Inspection du travail
Encyclopedia
The Inspection du travail (IT, Labour inspection) is a French specialized body of civil servants, charged of the surveillance of employment and labour law
in firm
s, created in 1892 during the Third Republic
.
, establishing a body of 15 divisionary inspectors, and several departmental inspectors. However, they were not very efficient. Following the International Conference on Labour in Berlin on 15 March 1890, envisioning the creation of an international labour legislation, the Third Republic created by the 2 November 1892 law a specialized body of civil servants dedicated to inspection of labour conditions. It was first of all charged of the surveillance of the implementation of the 22 March 1841 law prohibiting child labour of less than 8 years old. This law had been enacted following reports by the physician René Villermé. The 1890 law also enacted a maximal length of work for children, women and underage girls.
The function was popularized by the inspector Pierre Hamp, who maintained a chronicle in L'Humanité
newspaper from 1906 to 1912. Following the creation of the Ministry of Labour in 1906, the IT became one of its services.
In 1947, the 81st International Convention of the International Labour Organization
forced all ratifying states to "organize a system of labour inspection". France ratified it under the Fourth Republic
by a 10 August 1950 law.
In 1975, a law was introduced to limit and regulate redundancies making it compulsory for employers wishing to carry out redundancies to obtain the authorization of labour inspectors. This law was abolished in 1986 by Jacques Chirac administration.
On 2 September 2004, a farmer from Saussignac
shot dead two labour inspectors, Sylvie Trémouille and Daniel Buffière. This led the inspectors to request better work conditions not only for others, but also for themselves.
, of which only a fourth lead to a sanction of the employer.
Labour law
Labour law is the body of laws, administrative rulings, and precedents which address the legal rights of, and restrictions on, working people and their organizations. As such, it mediates many aspects of the relationship between trade unions, employers and employees...
in firm
Business
A business is an organization engaged in the trade of goods, services, or both to consumers. Businesses are predominant in capitalist economies, where most of them are privately owned and administered to earn profit to increase the wealth of their owners. Businesses may also be not-for-profit...
s, created in 1892 during the Third Republic
French Third Republic
The French Third Republic was the republican government of France from 1870, when the Second French Empire collapsed due to the French defeat in the Franco-Prussian War, to 1940, when France was overrun by Nazi Germany during World War II, resulting in the German and Italian occupations of France...
.
History
The Labour inspection was officially created by the 19 May 1874 law during the Third RepublicFrench Third Republic
The French Third Republic was the republican government of France from 1870, when the Second French Empire collapsed due to the French defeat in the Franco-Prussian War, to 1940, when France was overrun by Nazi Germany during World War II, resulting in the German and Italian occupations of France...
, establishing a body of 15 divisionary inspectors, and several departmental inspectors. However, they were not very efficient. Following the International Conference on Labour in Berlin on 15 March 1890, envisioning the creation of an international labour legislation, the Third Republic created by the 2 November 1892 law a specialized body of civil servants dedicated to inspection of labour conditions. It was first of all charged of the surveillance of the implementation of the 22 March 1841 law prohibiting child labour of less than 8 years old. This law had been enacted following reports by the physician René Villermé. The 1890 law also enacted a maximal length of work for children, women and underage girls.
The function was popularized by the inspector Pierre Hamp, who maintained a chronicle in L'Humanité
L'Humanité
L'Humanité , formerly the daily newspaper linked to the French Communist Party , was founded in 1904 by Jean Jaurès, a leader of the French Section of the Workers' International...
newspaper from 1906 to 1912. Following the creation of the Ministry of Labour in 1906, the IT became one of its services.
In 1947, the 81st International Convention of the International Labour Organization
International Labour Organization
The International Labour Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that deals with labour issues pertaining to international labour standards. Its headquarters are in Geneva, Switzerland. Its secretariat — the people who are employed by it throughout the world — is known as the...
forced all ratifying states to "organize a system of labour inspection". France ratified it under the Fourth Republic
French Fourth Republic
The French Fourth Republic was the republican government of France between 1946 and 1958, governed by the fourth republican constitution. It was in many ways a revival of the Third Republic, which was in place before World War II, and suffered many of the same problems...
by a 10 August 1950 law.
In 1975, a law was introduced to limit and regulate redundancies making it compulsory for employers wishing to carry out redundancies to obtain the authorization of labour inspectors. This law was abolished in 1986 by Jacques Chirac administration.
On 2 September 2004, a farmer from Saussignac
Saussignac
Saussignac is a commune in the Dordogne department in Aquitaine in southwestern France.It is in the heart of Bergerac wine country and produces some of the best sweet white wines in France. Its pretty village centre has a Poste and Mairie....
shot dead two labour inspectors, Sylvie Trémouille and Daniel Buffière. This led the inspectors to request better work conditions not only for others, but also for themselves.
Number of inspectors
There are in 2010 600 Labour Inspectors and 1219 controllers. Each year, they established approximatively 16.000 procès-verbauxProces-verbal
Procès-verbal is a legal term with a number of meanings:-In law:...
, of which only a fourth lead to a sanction of the employer.