Training of inspectors of the National Labor Inspection Office

La capacitación de los inspectores de la Oficina Nacional de Inspección del Trabajo

**Cite as**
Pérez Ramos, L.M., Aguilar Hernández, V. & Pérez Triquero, J. (2023). Training of inspectors of the National Labor Inspection Office. Mendive. Revista de Educación, 21(4), e3285. https://mendive.upr.edu.cu/index.php/MendiveUPR/article/view/3285

The article offers a perspective of the training process of the inspectors of the National Labor Inspection Office in Pinar del Río, as they have the social responsibility of efficiently verifying compliance with the provisions and regulations established by the Ministry of Labor and Social Security, taking into account the updating of the Cuban economic and social model that has put society before a changing scenario, generating challenges and training needs, which requires inspectors with knowledge and skills that allow them to make relevant decisions. in the performance of his work; Its main objective was to explain the historical evolution of the training process of ONIT inspectors, under the historical-cultural approach, the man-society relationship, general pedagogy and Professional Pedagogy, this study being a valid option to improve the process. training for ONIT inspectors, based on the application of a group of methods that were elementary, such as: observation, document review, survey, analysis and synthesis, logical history. Theoretical references are revealed from the consultation of bibliographies and a group of considerations from different authors are taken into account, based on the dialectic-conjugation of pedagogical and labor processes under a teaching-learning approach, which could be generalized in any labor entity. for the training of its workers.

El artículo ofrece una perspectiva del proceso de capacitación de los inspectores de la Oficina Nacional de Inspección del Trabajo en Pinar del Río, por tener la responsabilidad social de comprobar de manera eficiente el cumplimiento de las disposiciones y regulaciones establecidas por el Ministerio de Trabajo y Seguridad Social, teniendo en cuenta la actualización del modelo económico y social cubano que ha puesto a la sociedad ante un escenario cambiante generando retos y necesidades de capacitación, lo que requiere inspectores con conocimientos y habilidades que le permitan tomar decisiones pertinentes en el desempeño de su labor. Tuvo como principal objetivo explicar la evolución histórica del proceso de capacitación de los inspectores de la ONIT, bajo el enfoque histórico-cultural, la relación hombre-sociedad, la pedagogía general y la pedagogía profesional, siendo este estudio una opción válida para perfeccionar el proceso de capacitación de los inspectores de la ONIT, a partir de la aplicación de un grupo de métodos que resultaron elementales como: la observación, revisión de documentos, encuesta, análisis y síntesis, histórico-lógico. Se revelan referentes teóricos desde la consulta de bibliografías y se tiene en cuenta un grupo de consideraciones de diferentes autores, fundamentados desde la dialéctica-conjugación de los procesos pedagógicos y laborales, bajo un enfoque de enseñanza-aprendizaje, la cual pudiera ser generalizada en cualquier entidad laboral para la capacitación de sus trabajadores.

O artigo oferece uma perspectiva do processo de formação dos inspectores da Inspecção Nacional do Trabalho de Pinar del Río, uma vez que têm a responsabilidade social de verificar eficazmente o cumprimento das disposições e regulamentos estabelecidos pelo Ministério do Trabalho e Segurança. tendo em conta a atualização do modelo económico e social cubano que colocou a sociedade perante um cenário em mudança, gerando desafios e necessidades de formação, que exige inspetores com conhecimentos e competências que lhes permitam tomar decisões relevantes no desempenho do seu trabalho. Seu principal objetivo foi explicar a evolução histórica do processo de formação de inspetores da ONIT, sob a abordagem histórico-cultural, a relação homem-sociedade, a pedagogia geral e a pedagogia profissional, sendo este estudo uma opção válida para aperfeiçoar o processo de formação da ONIT. inspetores, a partir da aplicação de um conjunto de métodos elementares como: observação, revisão documental, levantamento, análise e síntese, histórico-lógico. Revelam-se referenciais teóricos a partir da consulta de bibliografias e considera-se um conjunto de considerações de diferentes autores, a partir da conjugação dialética dos processos pedagógicos e de trabalho, numa abordagem de ensino-aprendizagem, que poderia ser generalizada em qualquer entidade laboral para a formação dos seus trabalhadores.

Since the last decade of the 20th century, various trends have been consolidated in the political, economic and technological fields, among which are the globalization of information, rapid scientific-technical development, as well as the multiple applications of Information Technologies. and Communications (ICT). These and other changes and innovations have had an impact on human activity and have given rise to a new model of society: the information and knowledge society, which demands professionals capable of performing coherently.

