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

With reference to its observation under the Convention, the Committee notes the information provided by the Government in response to its previous comments.

Article 7 of the Convention. The Committee notes the information provided by the Government concerning the training of inspectors, in particular by means of seminars and workshops; it notes that a seminar took place in September 1997 which was supported by the ILO. The Committee hopes that the Government will continue to provide information on the training of inspectors.

Article 10. The Committee notes the information provided by the Government to the effect that the inspectorate has available 24 inspectors and four supervisors, but no inspectors specializing in hygiene and safety at work; in this regard, the administration envisages requesting the ILO's technical support to train certain inspectors. The Committee requests the Government to continue to provide information on the number of inspection staff and to indicate also the geographical distribution of the inspection services.

Article 11. The Committee notes the information provided by the Government according to which labour inspectors receive allowances to cover expenses incurred during their missions (Article 11, paragraph 2). The Committee requests the Government to provide information on the offices and transport facilities made available to inspectors (Article 11, paragraph 1).

Article 16. In its previous comments, the Committee noted that, according to the figures provided by the Government, the number of visits made appears to have varied from 226 in 1987 to 2,000 in 1993, and the number of workplaces inspected varied from 228 in 1992 to 1,500 in 1994. The Committee notes with interest the information provided by the Government to the effect that the system of inspection visits has just been reviewed and that a new form for the collection of information concerning occupational accidents and diseases has been adopted, making it possible to compile new regional and central files which enable more reliable data to be obtained. The Committee hopes that the Government will provide information on any progress made in this respect.

Articles 20 and 21. The Committee observes once again that the Government has not provided an annual inspection report on the activities of the labour inspectorate since that submitted for 1987 which was incomplete. The Committee notes the information supplied by the Government to the effect that the central administration draws up a report on the different activities of labour inspectors which contains all the information likely to be used by the authorities concerned. Furthermore, the Government considers that, on the basis of the new system of visits, a report on the inspectorate's activities may be drawn up and will be sent together with the next report. The Committee recalls that these reports are an essential means of determining how the inspection system functions in practice, and also whether it is guaranteed that workplaces are inspected as often and as thoroughly as is necessary. The Committee hopes that the Government will forward to the Office, within the stipulated time-limits, the annual report containing all the information required under the Convention.