Observation (CEACR) - adopted 2024, published 113rd ILC session (2025)

Labour Inspection Convention, 1947 (No. 81) - Mauritania (Ratification: 1963)

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The Committee notes the observations of the General Union of Labour Administration Staff (SGCAT) dated 13 June 2023, the Government’s reply dated 7 August 2023, and the SGCAT’s observations of 1 March 2024.

Articles 3, 6. 8, 10, 11 and 16 of the Convention. Duties, status and conditions of service of labour inspectors. Financial and material resources at the disposal of the labour inspection services and number of inspectors to ensure the effective discharge of inspection duties. Composition by gender. Further to its previous comment, the Committee notes the Government’s indication in its report that labour inspectors and controllers currently receive substantial compensation for travel but that, if resources so permit, it plans to take measures to reinforce the mobility of regional inspectors. The Committee also notes that the SGCAT has raised the following points in its observations: (i) due to the lack of resources, inspection activities have been suspended for years, particularly in rural areas, and over 70 per cent of workplaces covered by the labour legislation are not inspected; (ii) the labour inspection services do not have duty vehicles and the travel undertaken by labour inspectors within the context of their duties are neither compensated nor reimbursed; (iii) there are only 100 labour inspectors and controllers for thousands of enterprises, and several of them have left their posts to take up other duties; (iv) the new promotion of inspectors and controllers was carried out without taking into account the density of work in the areas to which they are assigned; and (v) in comparison with officials in other inspection services, labour inspectors are those who have the lowest wages, and those who are assigned to a post far from their place of origin do not benefit from duty accommodation or food supplies. The SGCAT adds that it hopes that new regulations will be adopted for labour inspectors and controllers, including specific provisions on material aspects (wages, allowances, housing and travel), career progression, promotion and transfer opportunities, as well as their various duties. The Committee notes that, in response to these observations, the Government provides the following indications: (i) all establishments and enterprises governed by the Labour Code and the General Collective Labour Agreement are liable to inspection by labour inspectors (620 enterprises were inspected in 2024), and their conditions of work have been greatly improved in recent years through the acquisition of office furniture and equipment; (ii) the labour inspection services in the three most important regions (wilayas) have a vehicle, all inspection services have an annual transport/fuel budget, and all travel by inspectors is compensated; (iii) there are 125 labour inspectors and controllers for 500,000 employees, and none of them have been detached or made available to other institutions; (iv) the assignment of labour inspectors and controllers is carried out on the basis of the order of merit communicated by the National School of Administration, Journalism and Magistrates; and (v) over the past three years, the wages of inspectors have been increased by 10,400 Mauritanian ouguiya and those of controllers by 7,900 ouguiya, in addition to the increases that all contractual State officials and employees have received. With regard to material resources, the Committee notes that the annual purchase plan of the Ministry of the Public Service and Labour for 2022 provided for the acquisition of office furniture and computer equipment for regional inspection services, and the recruitment of a consultancy to develop a plan of action for labour inspection. The Committee requests the Government to take all the necessary measures to ensure that the number of labour inspectors is sufficient to ensure the effective application of the Convention, that inspectors have the necessary material resources for the performance of their duties and that workplaces are inspected as often and as thoroughly as necessary. The Committee also requests the Government to continue providing detailed information on: (i) the number of labour inspectors and controllers, including the number of women appointed to these positions; (ii) the material resources at the disposal of the labour inspection services (office furniture and equipment, personal protective equipment and transport facilities); (iii) the number of inspections carried out each year and their geographical distribution; and (iv) any progress achieved in the formulation of a plan of action for labour inspection. Noting that the Government has not responded to the proposal by the SGCAT for the adoption of new regulations governing labour inspectors and controllers, the Committee requests the Government to provide its comments in this regard.

Articles 19, 20 and 21. Preparation, publication and communication to the ILO of an annual inspection report. The Committee notes that, according to the Government’s indications in reply to its previous comment, each regional labour inspection service prepares and submits to the central authority an annual report on its work, and that these reports are consolidated by the General Directorate of Labour into an annual report with a statistics section, which is transmitted to the ILO. Noting with regret that the ILO has not received any annual report, the Committee requests the Government to take all the necessary measures without delay for the preparation, publication and communication to the ILO of annual inspection reports, in accordance with the Convention, and to provide information on any progress achieved in this regard.

The Committee is raising other matters in a request addressed directly to the Government.