S.I. No. 223/1979 - Conditions of Employment (Manufacture of Pharmaceutical Products) (Exclusion) Regulations, 1979

S.I. No. 223 of 1979.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT (MANUFACTURE OF PHARMACEUTICAL PRODUCTS) (EXCLUSION) REGULATIONS, 1979.

I, GENE FITZGERALD, Minister for Labour, in exercise of the powers conferred on me by sections 29 and 52 of the Conditions of Employment Act, 1936 (No. 2 of 1936), and the Labour (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order, 1966 ( S.I. No. 164 of 1966 ), and after consultation with representatives of employers interested in the form of industrial work specified in these Regulations and with representatives of workers so interested, hereby make the following regulations: —

• (1) These Regulations may be cited as the Conditions of Employment (Manufacture of Pharmaceutical Products) (Exclusion) Regulations, 1979.

• (2) The Interpretation Act, 1937 (No. 38 of 1937), applies to these Regulations.

• (3) The following form of industrial work, namely, the provision of a chemical analysis and investigation service in connection with the manufacture of pharmaceutical products as carried on at the premises of Penn Chemicals B.V., Curraghbinny, Carrigaline, in the County of Cork, is hereby declared to be excluded industrial work for the purposes of sections 33 and 46 of the Conditions of Employment Act, 1936 (No. 2 of 1936).

• (4) The following provisions shall have effect in respect of the work to which these Regulations relate:

( a ) These Regulations shall apply only to women holding responsible positions of a managerial or technical character;

( b ) no shift shall be longer than twelve hours in duration;

( c ) no worker shall work on two consecutive shifts;

( d ) no worker shall be employed to do such work unless at least twelve hours have elapsed since she last worked;

( e ) no such worker shall work for so many hours in any week that the average number of hours per week worked in any four consecutive weeks would exceed forty-eight;

( f ) every worker shall be allowed in each shift at least:—

• (i) two twenty-minute breaks to be taken after four hours and eight hours respectively,

and

• (ii) one ten-minute break to be taken during the last four hours of work.

GIVEN under my Official Seal, this 28th day of June, 1979.

GENE FITZGERALD,

Minister for Labour.

EXPLANATORY NOTE.

Section 33 of the Conditions of Employment Act, 1936 , provides that no shift shall be longer than nine hours in duration. Section 46 of the Act prohibits the employment of women on industrial work between the hours of 10 p.m. on any day and 8 a.m. the following morning. The effect of these Regulations is to remove these restrictions in the case of women holding responsible positions of a managerial or technical character and to permit their employment on 12 hour shifts between the hours of 8 am. on one day and 8 a.m. the following day on the provision of a chemical analysis and investigation service in connection with the manufacture of pharmaceutical products as carried on at the premises of Penn Chemicals B.V., Curraghbinny, Carrigaline, County Cork.