Doha: A report of the International Labour Organization (ILO) has revealed the great shift that the Qatari Labour market witnessed during the past few years after the implementation of the legislation approved by the Qatari government to reform the labour sector.
The report, issued by ILO office in Qatar yesterday, said that the Qatari government is implementing reforms and that the Qatari Ministry of Labour is keen on carrying out labour legislative reforms and continuing the partnership with ILO beyond the 2022 World Cup, through cooperation programmes with international organisations.
The annual report covered the period from November 2021 to October 2022.
It sorted out the progress made in the priorities of the organisation’s programme, based on its four pillars, the labour market and labour migration management, labour law enforcement and access to justice, workers’ voice and social dialogue, international cooperation and exchange of experiences.
According to the ILO report, 86 % of workers said that the reforms had a positive impact on their lives, according to a survey commissioned in May and June 2022, among 1,036 low-paid workers residing in shared accommodation sites, and the workers were of multiple nationalities. They work in various economic sectors, and another survey conducted by ILO stated that 98 % of respondents received their wages on time.
According to the Wages Protection Law, the Qatari authorities monitor the salaries and allowances paid to workers, and discover violations, which reduces wage disputes and relieves some of the workload on labour dispute settlement committees.
There are 67,128 companies registered in the wage protection system until August 2022, and 98 % of respondents, according to survey, reported that they received their wages on time, while 89 % received their salaries through the bank. The report pointed out that more than 280,000 workers, or approximately 13% of the total workforce in the private sector, witnessed an increase in their basic wages, when the minimum wage law came into force in March 2021.
The ILO report pointed to the establishment of a national platform for accident notification, based on the foundations of Qatar National Vision 2030 and the National Health Strategy, where data collection, analysis and dissemination remains a top priority, and it is expected to be fully operational by mid-2023. The Qatari Ministry of Labour and ILO continue the programme to support social dialogue by supporting the establishment of joint committees at the enterprise, public and private sector levels in four priority sectors: transportation, construction, private security and hospitality, where 613 workers now represent more than 40,000 employees in 71 Joint Committee.
ILO report reflected a clear picture of the most important legislative reforms and achievements that took place in Qatar. It also showed the process of implementing the laws and decisions of the Ministry of Labour.
Supported by accurate statistics in many areas, the most important of which is the right of workers to change their jobs, inspection campaigns conducted by Ministry of Labour (MoL), oversight of the application of the wage protection system, the positive impact of legislative reforms on the lives of workers, and others.
The ILO report focused on the strong partnership between the Ministry of Labour and ILO and the role of the ILO office in Doha, which is the first in the region, and the leading role it plays in this field.
It also highlighted the partnerships that bring together the Ministry of Labour and the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, with many specialised international organizations.
The report presented the field visits made by many federations and international trade unions, such as The African Regional Organisation of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC-Africa), The International Trade Union Confederation - Asia Pacific (ITUC-Asia Pacific), non-governmental organisations and trade unions from Labour-exporting countries. During these visits, memoranda of cooperation and partnership were signed between the MoL and these organizations where delegations were received from ITUC-Africa (11 members) and ITUC-Asia Pacific (10 members) in Qatar.
The visiting delegations represented a mixture of national, sectoral and sub-regional trade unions where they met with government officials, labour and management representatives and community liaison officers. They visited shared accommodation, government offices and Red Crescent clinics. Press releases were issued by ITUC Africa and ITUC-AP following the visits. The report drew attention to the regular dialogues conducted by the ILO office in Doha, with companies to discuss the status of reforms, risks related to their operations, and measures that can be taken to mitigate these risks.
A roundtable was held with MoL, Qatar Chamber of Commerce and Industry, ILO and representatives from the international business community, to discuss labour reforms.
A brochure is being prepared documenting several interventions introduced in the hospitality sector in recent years, by MoL, SC, ILO and others, including Labour committees supporting labour management. The signing of memoranda of understanding with Singapore (on domestic work, accommodation and fair employment) and with Belgium (on Labour inspection) is under discussion. Cooperation with Germany is also planned.
