 Other hours 50 Sundays and holidays • 100 Work at Easter, Whitsun, or Christmas 150 Metal Industries Regulations of 1 January 1923. The Decree of 27 September 1920 suspended the application of the Act of 1919 for metal industries as a whole (iron and steel foundries, engineering workshops, shipbuilding yards, railway material, factories, etc.) and authorised a 48-hour week for a period of two years. The Act of 20 March 1922, in amending the provisions of that of 1919, nullified the provisions of the Decree. There is at present no national collective agreement regulating hours of work in the metal industries. The last agreement, which was concluded in May 1919, expired in May 1920. This agreement applied to the great majority of the principal industrial undertakings but there was no special agreement for shipyards. Most of the large firms (shipyards, engineering, foundries) are grouped in an employers' association, the Metaalbond, which has its headquarters at Amsterdam. At the beginning of 1923 this association drew up regulations valid for the first six months of the year. Its terms, which, however, are not accepted by the workers' organisations, are regarded by the employers' associations as a minimum below which its members should not go. In a letter to the trade unions the association pointed out that in the absence of regulations of this nature its members might, in view of the depression, introduce still worse labour conditions. The duration of hours of work is not stipulated in these regulations, which only lay down that work shall cease not later than 1 p.m. on Saturdays. The increases on normal hourly rates for overtime are as follows : Per cent. The 2 hours immediately following or preceding the 10-hour day (6 y^ hours on Saturdays) Other hours Sundays and holidays 25 50 100 Overtime is precisely defined in the regulations. Hours in excess of normal working hours not exceeding 56 % hours weekly are not considered as overtime. Hours of work are therefore regulated as follows in the metal industry. The normal working week consists of 48 hours, in accordance with the Act. In special cases, however, the Minister of Labour may authorise overtime ; such authorisations are generally granted for three or six months. They usually allow prolongations for five weeks, but more extensive prolongations may be authorised. Thus, the factory inspector for the Rotterdam district has recently, with the authorisation of the Minister, granted the Van Wilton Engineering and Shipbuilding Works an extension to 10 hours a day — 24 — and 6 y2on Saturdays (i.e. 56 y2 hours weekly) for day shifts over a period of six months. In a letter to the Socialist Metal Workers' Federation, in reply to their protest, the Director-General of Labour explained that this authorisation had been granted because the costs of production were at present so high in the Netherlands that it was impossible to execute orders for the foreign market. The time-table has been fixed as follows : 7 a.m. to 12 p.m. (including a break of 30 minutes) and 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Although there is no general collective agreement for the industry, a number of agreements have been concluded with workers' organisations for special branches of this industry or in some of the smaller undertakings. Installation of Heating Apparatus There is a national collective agreement applying to fitters of heating apparatus. The new agreement, which is valid for a year from 1 June 1923, introduced a 48-hour week, whereas the former agreement provided for a 45-hour week. Ordinary overtime is to be paid at 50 per cent, in excess of normal rates, and for night work and on holidays at 100 per cent. Copper Boiler Makers An agreement concluded for the Tilburg district (valid from 1 May 1923 to 1 May 1924) fixed the working day for copper boiler makers, in accordance with the provisions of the Act, at 8 % hours and 5 % hours on Saturday. Overtime was to be paid at the following increases on normal rates : Per cent. First half-hour nil Next 1 y2 hours 25 Other hours 50 Work on Sundays (i. e. from 10 p.m. on Saturday to 7 a.m. on Monday) and holidays 100 Smiths The Hague. Collective agreement of 19 February 1923,valid until 1 September 1923. Maximum working hours were fixed in conformity with the Act. Increases in pay for overtime were as follows : Before 8 p.m 8 p.m. to 10 p.m 10 p.m. to 6 a.m 6 a.m. to usual time for commencing work Sundays and holidays Per cent. nil 25 50 nil 100 Rotterdam. Collective agreement of 17 February 1923, valid until 1 August 1923. Hours of work were fixed in conformity with the Act. Overtime xates were as follows : — 25 — Per cent. The 2 hours immediately preceding and immediately following the normal working day (only when work lasts several days) . . . 