Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2018, published 108th ILC session (2019)

Labour Administration Convention, 1978 (No. 150) - Niger (Ratification: 2015)

The Committee notes the first report submitted by the Government on the application of the Convention.

Article 4 of the Convention. Coordination of the functions and responsibilities of the system of labour administration. Application in practice. The Committee notes the detailed structure of the labour administration as set out in Decree No. 2016-379/PRN/MET/PS on the organization of the Ministry of Employment, Labour and Social Protection (as amended by Decree No. 2017-627/PRN/MET/PS of 20 July 2017) and Order No. 0201/MET/PS of 16 February 2017 on the organization of the central administrative services of the Ministry of Employment, Labour and Social Protection. In particular, the Decrees define the structure of the Ministry, providing that the central administration should be composed of, inter alia, the office of the Minister; the general secretariat; the general inspectorate for services and occupational medicine; the general directorates (the General Directorate for Employment, the General Directorate for Labour and the General Directorate for Social Protection); the national technical directorates and support directorate; the advisory bodies; and the mission administrations. Order No. 0201/MET/PS defines the functions and responsibilities of each of these components. The Committee requests the Government to provide information on the manner in which coordination among the various institutions and bodies of the Ministry is ensured.

Article 6(1). National labour policy. The Committee notes the Government’s indications in its report that the national labour policy is being developed. The Committee requests the Government to continue to provide information on any developments concerning the national labour policy and to provide a copy of any texts adopted in this regard.

Article 6(2)(a). Review of national employment policy. The Committee notes the Government’s indications that the national employment policy adopted in 2009 is being reviewed. The Committee requests the Government to continue to provide information of how the review is advancing and to provide it with a copy of the new policy once it has been adopted.

Article 7. Gradual extension of the functions of the system of labour administration. The Committee notes the Government’s indications that actions are being taken to extend social coverage to workers in the informal economy, particularly as part of the implementation of the Social Protection Floors Recommendation, 2012 (No. 202). It also notes that section 43 of Order No. 0201/MET/PS of 16 February 2017 provides that the duties of the Director-General of Social Protection include “extending the social protection system and strengthening the establishment of social welfare institutions”. The Committee requests the Government to continue to provide information of the measures taken or envisaged to extend the functions of the system of labour administration to the categories of workers covered by Article 7, including in the informal economy.

Article 9. Monitoring of parastatal agencies involved in employment policy. The Committee notes the information provided on the structure of the labour inspectorate and the bodies under the supervision of the labour administration that have regional activities and bodies, including the National Agency for the Promotion of Employment (ANPE); the National Social Security Fund (CNSS); the National Observatory for Employment and Vocational Training (ONEF); the National Agency for Social Welfare; and the National Occupational Election Committee (CONEP). Considering that Niger has ratified the Labour Inspection Convention, 1947 (No. 81), the Committee refers to the comments that it made and adopted in 2015 in the context of Convention No. 81, specifically with respect to Article 3(2) (additional duties entrusted to labour inspectors), Article 4 (organization of the labour inspection system), Articles 5(a) and (b), 17 and 18 (cooperation with the judicial bodies, employers and workers and penalties), Articles 10 and 11 (human resources and material means), and Articles 20 and 21 (annual report on the work of the inspection services), and requests the Government to provide further information on the regional offices, agencies and activities of the bodies under the supervision of the labour administration, as well as the measures taken to ascertain whether these bodies are operating in accordance with the objectives assigned to them.

Article 10(2). Material means and financial resources at the disposal of the staff of the labour administration. The Committee notes the information provided by the Government on the status and conditions of services of the staff of the labour administration. It also refers to its comments made on this subject in the framework of Convention No. 81. The Committee requests the Government to provide further information on the material means and financial resources allocated to the staff of the labour administration system for the performance of their duties.