Available online. WebThe background to the ILO-Qatar technical cooperation programme. This will ensure that workers and their family members receive due compensation in case of occupational injuries. ", Events | Jobs | Media | Data Usage & Cookies | Contact Us. In March 2021, Qatar became the first country in the Gulf region to adopt a non-discriminatory minimum wage that applies to all workers, of all nationalities, in all sectors, including domestic work. 2022 World Cup host Qatar loosens rules for migrant workers. Teams such as Denmark and the Netherlands have been far more vocal in their criticism of working conditions and human rights than Fifa, which has banned players from wearing OneLove rainbow armbands. Perhaps most strikingly, there has been no meaningful reform of the prohibition of workers changing jobs without the consent of their employer, through the requirement to obtain a No objection certificate. Amnesty International. The draft law is part of a range of proposed labour reforms but there is no timeline for their implementation. Having time off is not only important for rest, but also for lodging any potential grievances with the relevant authorities. Migrant workers building Khalifa International Stadium in Doha for the 2022 World Cup have suffered systematic abuses, in some cases forced labour, Amnesty International reveals in a major new report published today (31 March). Replacing thenotoriously ineffective labour courts, the Committees were one of the most encouraging steps in Qatars labour reforms; promising to resolve their complaints and give workers a legally enforceable judgement within six weeks. The deaths of migrant workers in Qatar in the build-up to this years World Cup have drawn criticism across the world. Introduced a non-discriminatory minimum wage. 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In April 2019, His Excellency Mr Yousuf Mohamed Al Othman Fakhroo, the Minister of Administrative Development Labour and Social Affairs signed a decree regulating the conditions and procedures for the election of worker representatives in Joint Committees. After a period of intense negotiations, the State of Qatar and the ILO agreed on and launched a programme to support major labour reforms. The organization found that as many of 70% of migrant deaths are classified imprecisely, with Guardian data suggesting that 69% of deaths among Indian, Nepali and Bangladeshi workers have been categorised as natural. The government of Qatar has said 400 to 500 workers have died. However, over the past several years, Qatar has implemented extensive reforms to strengthen labour laws, and increase protections for migrant workers. Between 2021 and 2022, the number of workers complaints to Qatars Ministry of Labour The government employs multilingual male and female labour inspectors who are fully trained on all aspects of Qatari labour law. Getting a Red Card: Qatar's Treatment of Migrants Equated to "Modern-Day Slavery" by Civil Society, This year, a number of civil-society groups have highlighted the poor treatment of migrant workers in Qatar, with some calling their situation "modern-day slavery." New measures to prevent contract substitution, New measures to prevent passport confiscation. Consult the ILO website formore information about ILO's work in Qatar. Currently in Qatar, there are more than 160,000 migrant domestic workers, of which 60% are women, who are covered by Law No. If you'd prefer to view all available content regardless of language, please change this switch. The Kafala system is the framework that defines the legal status of most migrant workers in the Gulf region. The non-discriminatory minimum wage is the first law of its kind in the region. A new dedicated department for Occupational Health and Safety within Qatars Ministry of Labour is being created and is expected to focus on prevention of accidents at work and compliance of laws to protect workers. With less than four years until the World Cup kicks off, and more than a year since the ILO agreement was signed, it is essential that the Qatari authorities accelerate their efforts to truly transform the protections available to their migrant worker population. These standards, which are included in contracts awarded to companies working on World Cup sites, cover issues including ethical recruitment, timely payment of salaries, and a complete prohibition of forced labour. Airplane*. 2013. Qatar Visa Centres are an initiative led by the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Administrative Development, Labour and Social Affairs, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Public Health. Labour policy is a complex issue and one that cannot be solved overnight. WebThe general requirements according to the Ministry of Public Health Qatar are as follows: Visitors are no longer required to bring a PCR or Rapid Antigen test certificate before FIFPro. The standards, welcomed by a number of civil-society groups as an important sign of progress, prohibit charging workers recruitment fees and require employers in Qatar to reimburse the migrant workers for any fees they have paid in Qatar or abroad. On October 12, 2022, U.S. President Joe Bidens administration released the 2022 National Security Strategy (NSS). People watch a game at a fan zone designed for migrant workers on the outskirts of Doha. These major changes to Qatars labour law have significantly reduced migrants vulnerability to forced labour, which resulted from the inordinate control employers had over their lives. A ministerial decree (17) of 2021 has extended the legal working hours in outdoor working spaces from 1 June to 15 September, with work not being allowed between 10:00 to 15:30. 