25 Other hours 50 Sundays and holidays 100 When overtime is worked in exceptional circumstances for one hour immediately preceding or following the normal working day, no increase is paid. Textile Industry As in the metal industry, the Decree of 27 September 1920 suspended the application of the Act of 1919 and authorised a 48-hour working week for a period of two years, similarly also the provisions of this Decree were rendered null and void by the Act of 19 March 1922. There are at present no collective agreements in the textile industry in the Netherlands. Former agreements all expired by 1921-1922, and were not renewed, because the workers' and employers' organisations were unable to reach agreement on a number of points. Employers' organisations are not desirous of concluding fresh agreements, in view of the present depression in the industry. Hours of work are generally fixed as follows : from Monday to Friday, 7.30 a.m. to 12 noon and 1.30 p.m. to 5.30 p.m. ; on Saturdays, 7.30 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. Wood Industry Wood Working properly so called National collective agreement of 5 March 1923, concluded between two employers' associations, the three Socialist unions of the wood workers, transport workers and factory workers, and the Christian and Catholic wood workers' unions, to remain in force until 16 February 1924. Normal hours of work are fixed at an average of 48 per week, with a 5 %-hour day on Saturdays, calculated over the calendar year. In accordance with this clause and subject to the approval of the Minister of Labour, the contracting parties may fix the hours of work in each week, on the following conditions : ( 1 ) The new hours of work shall be determined by local agreements between the contracting parties. (2) The normal working day during the summer months shall not exceed 10 hours, and 5% hours on Saturdays. (3) The working day shall be shorter during the winter months in order to compensate for the longer working day during the summer. (4) The weekly wage shall be the same both in summer and winter. — 26 — The Ministerial authorisation provided for by this agreement was granted on 11 June 1923. Under its terms, hours of work may be 10 per day and 5% on Saturday during the period from 11 June to 6 October 1923. From 6 October 1923 to 16 February 1924 hours of work shall be reduced proportionately to compensate for this increase. The increased payment for overtime is fixed as follows by the agreement : Per cent. The first 4 hours of overtime in each week Other overtime and night work Work on Saturday afternoon Sunday (all day) Holidays 10 30 30 100 125 Furniture Trades National collective agreement of 12 March 1923 concluded between five employers' associations (neutral or Catholic) and the three wood workers' unions (Socialist, Christian, Catholic), valid until 8 March 1924. Daily hours of work are fixed, in accordance with the provisions of the Act, at 8% and 5% on Saturdays. Overtime may only be worked if, in the opinion of the manager of the undertaking, it is absolutely necessary. Maximum hours of overtime are fixed at 10 weekly and 200 annually ; overtime may only be worked immediately before or after the normal working day. Overtime rates are fixed as follows : Per cent. Ordinary working days Saturday afternoon and night work (11 p.m. to 5 a.m.) Sundays (as exceptional measure and only with the worker's consent) Holidays 20 30 100 125 Building Trades Building National collective agreement of 1 March 1923 concluded between the neutral and Catholic employers' associations and the six workers' unions, valid until 29 February 1924. The normal working week is fixed at 48 hours, in accordance "with the provisions of the Act. Overtime rates are fixed as follows : Per cent. First hour Second and third hours Following hours Sundays and holidays 10 25 50 100 In January 1922 the Contractors' Association (Aannemersbond) asked the Minister of Labour to authorise a 10-hour working day •during the summer months in the building trade. The Royal — 27 — Decree of 29 April 1922, which came into force as from 1 May 1922, authorised an extension of hours of work in the building trade to 10 daily and 55 weekly for male workers' over 16, as a transitional measure from 1 April to 1 October 1923. Painting Collective agreement of 1 April 1923 concluded between the three employers' associations (Central, Catholic, and Christian), and the three workers' unions (Socialist, Catholic, and Christian), valid until 29 February 1924. This agreement introduced a 48-hour week, whereas the former agreement provided for a 45-hour week. In urgent cases workers shall, on the employers' demand, work more than 48 hours weekly and 8 y2 hours daily. Such overtime shall be paid at the following increases. First hour Second and third hours Following hours and night work Saturday afternoons, Sundays, Easter Monday, Ascension Day, Whit Monday, Christmas Day, New Years Day, and the Catholic holidays generally observed in the district Per cent. 10 25 50 100 Food and Drink Bakeries National collective agreement of 5 February 1923, concluded between the three