Through Resolution 47/12/2001 of the Ministry of Labor and Social Security, the National Labor Inspection Office is created, as a budgeted unit attached to said Ministry, as well as its provincial branches; Within these is Pinar del Río which, as part of the system, is an entity that acts as a center for direction and control of labor, social and occupational safety policy in the province, in which the search for efficiency, high professionalism and an adequate image that satisfactorily responds to the growing demands of the territory.

In response to this, transformations occur in the Ministry of Labor and Social Security (MTSS) and in particular those that are developed in the National Labor Inspection Office (ONIT), which require entrepreneurial ideas, capable of integrating and creating, hence the need to prepare and perfect the concepts on the training of ONIT inspectors in the specific conditions of the province of Pinar del Río; This imposes a great challenge to keep up with the demands of a globalized world, where competition is increasing and information technologies advance rapidly, so training is of vital importance for their professional performance in job functions. that they develop, from a flexible, integrative and contextualized perspective to the Cuban economic and social model.

Consistent with the previous ideas, the Provincial Institute of Labor Studies (IPEL), dependent on the Center for Labor Studies and Social Security, fulfills an important social function, conceiving among its purposes the organization, direction and execution of the training process for inspectors. of the ONIT, in order to prepare them to fulfill their functions and improve their professional performance.

In the review carried out on the ONIT training strategy, it was found that the training actions designed do not ensure that the work profile adapts to the profile of the knowledge, skills and attitudes of the inspectors in their workplace, so that The process occurs unsystematic and casual, which limits their work functions.

The following were found as possible limitations that could be causing the problems that ONIT inspectors present in their professional performance:

- The ONIT training strategy does not always recognize the systematic use of training modalities for the preparation of inspectors.

- Training actions do not always have the comprehensiveness to enrich the professional activity of ONIT inspectors.

- Insufficient theoretical and practical knowledge, which limits their professional performance.

- The organizational form most used during the training carried out at the IPEL are conferences where theoretical activities are fundamentally stimulated over practical ones.

In the exploration carried out on the scientific contributions that could respond to these limitations, it was found that authors such as: Durán, Rosado and Quintero (2019), Gato (2019), who discussed the topic of training, provide elements for the identification of the contents, both theoretical and practical, and organizational forms that are important references for the transformation of the reality described up to this point.

For its part, the study aimed at job training confirmed the work carried out by: Argueta and Jiménez (2017); Alonso, Álvarez, Viteri, Estupiñán and Viteri S, C. (2021).

The study of the works of the authors mentioned above demonstrated the existence of principles, conceptions, categories, models, methods, strategies, methodologies and projects for job training, the results of which have allowed us to verify the existence of improvement; However, there is an absence of studies aimed at establishing ways for the training process of ONIT inspectors to improve their performance, in accordance with their functions.

The main objective is established: to explain the historical evolution of the training process for ONIT inspectors.

The research was carried out at the ONIT in the 2021-2022 academic year. The universe was made up of 17 inspectors, five managers and eight IPEL teachers, who will be in charge of providing the different forms of training. Pre-experimental quantitative research was carried out, assuming the research of Hernández, Fernández and Baptista (2014), in a cross-sectional study.

Historical-logical analysis method, to delve into the evolution, trends and generalizations of the training process of ONIT inspectors.

Analysis-synthesis method, as well as induction-deduction, as logical thought processes that made it possible to give arguments for the whole and its parts.

The documentary review where the ONIT training strategy, individual development plans and performance evaluations were analyzed, allowing us to verify to what extent training can be given treatment for the professional performance of ONIT inspectors.

Observation was used during the stage of exploring the situation of the scientific problem in the diagnostic study; in the direct perception of the training process, as well as in the analysis of the results obtained in the professional performance of ONIT inspectors.

The survey was applied to ONIT inspectors with the objective of verifying their level of preparation in terms of the theoretical and practical elements necessary to carry out their inspections of labor entities, determine potential and needs, as well as know the most used ways to training and their opinions in this regard.

To process the information, the statistical-mathematical method was used, with descriptive statistics techniques such as percentage analysis and the Likert scale, applied as recommended by Hernández. et al. (2014), useful for describing the behavior of the explored indicators that would allow the characterization of the historical evolution of the training process of ONIT inspectors in terms of the theoretical and practical elements necessary to carry out their inspections of labor entities. The methodological triangulation technique was also used to search and find points of coincidence and discrepancies in the historical evolution of the training process of ONIT inspectors.

