Placed under the authority of the Minister of Labour, the ITM has a number of different missions and competences which have their legal basis mainly in the Labour Code.
The ITM is thus competent as regards working conditions, including health and safety at work.
In particular, the ITM is entrusted with a mission of:
- inspection in order to monitor and ensure the application of legislation, including working conditions and employee protection;
- advice and assistance to employers and employees; in this context, the ITM provides practical legal and technical information on the implementation of legal, regulatory, administrative and collective agreement provisions as regards work and health and safety at work;
- informal mediator to prevent and resolve individual social conflicts;
- putting an end to situations that contravene legal, regulatory, administrative and collective agreement provisions;
- establishing infringements in the areas falling within is competence and notifying the State Prosecutor thereof;
- bringing to the attention of the Minister any deficiencies or abuses of rights observed in practice, as well as questions of fact not specifically covered by the said existing provisions and suggesting to him or her the means of remedying them by issuing a detailed opinion;
- carrying out inspections in order to monitor the employment of third-country nationals whose residence is irregular.
The ITM also has various tasks in areas not covered by the Labour Code, such as
- legislation on classified establishments;
- legislation on the control of major-accident hazards involving dangerous substances (SEVESO);
- the Convention on the Transboundary Effects of Industrial Accidents (Helsinki Convention of 17 March 1992);
- safety in certain road tunnels;
- safety in mines, pits and quarries;
- transfer of explosives for civil use.
With regard to legislation on classified establishments, the ITM is in particular responsible for guaranteeing the safety of the public and the neighbourhood in general, as well as the safety, hygiene and health in the workplace, cleanliness and ergonomics in relation to the operation of establishments, installations and activities subject to authorisation.