However, there is a shortage of skilled workers and well-trained technical personnel in most sectors of the economy except the mining sector, which has adequate skilled workers and qualified managers. The Mauritanian constitution provides for freedom of association and the right of citizens to join any political or labor organization. All workers except members of the military and police are free to associate in and establish unions at the local and national levels. Workers have the right to strike, but work stoppages are generally rare and are settled quickly. The two main confederations provide representatives who serve on the country's three major labor tribunals.
Labor often participates in government deliberations on labor issues.
The most recent agreement, the 1974 Collective Labor Convention, establishes a broad array of employee benefits, including fully paid maternity leave. The original Labor Code of 1963 is currently being revised. The standard work week is 40 hours or six days, except for household and other special categories of workers. The Labor Directorate of the Ministry of Labor is responsible for enforcement of labor laws. The minimum wage statute is based on a system of job classification defined in the Labor Code.