Reforms have improved working and residing situations for a whole bunch of hundreds of staff, ILO says in a brand new report.
Qatar has made progress in its labour reforms however challenges of their implementation stay, the Worldwide Labour Group (ILO) has mentioned in a brand new report launched 19 days earlier than the beginning of the World Cup.
The report particulars progress made since technical cooperation between the United Nations’ labour company and the Qatari authorities began in April 2018.
It mentioned reforms have improved the working and residing situations for a whole bunch of hundreds of staff – estimated to type 85 % of Qatar’s inhabitants – although extra efforts are wanted to make sure that all staff can profit.
“We’ve been on an extended journey with Qatar – and the reforms and the cooperation with the worldwide group are certainly important for the area,” Ruba Jaradat, ILO regional director for the Arab States, mentioned in a press release.
“All of us acknowledge that we aren’t but on the end line, and we’ll construct on this strong basis to handle the gaps in implementation, and be sure that all staff and employers can totally profit from these main reforms.”
Highlight on Qatar
Qatar’s therapy of migrant staff and its human rights file have been underneath the highlight because it was awarded the internet hosting of soccer’s 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Beforehand, the Gulf state required staff to get their employer’s permission to alter jobs. In August 2020, Qatar introduced adjustments to the labour legislation, together with scrapping the necessity for a no-objection certificates (NOC) to alter employment.
The announcement was the most recent in a sequence of labour reforms which it mentioned had been a part of a course of launched earlier than it was awarded the World Cup.
The ILO, within the report, added that Qatar’s labour ministry has accredited about 350,000 functions by migrant staff to alter jobs within the two years since these reforms had been launched.
The report added that many staff nonetheless face hurdles in leaving jobs and transferring to new ones, together with retaliation from their employers.
Employees have additionally instructed Al Jazeera of the difficulties in switching jobs, from cancellation of residency permits and threats of deportation by personal sponsors and false absconding instances registered towards them.
In March final 12 months, Qatar change into grew to become the primary nation within the Gulf to undertake a minimal wage that applies to all staff.
The brand new laws ensured all workers obtain a minimal month-to-month wage of 1,000 Qatari riyals ($275), in addition to a minimal allowance of 300 riyals for meals and 500 riyals for housing, except their employer supplies each.
ILO mentioned 280,000 individuals noticed their salaries rise to the brand new minimal threshold – termed insufficient by staff and rights teams – because the new laws was launched.
Final month, Qatar’s emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani mentioned his nation confronted an “unprecedented marketing campaign” of criticism within the lead-up to the World Cup.
“Since we received the honour of internet hosting the World Cup, Qatar has been subjected to an unprecedented marketing campaign that no host nation has ever confronted,” Sheikh Tamim mentioned in a speech. “We initially handled the matter in good religion, and even thought of that some criticism was constructive and helpful, serving to us to develop elements of ours that have to be developed.
“But it surely quickly grew to become clear to us that the marketing campaign continues, expands and consists of fabrication and double requirements, till it reached a degree of ferocity that made many query, sadly, about the true causes and motives behind this marketing campaign.”