Directorate of Labor Relations

The Directorate of Labor Relations is a structure of the Central Administration of the Ministry of Labor, Employment, and Social Security, in accordance with the provisions of Executive Decree No. 08-125 of August 15, 2008, concerning the organization of the Central Administration of the Ministry of Labor, Employment, and Social Security.

Regarding its responsibilities, the Directorate of Labor Relations is tasked with:

• Developing and adapting legal standards for the regulation and management of labor relations;
• Organizing the monitoring of the evolution of purchasing power of wages across different socio-professional categories;
• Developing legal standards related to hygiene, safety, and occupational medicine;
• Developing legislation and regulations concerning employment, particularly those relating to foreign labor;
• Ensuring coordination and consultation with trade union organizations within the framework of social dialogue;
• Organizing and ensuring the dissemination of information related to labor legislation;
• Examining requests for authorization to accept donations and bequests from foreign organizations, as submitted by trade union organizations.

It is structured into four sub-directorates, in accordance with Article 4 of Executive Decree No. 08-125 of August 15, 2008, as follows:

• Sub-Directorate for Monitoring the Evolution of Purchasing Power and Wages;
• Sub-Directorate for Labor Legislation;
• Sub-Directorate for Occupational Risk Prevention;
• Sub-Directorate for Social Dialogue.

Sub-Directorate for Monitoring the Evolution of Purchasing Power and Wages is responsible for:

• Initiating surveys related to the evolution of wage levels;
• Monitoring the evolution of the purchasing power of socio-professional categories;
• Proposing appropriate corrective measures to preserve purchasing power;
• Proposing elements for regulating wage policy and monitoring the progress of wage negotiations in the economic sector.

Sub-Directorate for Labor Legislation is responsible for:

• Developing and adapting legal standards for regulating individual and collective labor relations;
• Participating in the development of legislation and regulations related to employment, particularly those concerning foreign labor;
• Monitoring, in coordination with the labor inspection services, the application of current legislative and regulatory provisions concerning labor relations, working conditions, collective bargaining, and the exercise of trade union rights;
• Promoting information related to labor legislation.

Sub-Directorate for Occupational Risk Prevention is responsible for:

• Developing legal standards in the field of hygiene, safety, and occupational medicine and ensuring their implementation;
• Developing, in consultation with the concerned social partners, standards related to the prevention of occupational risks;
• Conducting, in collaboration with the labor inspection services, investigations on the application status of legislative and regulatory provisions regarding occupational risk prevention;
• Coordinating actions in the field of occupational risk prevention.

Sub-Directorate for Social Dialogue is responsible for:

• Coordinating and consulting with social partners within the framework of social dialogue and evaluating the results;
• Proposing mechanisms and tools to develop consultation processes;
• Ensuring the implementation of the legal procedure for the registration of trade unions of salaried workers and employers;
• Monitoring legally established trade unions, particularly with regard to their statutory situation and ensuring compliance with the conditions and criteria of their representativeness.

Additionally, the Directorate of Labor Relations exercises technical supervision over five (05) organizations within the sector, as follows:

1. National Institute of Labor (INT): Its essential missions focus on the training and development of personnel in the sectors of labor, employment, and social security, as well as public institutions and administrations. The institute conducts surveys and studies on demand and provides businesses with technical assistance in areas related to the world of labor, particularly in management tools (collective agreements, internal regulations, and other management procedures). It also publishes labor law collections, social security law collections, the Algerian Journal of Labor, and brochures on labor law (such as on strikes and fixed-term contracts).
2. National Institute for Occupational Risk Prevention (INPRP): Its mission is to promote the prevention of occupational risks and the improvement of working conditions.
3. Occupational Risk Prevention Organization for the Building, Public Works, and Hydraulics Sectors (OPREBATPH): Its work involves technical visits to workplaces (construction sites) and the headquarters of companies. These visits result in recommendations and measures to prevent workplace accidents and occupational diseases.
4. National Fund for Paid Leave and Weather-Related Unemployment in the Building, Public Works, and Hydraulics Sectors (CACOBATPH): This organization is responsible for managing paid leave and unemployment benefits for workers in the construction, public works, and hydraulics sectors, as outlined in Executive Decree No. 97-45 of February 4, 1997.
5. Occupational Medicine Enterprise “PRESTIMED”: This company is currently undergoing a review of its status in order to be granted the status of a Public Enterprise with a specialization in the construction, public works, and hydraulics sectors, which are known for their high risk of workplace accidents and occupational diseases. It contributes to ensuring close medical surveillance for workers in this sector through occupational medicine.