13 Dec 2016 Available online. Pattisson, Pete. There is universal acknowledgement that the work is not complete and more needs to be done to fully apply and enforce the reforms to Qatars labour law. While some workers have withdrawn their transfer applications due to fear of being sent back home, others told Al Jazeera they had to go into hiding pending the outcome, scared of being arrested and deported. 2013. A week later, she received a message that her sponsor had filed a runaway report against her. The online system was not able to handle the upsurge in requests and there was not enough consultation and conversation with businesses to allay their fears, added Saraswathi. Whether these developments ultimately have real, direct impact on migrant workers' welfare is far from certain. in Germany (VR 38088 B). The high profile of the tournament has drawn attention to Qatars dubious human rights record, including its hostility towards LGBT people, and the dangerous and exploitative conditions faced by the vast numbers of migrant workers who have built the infrastructure. Fundamentally reform the kafala system: allow all migrant workers to change jobs without their employers permission, decriminalise the charge of absconding, extend the abolition of the exit permit to all workers, and enforce the ban on passport confiscation. The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) estimates that around 500,000 to 1 million additional foreign construction workers will be required to help build an estimated US$220 billion worth of hotels, stadiums, other facilities, and infrastructure by 2022. In response to increasing international pressure from civil society, the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA), the World Cup's governing body, promised that issues raised by The Guardian's reporting and civil-society groups will be investigated and action taken. It has also partially reformed the Kafala system without completely abolishing it, ending the exit permit requirement for most workers, meaning those benefiting should now be able to leave the country without their employers permission. The impact of these reforms cannot be underestimated. 20 February 2023 Labour reforms in Qatar: Coming together around a shared vision. Today, migrants account for an average of 70 percent of the employed population in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), and over 95 percent of private sector workers in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. Kovessy, Peter. It was aWorldCuplike no other. The Lusail Stadium is one of the arenas constructed by migrant workers for the Qatar World Cup. While a number of workers have been successful in switching jobs, the majority of those interviewed by Al Jazeera experienced delays in the process as well as threats, harassment and exploitation by the sponsor, with some of the workers ending up in prison and eventually deported. Though the tournament was moved from summer to winter for the safety and comfort of players, officials and fans, workers are at risk of accidents, heat-related illnesses and other ailments related to the physical and mental strains of working long hours in extreme heat. In October 2013, for example, The Guardian reported that 44 Nepali workers had died in Qatar in just a two-month period, while Amnesty International reports in 2013 and 2016 documented large scale labour abuse in the construction sector, including forced labour, such as at Dohas Khalifa Stadium. World soccers governing body, Fifa, awarded Qatar a country slightly smaller than Connecticut with scant soccer pedigree the tournament in December 2010 in a bidding process that, according to American authorities, was riddled with corruption. His death was classed as heart failure, natural causes. Beyond the spotlight of the World Cup and Qatars broader construction boom, the countrys domestic workers also remain acutely vulnerable to abuse and excluded from some key protections and reforms. WebAn investigation has found serious labour abuses occurred at the World Cup and were not properly addressed, even though Amnesty International issued a 70-page report in April 2013. 1275 K St. NW, Suite 800, Washington, DC 20005 ph. How is the ILO programme in Qatar assessed? Her story is one of many Al Jazeera encountered when speaking to migrant workers who have recently tried to switch jobs. Despite the significant success of the measures taken to protect wages, there are still too many workers who wait months to see their salaries paid. The plight of migrant workers in Qatar, who have played a significant role in preparing the city for the World Cup, has cast a shadow over the tournament since it began four weeks ago. reporting by the Guardians Pete Pattisson. Fair recruitment practices and lessons learned need to be promoted further and expanded to the operations of the private and public sectors. This will drive greater competition in Qatars labour market by allowing employees to change employers and allowing employers to attract the best talent in the local market. None of the workers wanted to name their employers for fear of reprisal but some have reported them to Qatars labour ministry. The announcement [six months ago] was received with great hope but unfortunately it has not been implemented well and is far from being a success, Vani Saraswathi, director of projects at Migrant-Rights.Org, told Al Jazeera. Employees will no longer require No-Objection Certificates to terminate their contracts. Two dead as man opens fire at Moldova airport, Finland minister resigns over Nazi references. The Interior Minister Decision No. Qatar has announced the establishment of 20 Qatar Visa Centres (QVC) to create a unified visa system that expedites the recruitment process and protects the rights of workers by eliminating exploitative practices in their home countries. Under no circumstances should companies take advantage of the flaws in Qatars labour system to exploit workers. While other countries are trying to restrict migration, the German parliament has passed a radical