ILO: Major positive shift in Qatar’s labour environment

A new report of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) reveals the “great shift” that the Qatari labour market has witnessed over the past few years, after legislation approved by the Qatari government to reform the labour sector came into force.

The report, issued by the ILO offi ce in Qatar, confi rms that the Qatari government is implementing reforms, and that the Ministry of Labour (MoL) is keen on perpetuating labour legislative reforms and continuing the partnership with ILO beyond the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 through continuous co-operation in the fi eld of developing and modernising reforms and legislation with various international organisations.

In a statement, the ministry said it “appreciates the report of the International Labour Organisation, and stresses the continuation of technical co-operation with ILO and the implementation of further programmes and activities during the forthcoming period”.

The ILO annual progress report covered the period from November 2021 to October 2022 and sorted out the progress made in terms of the priorities of the organisation’s programme based on four pillars: the labour market and labour migration management, labour law enforcement and access to justice, workers’ voice and social dialogue, international co-operation and exchange of experiences.

The 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.

It is 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 the 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 organisation’s office in Doha, which is the first in the region, and the leading role it plays in this fi eld.

It also highlighted the partnerships that bring together the MoL and the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC) with many specialised international organisations. The report presented the fi eld 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 Pacifi c (ITUC-Asia Pacifi c), and non-governmental organisations and trade unions from labourexporting countries. During these visits, memoranda of co-operation and partnership were signed between the MoL and these organisations.

The visiting delegations represented a mixture of national, sectoral and sub-regional trade unions, where they met with government officials, labour, management representatives and community liaison officers. They visited shared accommodation units, government offices and Red Crescent clinics.

According to the ILO report, 86% of workers confirmed 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. The workers were of multiple nationalities. They worked in various economic sectors, and another survey conducted by ILO stated that 98% of respondents received their wages on time.

The Technical Co-operation Programme helped enhance the participation between the MoL and civil society organisations in a constructive dialogue and saw a series of online meetings being held between the MoL

and the Migrants Forum in Asia (a coalition of civil society organisations from across Asia).

A memorandum of understanding was signed in October 2022 to promote co-operation in the areas of awareness-raising and training in 2023.

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 the MoL, Qatar Chamber, ILO and representatives from the international business community to discuss labour reforms.

The roundtable provided a platform to discuss what support international companies may need to comply with the new legislation, and how companies can also comply with the laws, including recruitment fees.

A brochure is being prepared documenting several interventions introduced in the hospitality sector in recent years, by the MoL, SC, ILO and others – including labour committees supporting labour management. The signing of memorandums of understanding with Singapore (on domestic work, accommodation and fair employment) and with Belgium (on labour inspection) is under discussion. Co-operation with Germany is also planned.

In addition to ongoing meetings with embassies and diplomatic delegations in Doha, the ILO has given briefings to senior officials and parliamentarians from Austria, Belgium, the European Union, Finland, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, the UK and the US.

The ILO report praised the experience of dialogue and co-operation during the preparation of the World Cup between the ILO, FIFA and football federations. This included providing briefings on the status of labour reforms, as well as providing support to football federations, and the ILO encouraged support for international football federations and sponsors to support the joint labour committees. (QNA)