Baghdad, Iraq (ILO News) The International Labour Organization (ILO) organised a week-long training for thirty-five labour and occupational safety and health (OSH) inspectors of the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs in Baghdad, to strengthen their capacity in the promotion and enforcement of labour regulations and procedures in Iraq.

The training, which is part of a wider capacity building training programme designed for the ministry’s staff and inspectors, is the first step towards the establishment of a labour inspection training center within the premises of the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs in Baghdad.

These efforts are being implemented with the support of the European Union (EU) through ILO’s “Enhancing labour governance, inspection and working conditions in response to COVID-19,” which seeks to strengthen the labour inspection system and improve OSH in line with international labour standards, through policy development and capacity building.

“This training was an opportunity to introduce labour inspectors to international good practices in relation to innovative strategies related to inspection, as part of our efforts to lay the ground for the establishment of the labour inspection training center that will promote a stronger and more effective labour inspection system in the country,” said Maha Kattaa, ILO Country Coordinator in Iraq.

The training, conducted jointly with the International Training Centre, the training arm of the ILO, covered key aspects related to labour administration and inspection; inspection visits; working conditions; and designing strategies for promoting compliance. It also covered a wide range of areas of work in line with international labour standards related to labour inspection, such as child labour, forced labour, employment conditions, and gender-related issues.

It aimed to strengthen the capacity of inspectors to apply key principles in the preparation, implementation, and follow-up of inspection visits; identify key issues related to the planning and implementation of labour inspection policies; and identify various compliance strategies.

“Under the direct guidance of His Excellency the Minister of Labour and Social Affairs, the ministry has previously conducted nation-wide inspection campaigns, and we will continue with these inspection campaigns as they contribute positively to workers,” said Raed Jabbar Bahedh, Director General of the Department of Labour and Vocational Training at the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs. “These training workshops organized by the ILO further enhance the capabilities and expertise of labour and occupational health and safety inspectors. The ministry is collaborating with the ILO on several initiatives which seek to raise the awareness of workers and employers on the Iraqi Labour Law No. 37, and these trainings which target labour and occupational safety and health inspectors are of great importance as it is necessary to ensure the full application of the labour law by inspectors through equipping them with the knowledge on mechanisms and modern inspection procedures.”

Rajaa Tahseen, from the Department of Labour and Vocational Training at the ministry, who took part in the training, said: “This workshop was very useful, as it covered modern concepts (in relation to inspection). It also provided in-depth discussions on issues related to the labour law, child labour and legal procedures which need to be followed by inspectors during inspection visits. We also discussed several important topics, some of which were not fully familiar to us, such as those related to leave, working hours and wages. We hope that such training sessions will continue to take place as they greatly contribute to raising the awareness of the inspectors, and reflect positively on their work.”

A series of capacity building workshops will continue to take place throughout 2021 and early 2022.

Media contacts

Delegation of the European Union to Iraq
Al-Sadiq Al-Adilee – Press and Information Officer
alsadiq.al-adilee@eeas.europa.eu

International Labour Organization in Iraq
Nisreen Bathish – Communications Advisor
bathish@iloguest.org