Minister of Administrative Development: Qatar to Inaugurate Shelter and Fund to Support Workers

Doha, June 17 (QNA) - HE Minister of Administrative Development, Labor and Social Affairs Dr. Issa bin Saad Al Jafali Al Nuaimi, announced the inauguration of a shelter and human welfare centre, to be concerned with providing the necessary assistance and protection to victims of human trafficking as well as rehabilitating and integrating them into society, in addition to providing shelter for temporary workers until their exit from the state is ensured. This came on the sidelines of the Filipino community's celebration of the 120th Philippine National Day and the Filipino Migrants Day, which was held in Doha today in the presence of a number of officials from the Philippines and Qatar. HE the Minister of Administrative Development, Labor and Social Affairs also said that the Ministry is also in the process of establishing a workers' support fund which deals with the payment of the worker's financial dues upon the decision of the Labor Dispute Settlement Committee, incase their employers go bankrupt. HE pointed out that the State of Qatar has taken a number of measures and integrated laws to protect the rights of workers and to create and provide a healthy and safe working environment, pointing out Qatar has launched a package of policies and legislative amendments to achieve decent work environment for expatriate workers and to establish and promote balanced and productive working relations between the two parties. HE also said that the State has issued a number of laws in favor of workers in the country, including Law No. (1) Of 2015, amending certain provisions of the Labor Law, including the introduction of the wage protection system, which guarantees the transfer of the workers' wages to their local bank accounts, as well as Law No. (21) of 2015 regulating the entry and exit of expatriates and their residence, which came into force at the end of 2016. HE also referred to Law No. 13 of 2017 amending certain provisions of the Labor Law, including the establishment of labor dispute settlement committees, with a view to establishing a speedy and effective remedy mechanism for the settlement of disputes between the worker and the employer, and finally the domestic workers act, as well as the establishment of the National Committee for Combatting Human Trafficking to act as the national coordinator for monitoring, preventing and combating trafficking in human beings. HE the Minister expressed his gratitude for participating in the Philippine celebrations of the 120th National Day and the Filipino Migrants Day, stressing that under the wise leadership of HH the Amir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani, the State of Qatar is keen to provide the suitable environment for foreign workers who contribute to building up its renaissance. HE the Minister of Administrative Development, Labor and Social Affairs pointed out that the Philippine community is close to 250 thousand, all of them are contributing to building the renaissance of the State of Qatar and participate in its progress, stressing that the Ministry is keen to overcome all obstacles and provide the needs to this community with regard to the rights of workers through constant communication between the Ministry and the embassy and the Labor Attach. (QNA)