Today, the whole world is celebrating the International Labour Day. The State of Qatar has more reasons to celebrate this May Day after the opening of the International Labour Organisation’s (ILO) first office in the Middle East in Doha on Sunday.
The opening of the ILO office is yet another step in ensuring Qatar’s exemplary legal system reflect global best practices. Qatar has been at the forefront in providing the best possible facilities for the workers and making sure that the employers safeguard and respect the rights and welfare of their workers.
Minister of Administrative Development, Labour and Social Affairs, H E Dr. Issa bin Saad Al Jafali Al Nuaimi, said that Qatar welcomes the opening of the ILO office and there is no doubt that it is another step in Qatar’s path to applying a system that simulates the best global standards. In ILO, “Qatar has a new partner to help it promote and protect the labour rights in the country,” the Minister said.
Qatar and the ILO signed a technical and cooperation agreement last October and the opening of the office is the fist step toward implementing the pact. Qatar holds a leading position in the region with regards to labour rights.
The technical agreement will augment Qatar’s pioneering position in safeguarding workers’ rights as the pact focuses on improving wages, improving work and occupational health and safety inspections, implementing a continual system and improving work conditions and procedures and enforcing complaint mechanism.
Qatar has already made great progress in all these areas. The implementation of Qatar Labour Law in 2004 was a big leap in this regard. The authorities have taken several steps to help employers in meeting the required labour standards through several workshops, training sessions and conferences among others.
On Saturday, the ILO and the Building and Wood Worker’s International (BWI) hailed Qatar’s commitment to the rights of workers and achievements it has made at the institutional and legislative levels to guarantee these rights.
Deputy-Director General of Operations and Partnerships at the ILO, Mousa Oumaro, said that Qatar has worked hard to make arrangements for a safe working environment in the World Cup projects. Secretary-General of BWI, Ambit Yusen, said: “Qatar gives a strong signal that the safety of workers is a priority.”
Vice-President of BWI, Dietmar Sheffers, said, “The work environment for construction projects in Qatar has witnessed significant achievements and developments in order to improve working conditions and provide a safe and secure environment.”
These statements are clear acknowledgments of Qatar’s efforts in safeguarding the welfare of its workforce. The country can boast of work site safety standards which not only meet, but often beat world’s best practices.
Enjoyable living conditions, good food and entertainment it provides to its workers and the cooperation with ILO will make the labour environment in Qatar the best in the world.
