Minister of Labor: Qatar Adopted Pioneering Legislation, Institutional Labor Reforms

Singapore, December 06 (QNA) - HE Minister of Labor Dr. Ali bin Samikh Al Marri said that the State of Qatar is moving forward in developing economic legislation that reflects a future-exploring vision, through the implementation of its National Vision 2030 and related strategies, the application of international labor standards, and the realization of basic principles and rights at work. The State of Qatar adopted a series of pioneering legislative and institutional reforms in the region, which led to the improvement of working conditions and ensuring a decent living for all laborers, indicating that these reforms included many aspects, the most important of which is the abolition of the sponsorship system, facilitating the job transition process, and providing fair employment through Qatar visa centers, and setting a minimum wage, His Excellency said. This came during HE the Minister of Labor's speech at the plenary session discussing report of the Director-General of the International Labor Organization entitled "Renewed Social Justice for a Human-Centered Recovery", which was held within the framework of the 17th regional meeting of the Asia-Pacific countries, currently in session in the Singaporean capital until Dec. 9. HE Dr. Ali bin Samikh Al Marri, who is heading Qatar's delegation to the meeting, stated that the Ministry of Labor worked to establish a digital platform for complaints, as the majority of complaints were a result of the delay in the payment of wages and end-of-service benefits. He noted that more than 280,000 workers, or about 13% of the total workforce in the private sector, have had their basic wages increased to the minimum wage. He added that social justice is a basic principle of peaceful coexistence among people, which is what the State of Qatar believes in, stressing that achieving social justice requires the availability of many factors, including: equality, non-discrimination, equal opportunities, and restoring priority to decent work in national, international and multilateral sustainable development strategies, through close cooperation between stakeholders, especially the tripartite bodies that make up the International Labor Organization. HE Dr. Ali bin Samikh Al Marri stressed that the State of Qatar has taken an effective approach to address the COVID-19 pandemic and its health and economic effects, by taking many measures to ensure social protection for all members of society, noting that this policy mitigated the repercussions of crises and challenges facing the global economy. His Excellency stressed that there are new legislation enacted to increase the protection of workers from heat stress, raise awareness of occupational safety and health, update the inspection policy by training labor inspectors, as well as raise awareness among domestic laborers, amplify the voice of laborers and encourage social dialogue, implement digital government initiatives, combat trafficking and forced labor, as well as the creation of a safe and balanced work environment in accordance with the standards of the International Labor Organization. HE the Minister revealed that the State of Qatar will host next March, the 5th United Nations Conference for the Least Developed Countries, to meet the needs and priorities of these countries and contribute to supporting their path towards achieving development in line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. His Excellency also participated in the high-level session along with Their Excellencies the Ministers of Labor, representatives of employers' federations and representatives of labor unions, with the aim of discussing the broad economic context of the labor market in the Asia-Pacific region and the Arab countries, which is reflected through various economic policies and various labor policies which are necessary to promote a human-centered recovery. The four-day conference will discuss the commitment of the production parties regarding joint work priorities that will contribute to shaping the parameters of the activities of The International Labor Organization in the Asia-Pacific region and the Arab region in the upcoming years. Qatar's participation in the 17th meeting for Asia-Pacific countries comes within the framework of cooperation with various international organizations in exchanging expertise and experience in the field, and consulting on the implementation and development of various mechanisms, in addition to reviewing the most prominent achievements of the State of Qatar in the labor sector over the past years. (QNA)