Azerbaijan, Baku, March 12 / Trend U. Ismayilova /
Material and technical basis of inspection laboratories under the Azerbaijani Ministry of Labor and Social Protection does not meet modern standards, head of the Labor Inspection under the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare Nabi Shukurlu said.
According to him, the inspections will meet all international standards. They will be equipped with the most modern technologies. All members of the inspection will be trained.
Shukurlu said that the main purpose of these laboratory tests is to create a professional laboratory to identify hazardous jobs.
The Azerbaijani Ministry of Labor and Social Protection intends to take several measures to strengthen the capacity of the labor inspectorate in the Ministry, the head of the International Cooperation Department of the Ministry Elnur Sultanov said.
"The measures will focus mainly on training of the inspection, the methodology of work, the introduction of international standards on occupational safety and modern technical equipment," Sultanov said.
According to him, the most important factor in strengthening the potential of labor inspection will be the creation of special laboratories for the evaluation of jobs and equipment used in production.
Equipment of local production and imported ones used in production will be checked in the special laboratory at the appropriate level of noise, pollution and other factors that hamper the establishment of normal conditions for work, he said.
Jobs with appropriate technology and equipment that will meet all applicable standards of labor, will be certified, Sultanov said.
The loan agreement between the World Bank and the Azerbaijani government for the project "Development of social protection in Azerbaijan" worth $54.6 million was signed in November 2008. The WB will provide $26.7 million under the International Development Association (35 years with a grace period of 10 years and 0.75 per cent per annum) to finance the project.
The project includes four components: a complete modernization of the labor market, including the improvement of labor legislation, employment protection, employment services, employment policy social welfare system, modernization of the pension system and project management.
The project will envisage the institutional development and modernization of vocational training, development of occupational classifications based on European practices. The Vocational Training Centers are planned to be set up under the ministry. The project will last five years with the implementation period from 2008 to 2013.