DOHA: The high-level committee responsible for streamlining recruitment of domestic helps has proposed to review the job contracts to protect the rights of housemaids and their employers.
The committee held its first meeting at the Qatar Chamber offices yesterday chaired by Eng Ali bin Abdullatheef Al Misnad, chairman of the services committee of the business association.
The panel was set up last week in a meeting attended by representatives of Qatar Chamber, various ministries and manpower agencies to find a solution to all the problems related to recruitment of workers from abroad, especially domestic helps.
Yesterday’s meeting was attended by representatives from the Ministry of Administrative Development, Labour and Social Affairs, Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Foreign Affair, Ministry of Economy and Commerce and the recruiting agencies. The aim of the meeting was to discuss instructions of the Minister of Administrative Development, Labour and Social Affairs H E Dr Issa bin Saad Jafali Al Nuaimi regarding simplifying the recruitment process of domestic workers, reducing recruitment charges to eliminate the burden on families employing domestic helps and addressing the issue of delays in the recruitment process.
Manpower agencies attending the meeting insisted that the prices are linked with the fees imposed by the exporting countries as well as the recruitment service providing agencies in the source countries.
It is also linked to the strong competition between the countries in the region in recruitment of domestic workers, directly influencing the prices.
The participants agreed to discuss the issue in depth to find a solution to the hike in recruitment charges, without harming competitiveness.
Regarding delays in handing over of domestic workers, the agents pointed out that this is because of the long process in the source countries.
They recommended keeping in touch with the embassies concerned through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to ease the procedures and reduce the delays.
They also proposed a review of the contracts between the employers and manpower agencies and between employers and the workers with participation of the bodies concerned and frame suitable contracts in line with the Qatari policy of protecting the rights of expatriate workers and the employers. They recommended this review be done this month.
All recommendations of the meeting will be forwarded to the authorities concerned, said a statement from the Qatar Chamber yesterday.
The Peninsula
