06-27-2006, 06:48 AM
Quote: Repeal "The 40 Hour Workweek"
A proposal to repeal a previously passed resolution
Category: Repeal
Resolution: #59
Proposed by: Leg-ends
Description: UN Resolution #59: The 40 Hour Workweek (Category: Social Justice; Strength: Significant) shall be struck out and rendered null and void.
Argument: The United Nations,
BELIEVING that individuals have the right to choose to work for more than 40 hours per week should they so wish;
OBSERVING that every country has differing, complex socioeconomic conditions;
RECOGNISING that the UN is not as informed as national governments on economic circumstances prevalent in individual nations, and is as such less well placed to effectively accommodate their varying needs;
CONCERNED that "The 40 Hour Workweek" unfairly restricts the economic progress of developing countries, and of small businesses within more developed countries;
BELIEVING that terms and conditions of employment are best decided through negotiations between employees and employers;
FURTHER BELIEVING that the United Nations should where possible not interfere in private negotiations;
CONCLUDING that key economic decisions should be taken at the level where those closest to the issue at hand have the greatest information and understanding of differing economic conditions:
REPEALS "The 40 Hour Workweek".
[/quote]
The original resolution:
Quote: The 40 Hour Workweek
A resolution to reduce income inequality and increase basic welfare.
Category: Social Justice
Strength: Significant
Proposed by: Free Soviets
Description: 1. The maximum standard full-time workweek shall be set at 40 hours. Nations shall remain free to set their workweeks lower than this.
2. No one may be contractually obligated to work more than 40 hours per week, except for the following exemptions,
a ) military personnel
b ) civil defense forces
c ) civilian emergency response personnel
Excepting military personnel, these exemptions shall only apply during emergency situations.
3. No one may be contractually obligated to remain on the worksite without pay.
4. On call hours shall count against the 40 hour limit.
5. Work exceeding 40 hours per week that is voluntarily undertaken shall not exceed a total of 80 hours per week, and shall be paid at a rate of at least time and a half or an equivalent pro-rata time off in lieu. Nations shall remain free to set their allowable overtime hours lower and their overtime pay rates higher than specified in this proposal.
6. The 40 hour week shall be implemented in a manner that does not reduce the standard of living of the workers. Nations shall enact the laws needed to comply with the 40 hour week within 1 year of the passing of this resolution and they may phase in the changes over the course of up to 4 years. The necessary changes must be fully implemented within 5 years of the passing of this resolution.
7. In time of declared emergencies the national government may suspend this directive to any sector of the workforce it deems essential to the effective running of the country for the duration of that emergency.[/quote]
I'd actually like to make a point here. I originally was against the repeal. However, I've looked more closely at the original resolution, and have found an issue with it. Some medical doctors in the U.S. have a contract for a 40-hour week: 30 or so in the office, 5 or so paperwork/organization/etc., and 5 or so as non-working hours to compensate for on-call time, because often times there will be an average of 5 hours of actual work during an on-call time per week. This seems to be a fair set-up. However, it's banned under this resolution, because the doctors are often on call for 15+ hours per week, so that comes to a 50-hour week by contract. That could be really a problem in real life. Just take that into consideration, since it's only based on the set up of the one medical practice I know of.
A proposal to repeal a previously passed resolution
Category: Repeal
Resolution: #59
Proposed by: Leg-ends
Description: UN Resolution #59: The 40 Hour Workweek (Category: Social Justice; Strength: Significant) shall be struck out and rendered null and void.
Argument: The United Nations,
BELIEVING that individuals have the right to choose to work for more than 40 hours per week should they so wish;
OBSERVING that every country has differing, complex socioeconomic conditions;
RECOGNISING that the UN is not as informed as national governments on economic circumstances prevalent in individual nations, and is as such less well placed to effectively accommodate their varying needs;
CONCERNED that "The 40 Hour Workweek" unfairly restricts the economic progress of developing countries, and of small businesses within more developed countries;
BELIEVING that terms and conditions of employment are best decided through negotiations between employees and employers;
FURTHER BELIEVING that the United Nations should where possible not interfere in private negotiations;
CONCLUDING that key economic decisions should be taken at the level where those closest to the issue at hand have the greatest information and understanding of differing economic conditions:
REPEALS "The 40 Hour Workweek".
[/quote]
The original resolution:
Quote: The 40 Hour Workweek
A resolution to reduce income inequality and increase basic welfare.
Category: Social Justice
Strength: Significant
Proposed by: Free Soviets
Description: 1. The maximum standard full-time workweek shall be set at 40 hours. Nations shall remain free to set their workweeks lower than this.
2. No one may be contractually obligated to work more than 40 hours per week, except for the following exemptions,
a ) military personnel
b ) civil defense forces
c ) civilian emergency response personnel
Excepting military personnel, these exemptions shall only apply during emergency situations.
3. No one may be contractually obligated to remain on the worksite without pay.
4. On call hours shall count against the 40 hour limit.
5. Work exceeding 40 hours per week that is voluntarily undertaken shall not exceed a total of 80 hours per week, and shall be paid at a rate of at least time and a half or an equivalent pro-rata time off in lieu. Nations shall remain free to set their allowable overtime hours lower and their overtime pay rates higher than specified in this proposal.
6. The 40 hour week shall be implemented in a manner that does not reduce the standard of living of the workers. Nations shall enact the laws needed to comply with the 40 hour week within 1 year of the passing of this resolution and they may phase in the changes over the course of up to 4 years. The necessary changes must be fully implemented within 5 years of the passing of this resolution.
7. In time of declared emergencies the national government may suspend this directive to any sector of the workforce it deems essential to the effective running of the country for the duration of that emergency.[/quote]
I'd actually like to make a point here. I originally was against the repeal. However, I've looked more closely at the original resolution, and have found an issue with it. Some medical doctors in the U.S. have a contract for a 40-hour week: 30 or so in the office, 5 or so paperwork/organization/etc., and 5 or so as non-working hours to compensate for on-call time, because often times there will be an average of 5 hours of actual work during an on-call time per week. This seems to be a fair set-up. However, it's banned under this resolution, because the doctors are often on call for 15+ hours per week, so that comes to a 50-hour week by contract. That could be really a problem in real life. Just take that into consideration, since it's only based on the set up of the one medical practice I know of.