new law to attract migrant workers to Germany. * Workers names have been changed to protect identities. Migrant workers, including domestic workers, also no longer require an employer-approved exit permit to leave the country. Too many cases for too few judges means that workers are waiting months sometimes up toeight for their complaints to be processed. Her ID was cancelled and she had a false abscondment case filed against her. International Trade Union Confederation. ", Other organizations have conducted investigations into working conditions for migrants in Qatar. The Qatari government has argued that the mortality rate among these communities is within the expected range for the size and demographics of the population. But statistics show that a large number of young or middle-aged men from Nepal, who would have undergone health checks before being allowed to enter Qatar, have died from heart problems. Coming from some of the worlds poorest countries, and working in sectors including construction, hospitality and domestic service, migrant workers make up 95% of the countrys labour force. A comprehensive training course on dispute resolution is being developed. Sheikh Thani also said that since Qatar won 2022 FIFA World Cup bid, some foreign newspapers and human rights organizations started to attack Qatar on the pretext Several hundred migrant workers are said to have died over the past few years in Qatar, Human rights groups have accused of Qatar of leaving foreign workers open to exploitation and abuse, Qatar is reported to be spending more than $200bn on infrastructure projects ahead of the World Cup, The surprising truth about frozen fruit. With all her paperwork in order, she applied for transfer in September last year, days after the law change was announced. The Government of the State of Qatar has implemented major labour reforms in the past few years, including: In March 2021, Qatar introduced a minimum wage of QAR 1,000, which applies to all employees across all sectors in Qatar, including domestic workers. Reality Check: Migrant Workers Rights with Four Years to Qatar 2022 World Cup, Committees for the Settlement of Labour Disputes (Committees, one of the most encouraging steps in Qatars, give workers a legally enforceable judgement, focused on 2000 workers from three companies , falling short of providing workers adequate, a lack of effective enforcement means that, option but to leave Qatar and return home, If Qatar is to change course and meet its commitments on improving access to justice, it needs to take action swiftly to increase the capacity of the Committees to manage cases, enhance their ability to hold perpetrators to account. Employers are obliged to transfer employees wages through Qatari banks, allowing the Ministry of Labour to monitor the transfers and reduce wage abuses. In early November, the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights sent Francois Crepeau, the UN special rapporteur on human rights, on an eight-day mission to Qatar to evaluate the situation of migrant workers. Employees can be placed on probation for a period agreed upon with their employer, as long as the period of probation is no more than six months from the date their work commenced. Effective/Applicability Date. FIFpro, the international footballers' union, said it was "deeply alarmed by reports of the brutal exploitation of migrant workers." In those cases where workers do receive positive judgements, a lack of effective enforcement means that companies are too often failing to pay the compensation ordered, forcing workers to continue their fight at the civil courts in an attempt to retrieve their money. Im in favour of treating workers well and giving them freedom and flexibility to move but what concerned me was having this done without regulations to monitor these processes and protect young entrepreneurs. The Dark Side of Migration: Spotlight on Qatar's Construction Sector Ahead of the World Cup. In its first meeting of 2021, Qatars Shura Council, an advisory body responsible for deliberating and making suggestions on a number of issues, recommended that migrant workers be prohibited from requesting a change of employer during their contract period unless there are reasons justifying this or with the approval of their employer. This progress makes Qatar the leader in the Gulf on labour reform as unlike others in the region, Qatars reforms are genuine, long-lasting, and the product of years of careful planning. News reporting on work-related injuries and deaths has varied, raising questions around the real number of occupational accidents in the country. Having been abandoned by their companies, with no pay for months and a lack offood and water, workers survive on charity handouts, their dire situations meaning many feel little option but to leave Qatar and return home with empty pockets. Over 350,000 applications to change jobs have been approved in the two years following the introduction of new legislation, with positive outcomes for Qatars economy as a whole. She has not received a salary increment during this period and her pay was less than what was in the contract she signed in the Philippines before travelling to Qatar. Before the labour reforms, platforms for dialogue between workers and management were extremely limited. Infantino later claimed Fifa deserved credit for influencing Qatar to improve standards, including abolishing its abusive kafala worker sponsorship system, and said that criticism of the country reeked of Western hypocrisy. 2013. Qatar's dependence on foreign workers is expected to intensify over the coming decade as it steps up its preparations to host the World Cup in 2022. The decree further states that workers must have access to heat stress training, access to personal protection equipment, and annual health checks.
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