Training of inspectors from the National Labor Inspection Office in Pinar del Río. Features that determine it

In our country, an improvement process is being developed those demands updating and deepening the professional content of labor resources, where the training process assumes an important role. The importance is given in the purpose of directing the institutions towards the achievement of their objectives, where the professional is the center and articulating element of the professional process, so that the efficiency of the institutions will depend directly on adequate training of their staff, taking into account his role. This requires that ONIT inspectors, in addition to staying permanently updated in the areas of knowledge they defend, also prepare from a professional point of view for the development of their role as inspectors, which allows them to have greater participation, commitment and motivation as active subjects of the transformations in the fulfillment of their functions, who are also required to have a higher level of professional performance.

The direction of the training process must respond to the needs of production, services and the results of work evaluation, as well as training, based on the assimilation of new technologies, procedures and work systems, where institutional training It is considered from the perspective of the demands that the world of work places on professionals in terms of knowledge, skills, habits, behaviors and values linked to their work functions, for which ONIT inspectors must be prepared for their professional performance. successful.

The contextualization of training in the business environment implies its application in an organized and directed manner, in a sequence of actions and operations, with a systemic approach. It is about performing coherently and thus expressing professional development, both individual and collective, and the creation of a harmonious climate that increases the motivation for the work of ONIT inspectors.

During the systematization carried out, some fundamental features were determined that distinguish the content of the term training from others:

- It constitutes a response to the current challenges and demands of the professional process.

- It is aimed at solving practical problems in labor entities, which may be current or prospective.

- It has a formative, permanent, systemic, flexible, contextualized, directed, differentiated nature and takes place during professional performance.

- Its purpose is the development of modes of action of the subjects involved, for their professional and human improvement.

- Its objectives are aimed at the development, deepening and updating of knowledge, skills, values and professional attitudes.

As stated, it allows highlighting aspects that are valid and applicable in the investigation, so the training of inspectors of the National Labor Inspection Office is operationally defined as: Permanent, systemic, directed and flexible training process, with the purpose of prepare ONIT inspectors by updating and/or deepening theoretical-practical content, which responds to the individual and collective needs and interests of the entity, focused on their professional performance, in accordance with its corporate purpose.

The direction of training actions for ONIT inspectors must be the subject of analysis, monitoring and continuous improvement, in accordance with the specific conditions of the entity's diagnosis, which is why they must be included in the general plans of the institution and must be assumed by the highest management structure.

The previous theoretical analysis allows the approach to the historical-trend study of the training of ONIT inspectors in Cuba and in the province of Pinar del Río, which constitutes a starting point to understand the particularities of the preparation of these professionals.

Historical evolution of the training process for inspectors of the National Labor Inspection Office

The historical evolution of the training of inspectors in Cuba has developed spontaneously along with the strategic management of human resources of MTSS institutions to achieve high performance in the economic and social sphere.

Before the triumph of the revolution, the Ministry of Labor emerged, where salary chaos prevailed, there were no job qualifiers or labor regulators, and no specialists were trained for this sector. With the triumph of the Revolution, the aforementioned Ministry was reorganized and it began to be called MINTRAB. Territorial delegations were organized, six in the country, methodologically subordinated to the State Committee of Labor and Social Security, placing an inspector in each one; Later, Provincial Delegations were established in each province.

At the time a new resolution, decree or law was approved by the MINTRAB, national training seminars were held for the inspectors, so that they could efficiently execute, direct and verify compliance with them.

The deepening of the sociopolitical and economic changes that occurred in Cuban society since 1959 allowed the recognition of the worker as an agent of transformation with needs and rights, which goes through the edge of training, so that they can advance in the improvement of their capabilities. productive and as a human being in general. These labor rights have been historically enshrined in the different labor codes that, as law, are promulgated and approved in the National Assembly of People's Power and in the different Congresses of the Central Workers of Cuba.

In 1971, the National School of Labor Studies was created; middle-level technicians were trained in labor regulations who went on to work as specialists in work delegations and in the different labor entities of the country. General training was established and neither the needs of the territory nor the individual needs were taken into account.

In 1974, the training school of the Ministry of Labor and Social Security (MTSS) was created in the province of Pinar del Río, specifically in San Juan and Martínez, where qualified workers in work standardization were trained.

The achievement of such goals has been supported in recent years by the firm will to carry out an extensive labor policy program that includes ONIT inspectors as its main protagonists.

With the political-administrative division, the regions disappear and the Provincial Delegations are renamed the Provincial Directorate of Labor, with a double administrative subordination to the Popular Power and methodologically to the newly established State Committee of Labor and Social Security. Labor Directorates are established in each municipality and the Labor Inspection Office is created in each province, methodologically and administratively subordinated to the MTSS, thus forming the first labor inspectors in Havana, who were trained at the National School of Studies. Labor and, subsequently, this training is assumed by the IPEL.

