ID :
360475
Tue, 03/17/2015 - 10:00
Auther :

Qatar's Labor Minister: State Entities Working to Ensure Rights of Workers

Doha, March 16 (QNA) - HE Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Dr. Abdullah bin Saleh Al Khulaifi said the ministry and all state entities are working hard to ensure the safety and rights of workers in Qatar, noting that the government is working to improve their conditions by building new housing and providing better working conditions. The minister made the remarks on Monday during an event at the Diplomatic Institute at the Foreign Ministry as part of the diplomatic salon, a Foreign Ministry initiative that brings state officials together with heads of accredited diplomatic missions to Doha to discuss important issues and present the reality in Qatar. HE Al Khulaifi said the ministry is using over 200 inspectors to monitor the situation of workers and make sure the rights guaranteed to them by Qatari law are not violated, adding that the number will increase to 300 in the near future. He added that the ministry is working with home nations to stop practices that harm workers, pointing to cooperation with the Nepalese embassy, which resulted in the suspension of 55 companies that violated the Qatari law there. The minister said that holding the World Cup in Qatar makes it necessary to improve the conditions of labor, unlike what, he said, is being reported in foreign media. HE Dr. Al Khulaifi noted that the presence of over 1.5 million residents is a huge challenge for Qatar but added that the country is up to it. He said that HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani has signed a decree stipulating that workers' salaries must be transferred to their personal bank accounts without delay. The minister added that other amendments were made as well in labor-related laws to prevent the seizing of passports by sponsors, to guarantee the payment of salaries and to ensure that contracts between the two sides are not violated. HE Al Khulaifi said the fact that there are over 1.5 million expats and thousands of projects in Qatar means that it's natural to have some violations. "We realize that our procedures were not completely implemented on the ground but we know that we are on the right track to eliminate these violations." The minister said the sponsorship law is currently under examination and has entered its legislative cycle, adding that the law is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Interior. As for the time frame of issuing the law, the minister said it is not possible to give a certain date but added that the law has become one of Qatar's commitments and, as it did in the past, he said, it will fulfil them. Dr. Al Khulaifi said the 'sponsor' term will be abolished and replaced by a contractual agreement between the employer and the employee that ensures rights and duties. (END)

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