Qatar sets best standards for welfare of workers

DOHA: Minister of Administrative Development, Labour and Social Affairs, H E Dr Issa bin Saad Al Jafali Al Nuaimi has said that Qatar is having the best standards for workers’ welfare as it has updated most of the labour legislation to comply with the best international standards.

The Minister said that International Labour Organisation (ILO) has become a strategic partner, especially after opening an office in Qatar. “Qatar has become a role model in the workers’ welfare,” he said while speaking at the 5th Labour and Workers Conference organised by Dar Al Sharq to mark the Workers’ Day at Marsa Malaz Kempinski Hotel yesterday.

Meanwhile, ILO has confirmed that Qatar made remarkable advancement to ensure the rights of workers. “The realisation of the fundamental principles and rights at work is making significant progress in Qatar,” said Corrine Vergha, Director of the International Labour Standards Department at ILO while addressing the event.

Speaking at the Conference Vergha said: “Yesterday I saw one of these concrete advances. We made a field visit to the newly-established workers’ dispute settlement committees to see these committees in action. We were pleased to see the procedures and the excellent work system as well as the commitment to improve the workers’ access to justice in real practice. This is very promising and deserves a special acclaim.”

The Minister launching workers’ book, “Development Partners” published by Dar Al Sharq.

The conference, which was attended by academics, legal experts, doctors and lawyers from within and outside Qatar, aimed at raising awareness on the importance of ethical and legal commitment in dealing with local and expatriate workers and to promote initiatives and efforts exerted by the State in protecting the rights of workers, guided by Qatar National Vision 2030.

The Minister of Administrative Development, Labor and Social Affairs, H E Dr Issa bin Saad Al Jafali Al Nuaimi said the national vision devoted the need to establish institutional arrangements to ensure the rights and safety of all labours in the country and has spared no effort in this regard.

“Qatar is leading in terms of hosting large number of expatriate workers who come annually to meet the needs of its ambitious development plans.

The workforce come from different levels and specialties as they come from all around the world and live together with their various religions, cultures and lifestyles making Qatar a model for people with different religions and cultures living together,” he added.

He said the expatriate workers gain mutual benefit through helping in the development process in Qatar and developing their countries’ economies through money transfers worth billions of dollar annually, according to the World Bank report.

The Minister of Administrative Development, Labour and Social Affairs referred to the promulgation of a number of laws in favour of workers in the country, such as Law No. (1) of 2015 amending certain provisions of the Labour Law, including the introduction of the Wage Protection System, which guarantees the transfer of employees’ salaries to their accounts in a local bank and Law No. 21 of 2015 which regulates the entry, exit and residency of expatriates, which entered into force at the end of 2016.

Minister of Administrative Development, Labour and Social Affairs, Dr Issa bin Saad Al Jafali Al Nuaimi (sixth right) and Abdul Latif bin Abdullah Al Mahmoud (third right), CEO of Dar Al Sharq Group with winners of the ‘Excellence Award 2018’.

The Minister also referred to the promulgation of Law No. (13) of 2017 amending certain provisions of the Labour Law, including the establishment of committees for the settlement of labour disputes, with the aim of establishing a speedy and effective mechanism for the settlement of disputes between the workers and employers.

He pointed to the issuance of Domestic Workers Law, and the establishment of National Committee for Combatting Human Trafficking which was established to act as national coordinator for monitoring, preventing and combating human trafficking.

“ILO has officially opened its office last Sunday, for itsa project,” said Corrine Vergha, Director of the International Labor Standards Department at ILO.

“Our participation in this year’s celebration of the workers’ day is undoubtedly a certificate of appreciation from the International Labour Organization for the real labour reforms carried out by Qatar,” said Vergha.

She said that Qatar deserves to be commended for its firm commitment to have moved forward and adopted several measures to replace the sponsorship system with a contract based employment relationship and to tackle the confiscation of passports and the replacement of contracts, as well as the waving of restrictions on the ability of workers to change employers through a commendable contract based employment relationship.

Head of the Conference organizing committee Sheikh Thani bin Ali Al Thani stressed that Qatar has made many achievements in workers protection by developing a lot of services, legislation and labor organizations that promoted the rights and met requirements of the labor sector as well as the workers.

He added that the conference is held under the theme of “Building a State of Prosperity and Pride”, adding that it comes at an extraordinary time in which efforts have been made to face the unjust siege imposed on Qatar and joined the efforts of authorities concerned to continue the process of building and development by defeating the siege and even achieving higher rates of performance and growth.

Dar Al Sharq has launched workers’ book “Development Partners” on the sidelines of the event. The winners of the 2018 Excellence Awards were honoured during the event. Two panel discussion sessions were also held on “medical safety: Lessons of the treatment of work related injuries in Qatar over the last decade” and “where does Qatari law and the international law meet” at the event. Experts and officials from Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC), Qatar University (QC) and International Labor Organisation Office in Qatar participated in the discussions.

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