Another important aspect for the study being carried out is the fact that the training of ONIT inspectors has been essentially associated with the history of the IPEL, so conducting a search on the evolution that this training has had requires going deeper. in the history of this institution.

In 1977, the Provincial Institute of Labor Studies (IPEL) was created in the city of Pinar del Río, to train mid-level technicians in Work Organization and Salaries, Work Protection and Hygiene, Work Economics and Labor Law. It is there where the technicians of the delegations are trained in these topics, providing them with information on very specific topics, without interrelating them. The inadequacies in the integration of training content and its influence on the comprehensive preparation of those involved were evident.

Training as a normalized process in Cuba for labor entities was reflected in Law 49/84 (Labor Code). This legislation conceptualizes the technical training of workers as "a set of theoretical and practical knowledge necessary to adequately perform a given occupation, in correspondence with the needs that the development of the country demands and in harmony with the rights of workers" (p. 29), which contributed to the development of productive forces and the improvement of socialist relations of production, in addition to being a labor benefit that workers enjoy.

Since 1996, it has been established that, to serve as an inspector, training courses must be received as comprehensive preparation. From that moment on, a total of 90 inspectors began to be trained between 1997 and 1999, in addition to receiving refresher training in 2000 and from 2001 to 2007, 51 comprehensive inspectors were trained; Subsequently, in 2008, thematic courses were held for inspectors according to needs and in response to the new resolutions approved by the MTSS.

Precisely, to give continuity to the training process of ONIT inspectors, it was the IPEL who, with its preparatory teaching and training function, made it possible within so many needs to convert the preparation of man into an effective, efficient and effective culture, of which the results have been seen.

In 2002, the IPEL was approved to provide professional development activities and it was then that, at the direction of the MTSS, the first diploma called Labor and Salary Policy for Business Improvement was taught; This training action is received by different professionals in the province.

The experience accumulated in the task of training human resources and the demands of the labor and salary transformations carried out by the country are based on what is stated according to Resolution 29/2006 of the MTSS. Where training is defined as:

It is important to highlight that, from the perspective of this regulatory document, the competencies of the labor entity are revealed in the planning and development of training actions and how these have as their starting point the needs of the labor entities; It is also the entity's task to determine, from a systemic and comprehensive approach, the knowledge, skills and attitudes that people must possess to carry out their work activity. It expresses in a descriptive way the final objective that is desired to be met by the workers who participate in it.

In essence, it can be seen that the work environment must create favorable conditions so that ONIT inspectors can apply in practice the knowledge and skills acquired in solving professional problems, which is why the improvement of the training of inspectors is indisputable. ONIT inspectors. Consequently, the need to perfect this activity imposes a challenge on the aforementioned institute, as responsible for the continuous training of inspectors.

The impulsive development achieved by science, technique and technology in the contemporary world means that those who participate in the teaching-learning process set precise, solid objectives that correspond to the demands of the moment, using effective forms and methods. to reach solutions and satisfy needs. Therefore, it is necessary for these personnel to be highly qualified, since the development and success of the organization in which they work largely depends on their capabilities, abilities, knowledge, skills and their constant and creative activity.

Currently, the training of labor entities is governed by Decree Law No. 350/2017 of the Council of State, which defines it as "a set of continuous and planned preparation actions, in correspondence with the needs of production, the services and results of the job evaluation, conceived as an investment, aimed at improving the qualifications and requalifications of workers, to fulfill the functions of the positions with quality and ensure their successful performance with maximum results.

This regulatory document is applicable to educational institutions subordinate to state entities that provide services to all forms of employment in the country.

Training must consider the individual-society relationship; In this sense, the active relationships established between teachers and ONIT inspectors gain in importance, which become interpersonal, to the extent that the positive feeling of the inspectors towards the training and their learning grows. Hence, training seeks to ensure that tasks are carried out with quality, stability and permanence, in addition to being both a challenge and a necessity for every professional, as it allows them to raise their qualifications and update and/or deepen content linked to their profession, to on par with scientific-technical and technological advances, so addressing professional performance in today's society has become a very important social need.

Recognizing that training is a teaching and learning process constitutes a category of the professional's ongoing training, which takes place through pedagogical activities in the educational institution. That is, training, by its essence, is a pedagogical activity.

