listening post Number Woes A recent study by the National Human Rights Committee entitled "The Conditions of Unskilled Labourers in the Construction Sector in Qatar", based on a sample of 1,114 workers, revealed that 30% of workers in the construction sector are paid less than QR800 a month, while many more get less than QR1,100. The study suggested that these rates of pay may not be adequate for the workers to support their family dependants, as well as not meeting the aspirations of most workers. The study also talks about the existence of hidden problems, listing the main ones as follows:
68%
of the individuals sampled did not receive wages commensurate with the work done;
33%
of the sample said they did not receive their wages regularly;
31%
of the workers shared a single toilet in their accommodation and
43%
lived in a shared room
17.3%
of the sample said there was no drinking water in their accommodation. The study concluded that pay levels need to be raised in line with the cost of living in Qatar and the nature of the work carried out; safety in the workplace needs to be improved; employers must be required to provide meals, drinking water and toilets for workers; companies should be inspected to ensure they are meeting the requirements regarding workers' housing and medical care; there needs to be greater awareness among workers of their rights and of the labour laws and the agencies they can turn to; the sponsorship system needs to be brought into line with the labour law by curtailing some of the powers given to sponsors; and workers should have training workshops to raise their awareness of what the law provides for them in terms of rights and ways of improving their standard of living.
"There are those to do with international judicial cooperation, based on ,what is contained in the international Trafficking Protocol (the Protocol to
Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in is often underpaid, overworked and poorly Persons, especially Women and Children) - treated, Al-Malki accepts that the situawhich is another thing that distinguishes tion is indeed worrying and precarious. "It's the Qatari law from other Arab laws - in view not just a matter of relentlessly calling for of the fact that this is a transnational crime improvements in safety conditions in the and requires international cooperation, as workplace; there's an even more important preventive aspect, which is making a local efforts to combat it are not enough." Furthermore, anyone committing the good choice of workers to bring in. This is crime of human trafficking shall be pun- fundamental to achieving overall quality in ished with imprisonment for up to 15 years work and performance, especially when selection is based on precise criteria to ensure and a fine of up to QR300,000. The QFCHT had prepared a compara- workers have the specific skills and abilities tive study of all regional and international required. "Conversely, random, demand-led relegislation in order to take a close look at the best laws in this field, and pulled them cruitment of labour will have negative retogether into a reference work providing sults. The way to be sure of controlling the information on best practice in this area. quality of work and of the product depends It also conducted a workshop entitled "Fu- entirely on the quality of the workforce ture Prospects for the Draft Qatari Law on that is chosen to carry out occupations in Combating Human Trafficking", that gave the various sectors of development. The danger of cheap rise to a number of labour lies in the recommendations to likelihood of a speed up promulganumber of worktion of the law and ers absconding, make available all with negative and the prerequisites to “There is nothing lacking in the dangerous conseassist the committee law at present but quences for sociprepare a draft legisany law has to be updated and ety. And while care lative instrument on should be taken to combating human amended as new circumstances make good choices trafficking. arise with regard to the crime, of domestic workThis committee especially as it’s constantly ers too, there's anwas chaired by the evolving and changing" other important Supreme Council for aspect we need to Family Affairs and focus on which is to included as memimprove the workbers the QFCHT, the ing environment Interior Ministry, and conditions the Labour Ministry, in health, social and the Foreign Ministry and the National Human Rights Commit- technical terms, as well as providing extee. It worked on preparing the draft law patriate workers with suitable housing." until it reached the final drafting stage and The Qatari Labour Law (No. 14 of 2004) was then presented to the Chair of the Su- sets out the rights of expatriate workers preme Council for Family Affairs, and from and safeguards their occupational and there submitted to the Cabinet for careful moral health and safety. The law also study and discussion, before the crowning emphasises the employer's duty to warn workers of the risks of the job and inform success of the law finally being passed. them of ways of preventing accidents. The QFCHT has also issued a series of guideInternational perspective The US State Department publishes reports lines which it distributes to expatriate on human rights situations across the world, workers on their arrival in the country including the Gulf and Qatar. But Maryam through airports and border posts, giving Al-Malki feels reports coming out of the US them information about their rights, duare based on criteria that represent its point ties and obligations and the laws applying of view. "Qatar, meanwhile, has its own view- in the country as well as about the characpoint and realistic national criteria that it teristics, customs and traditions of Qatari uses in combating human trafficking in addi- society. "We are also keen to maintain a tion to the criteria incorporated in interna- presence, through the QFCHT office, at the Workers' Health Centre in the Industional conventions and treaties." On the issue of the large labour force that trial Area, to raise awareness," she adds
december 2011
Qatar Today 53