Mr. William Gois, regional coordinator of the MFA signed the MOU with the Ministry of Labour’s Mr. Mohammed Hassan Al Obaidly, Assistant Undersecretary … reports Kaliph Anaz. The oil-rich Gulf state’s initiative will make other Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) to adopt the reforms
The Qatar government become the first Gulf state to reform the rights of migrant workers according to international standards. The oil-rich Gulf state’s initiative will make other Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) to adopt the reforms.
The Ministry of Labour (MOL) of the Qatar government and the Migrant Forum Asia signed an MoU. The MOU allows MFA to collaborate with the Ministry in facilitating access to, and effective use of, complaints mechanisms in Qatar.
Mr. William Gois, regional coordinator of the MFA signed the MOU with the Ministry of Labour’s Mr. Mohammed Hassan Al Obaidly, Assistant Undersecretary.
MFA will promote the use of the online complaints platform among migrant community habitats in Qatar and will provide feedback to MOL on how the complaints platform could be further strengthened. This will be carried out through quarterly training and awareness sessions.
Various migrant organisations and community leaders welcome the deal.
Mr Rafeek Ravuther, Executive Director, the Centre for Migrant Studies (CIMS), said Qatar’s initiative will bring reform to the entire Middle Eastern region.
“Migrant workers from South Asian countries constitute the largest number of the workforce in Middle Eastern countries, especially in the Arabian Gulf. Labour reforms are long-time over-due,” Mr Ravuther added.
Rights of Migrant Workers
The MoU signed in between MFA and MOL will address many of the contentious Labour issues. The MoU reflects the commitment of both parties to support migrant workers in lodging labour-related complaints and thereby enhancing their access to justice in a fair and timely manner.
The MOL and MFA agree to collaborate on promoting migrant workers’ access to, and effective use of, complaint mechanisms in Qatar. In particular, MFA will encourage the use of an online complaints platform among community focal points in Qatar and provide feedback to MOL on how the complaints platform could be further strengthened.
This will be carried out through training and awareness-raising sessions. These quarterly training sessions will be carried out by MFA focal points and community leaders. The purpose of the session will be to provide information on the Labour Law, and the procedures for filing complaints This includes the use of the online complaints platform, the conciliation process, the Labour Dispute Settlement Committees and the Workers’ Fund.
In 2021, the MOL established an online complaints mechanism, which greatly enhanced workers’ ability to lodge complaints, either directly or through an anonymous whistle-blower platform. Migrant workers and whistle-blowers are able to access the online complaints platform only while in Qatar. All complaints must be within one year after the end of the employment relationship, as per the Labour Law.
The MOL, International Labour Organization (ILO) and MFA co-organized a small group discussion on workers’ access to complaint mechanisms on 20 September 2021. The MOL presented the online complaints platform to representatives of civil society organizations based in countries of origin. Civil society participants recognized this as an opportunity for migrant workers in Qatar to receive improved services and shared experiences on how workers could potentially further benefit the implementation of the initiative.
This exchange triggered a discussion on how the parties could corporate in order to further enhance workers’ access to justice. As a network of civil society organizations with members providing assistance to distressed migrant workers, MFA has documented complaints from migrant workers across many countries, including Qatar, since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. There are cases in which workers leave Qatar with outstanding claims to wages, End of Service pay and other benefits. There are mechanisms through which they may be represented from abroad, however, it is important that workers lodge complaints with MOL prior to leaving the country.