Being consistent with the previous criterion, Gato (2017) considers that the training process in its pedagogical nature fulfills the functions: instructive-informative, educational, guiding, developing, cognitive-investigative and mobilizing. Training is conceived as a specific type of pedagogical activity, as it is aimed at developing the personality of the professional. It is related to the satisfaction of the demands of socio-labor performance, given within the framework of the interrelation between subjects and of these with the learning object. This process appears linked to work and there is a pedagogical intention directly linked to work functions.

The pedagogical nature of training implies the need to specify its ultimate goal, related to the laws and categories that, as fundamental concepts, explain its movement and reflect the relationships established in said process since, according to Gato, et al.. (2019): "a scientific educational practice cannot exist without a solid pedagogical theory that bases it and responds to the requirements of that practice." These authors define training as: the teaching-learning process that is developed within the framework of a work entity, permanent, systemic, planned, comprehensive, with a systematic and continuous nature that contributes to the development of professionals with a broad profile, capable of solving problems. efficiently the professional problems of the institution in which they work.

The historical evolution allowed us to identify that the training process went through different reforms, a product of the political, social and economic aspirations of each historical moment, so that it needs to be renewed from a permanent, systemic and planned pedagogical process, which leads to the preparation of ONIT inspectors to improve their professional performance.

The training of ONIT inspectors is developed within the framework of a pedagogical process, aimed at the transformation of the professional's personality, based on work objectives. It is deployed in a process of joint solution of pedagogical tasks, both of an instructional and educational nature, in changing conditions and full communication between the teacher and the inspector, requiring a creative attitude and careful organization, execution and control of their pedagogical actions for the professional training.

The training of ONIT inspectors is presented as one of the processes that determines the relevance and social impact that responds to social needs, fulfilling the objective of achieving professionals committed to their duty, possessing a broad culture, with capabilities and skills necessary to practice the profession, with the possibility of adapting and renewing their knowledge in order to satisfy the changing needs of society and contribute to achieving high levels of development in the country.

In order for ONIT inspectors to perform professionally, from a training process that provides motivation to incorporate new knowledge into their professional performance, they must achieve full and conscious performance in the solution of professional problems, which lead to the integration of contents. technical and practical scientists to influence the objectives of the profession and demonstrate satisfaction with the work functions performed.

The social environment is the real bearer of the values and experiences of the ONIT inspectors, which constitutes the ideal way to break the contradiction between academics and work, between knowledge and doing, gradually producing in this work the appropriation of knowledge, skills and attitudes towards work. This provides the ideal way to materialize Martí's principle of the link between study and work and theory with practice, and allows the teaching institution to increasingly insert itself into the social life of the country. All these possibilities offered by education at work in labor entities for the training of a professional must be used with all intents and purposes to influence professional performance.

This direction allows you to explain professional performance in the context of your professional activity, penetrate into the structural and functional elements of personality, analyze it as a system of relationships where two spheres of regulation are structurally identified: the inductive or affective motivational, which explains through its operation the why and wherefore of the person's performance, and the executory or cognitive-instrumental, which points to how and with what said performance is carried out. In this case, it is basically concerned with how and with what the performance is carried out, in its dialectical relationship with why and why.

To achieve this purpose, professional pedagogical processes are needed that respond to the conditions of each context and historical moment, so that the future professional can actively participate in their necessary training on a permanent basis.

This aspiration presupposes the development of a teaching-learning process where each component plays its corresponding role, demonstrated by authors such as Mena and Cueto (2017); Páez (2017), Mena (2017); Duran et al. (2019). However, achieving the coherent interrelation of the components of the process is not possible if the tools are not available that allow the teacher to collect, process and interpret data, to make possible the issuance of a value judgment and the decision-making regarding the orientation of the pedagogical and learning actions of ONIT inspectors.

It is important to recognize that professional performance in the context where this research is developed implies taking into account the need to increase capabilities and competencies, based on the acquisition, updating and deepening of professional content that allows ONIT inspectors to in Pinar del Río to function efficiently in the professional process and contribute to the achievement of the goals conferred by society, in order to satisfy the growing demands of the territory and contribute to achieving high levels of development in the country.

The budgets raised based on the results of the documentary review, from various authors and theoretical positions, allowed the approach to the training of ONIT inspectors. The trend analysis of the training process of ONIT inspectors contributes, in the theoretical-methodological framework of the research, to its improvement, as it reveals the evolution of the training of these inspectors. From the systematization carried out, arguments are provided that demonstrate the relevance of the training for the training and professional performance of ONIT inspectors in Pinar del Río.

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The authors participated in the design, analysis of the documents and writing of the work.