employers' associations and the three workers' unions, valid until 29 December 1923. The collective agreements established under the 1919 Act before its amendment provided for a 45-hour week for working bakers and a 50-hour week for delivery men. A 48-hour week for working bakers and 53-hour for delivery men is established by the new agreements. Normal daily hours of work are fixed at the legal maximum, i.e. 8 hours, subject to certain exceptions ; in these <;ases the working day may be increased to 11 hours. Overtime shall be paid at a rate determined by dividing the weekly wage by the normal number of weekly hours of work. When, owing to an interruption in the working of the undertaking, it is necessary to begin work before the normal time fixed, such overtime shall be paid for at 50 per cent, in excess of normal rates. Work in connection with stoking of ovens, as provided for in Section 35, Subsection 2 (c), of the Act, between midnight and the beginning of the normal working day on Monday is to be paid at 50 per cent, in excess of normal rates. No work shall be done on Sundays or on the day following Christmas Day ; work on other holidays is paid at 50 per cent, in excess of normal rates. — 28 — Breweries National collective agreement of 1 February 1923, valid until 1 February 1924. The average working week, over a whole year, shall be 48 hours. From 1 April to 30 September it may be 51 hours and is then correspondingly reduced from 1 October to 31 March. Work shall cease on Saturdays at 1.30 p.m. Overtime is regulated as follows : normal working hours fall between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. When the average working day falls partly outside these limits, work done outside these hours shall be paid at 50 per cent, in excess of normal rates. When normal working hours are exceeded, the agreement provides for two cases. (1) If overtime is worked during the normal working period and compensated in the following week, the rate of payment is 50 per cent, in excess of the normal. (2) If overtime is worked outside the normal working period and is not compensated, the rate of payment is 150 per cent, in excess of the normal. Work on Sundays and holidays, if compensated, is paid at normal rates, otherwise at 100 per cent, in excess of these. For shift work the average working week over a year is 48 hours, and workshop regulations shall determine the time-table for the different shifts. Work between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. and on Sundays is paid at 25 per cent, in excess of normal rates. Clothing Men's Clothing (workshops) National collective agreement of 15 February 1923, concluded between the three employers' associations and the four workers' unions (Socialist, Christian, Catholic, neutral), valid until 15 February 1924. An 8 %-hour day, with a rest period of 1 % or 2 hours, and a 48-hour week, are fixed for workers in workshops. Times for beginning and ending work are fixed by the employer in agreement with the workers. Overtime, i.e. any hours in excess of 48 weekly, are paid as follows : Per cent.. First 3 hours Following 3 hours Other hours Night work (midnight to 6 a.m.) Sundays and holidays 10 25 50 100 100 Boots and Shoes (1) Small undertakings, shops, etc. National collective agreement of 1 August 1923 concluded between the Catholic Employers' Association and the Catholic leather — 29 — workers' union, the Christian factory workers' union, and the neutral union of leather workers, valid until 31 July 1924. According to the terms of this agreement, and in accordance with Section 28, Subsection 7, of the Act, the Minister of Labour granted an authorisation, valid until 31 July 1924, to extend hours of work to 10 daily and 5% on Saturdays, on condition that the maximum hours of work should not exceed 50 weekly and 2,500 annually. Any hours worked in excess of 48 are to be paid at the rate of one forty-eighth of the weekly wage. Overtime properly so called is paid at 25 per cent, in excess of normal rates, night work (from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.) at 50 per cent., and work on Sundays and holidays at 100 per cent, in excess of the normal. (2) Boot and Shoe Factories. National collective agreement of 1 April 1922 concluded between the Catholic employers' association and the Catholic workers' union. The normal working week is fixed at 48 hours. Under the terms of the agreement, and in virtue of Section 28, Subsection 7, of the Act, the Minister of Labour granted an authorisation on 11 October 1922, valid until further notice, to extend the working day to 10 hours on specified days and during specified weeks, on condition that maximum hours shall not exceed 55 weekly and 2,500 annually. All hours worked in excess of 48 weekly are to be paid at the rate of one forty-eighth of the weekly wage fixed. Overtime properly so called is to be paid' for at rates 25 per cent, and night work at 50 per cent, above the normal. Printing and Allied Trades Printing National agreement of 1 January 1923, valid until 3 January 1925. This agreement re-introduced the 48-hour week, for which a 45-hour week had been substituted in July 1920. Overtime may not exceed 10 hours a week and 52 hours a quarter, and shall be paid for at the following increased rates : Per cent. Ordinary working days Night work (10 p.m. to 6 a.m.) and work on Saturday afternoons (1 to 3 p.m.) Sunday work (3 p.m. on Saturday to the ordinary time for beginning work on Monday) Holidays (the end of the preceding normal working day to the ordinary time for beginning work on the following day) . . . . 25 50 100 100 In accordance with this agreement, and in virtue of Section 28, Subsection 7, of the Act, the Minister of Labour issued a permit, valid until 31 December 1923, authorising 10 hours' overtime a week and 25 hours' overtime a quarter without previous permission — 30 — from the factory inspector, on condition, however, that the total number of hours' overtime should not exceed 2,500 annually. Regular night work is only permitted in the printing works of morning newspapers. The night shift may not exceed 7 hours for the first five nights, and 5 hours on the night between Saturday and Sunday. Two hours' overtime weekly may be worked, and may be distributed either in six periods of 20 minutes, four periods of 30 minutes, or two periods of one hour. Lithography Collective agreement of 1 January 1923, valid until 5 January 1924. The normal working week is 48 hours. The maximum overtime is 20 hours per month and 52 hours per quarter ; overtime is paid at the following increased rates : Per cent. The first hour preceding and the 2 hours following the ordinary working day Other hours Subsequent hours 25 50 100 In accordance with this agreement, and in virtue of Section 28, Subsection 7, of the Act, the Minister of Labour issued a permit, valid until 31 December 1923, under which workers can, without previous authorisation from the factory inspector, work 14 hours' overtime per week and 25 hours per quarter, on condition that the annual maximum of 2,500 hours work be not exceeded. Bookbinding Agreement of 1 January 1923, valid until 31 December 1923. The normal working week is 48 hours. The agreement provides for a maximum of 200 hours' overtime annually, of which the first 100 may be worked without previous permission from the factory inspector and the subsequent 100 with his permission, on condition, however, that no worker shall work more than 10 hours' overtime per week and 40 hours per quarter during the first three quarters, and not more than 14 per week and 80 per quarter during the last quarter of the year. In accordance with the terms of this agreement, and in virtue of Section 28, Subsection 7, of the Act, the Minister granted permission, valid until 31 December 1923, for workers to work a maximum of 10 hours' overtime per week and 20 hours per quarter during the first three quarters, and 14 hours per week and 40 hours per quarter during the fourth quarter, without previous authorisation from the factory inspector, on condition that the annual maximum of 2,500 hours be not exceeded. The increases in pay for overtime are as follows : Per cent. Up to 10 p.m. or up to a maximum of 3 hours beyond the normal working day Other hours, and work on Saturday afternoon (3 hours following the end of the normal working day) . Work on Sundays and holidays 25 50 100 — 31 — Chemical Processes Agreement of 1 January 1923, valid until 5 January 1924. The normal working week is 48 hours. Overtime may not exceed 16 hours per fortnight for engravers, printers, and block makers, and 20 hours per month and 52 hours per quarter for other workers. The increases in pay for overtime are as follows : The hour preceding and the 2 hours following normal working hours The 2 following hours Hours immediately following the end of the normal working day on Saturdays Hours worked on Saturday afternoon after a break ; night work (10 p.m. to one hour before the beginning of the normal working day) ; work on Sundays and holidays Per cent. 25 50 150 250 It thus appears that under Dutch legislation hours of work are at present regulated in factories and workshops only (i.e. only in industrial undertakings) apart from certain special branches of the economic system. The provisions concerning shops and offices (except for male and female workers under 18), pharmacies, hotels and cafés, hospitals and other nursing institutions have not yet come into force. Weekly hours of work were limited to 48 by the Act of 20 May 1922, which also modified the rules governing temporary exceptions in certain important particulars. These changes have, according to an official communication, made it possible, without going beyond the scope of the Act, to take the steps necessitated by the alarming volume of unemployment. The restoration of normal economic conditions in Europe will doubtless, it is added, make it possible to enforce the Act in full.