Museum of Islamic Art not paying salaries
I recently became aware from a friend that the Museum authority has summarily cut salaries for many employees to the tune of 40-60%. Apparently it only affects those hired after a certain date (12 mo. ago or so), and only because they recently moved to come under the Emiri Diwan's umbrella (and apparently the Diwan doesn't allow any special allowances beyond one's base salary, and lots of different allowances is what makes up the Museum employees' salaries).
So without warning, many have had their salaries halved overnight. Thankfully, Sheikha Mayassa seems to have stepped in to make up the difference until things get sorted, but the wheels of justice work slowly here, even more so in the summer months.
If they don't get things straightened out quickly, there could be a mass exodus and bad PR/irreparable damage to the Museum's rep. But I am not sure if that's a real concern to them here, as I get the feeling that their attitude is one of "we needed you people for initial credibility, to get things up and running, but now that it's open we can handle it ourselves."
I feel badly for the folks who work there, who are having to endure this indignity, the uncertainty of how long the Sheikha will continue to (herself) make up the difference, and don't know when this will be resolved.
Can't say I am surprised, though. And that is what is most disappointing -- that in 2009 stuff like this continues to happen, and in such a high profile institution.
Qatar should be capable of better than this.
sadly i got friends working there and believe me they don't even know how much exactly they gonna get at the end of the month with all these reductions.. and people with high position doesn't even care the cause and effect of it.. and to think some people working there have their families with them here in qa..:(
and not the worst of what has happened there. But insha'Allah, they'll get their legs under them and with some experience will improve. It is problematic for people working there, and I know some who are really frustrated. I would add though that museums are fraught with politically motivated problems and altogether not the most pleasant places to work (having been in the museum world myself). You should see the cut-throat world of the BM! :-(
I refuse to drink the kool-aid! -- PM
I was under the impression that the 'Art and Empire' exhibition, or whatever it was called, was cancelled by the BA because the MIA dicked them around too much.
But I could be wrong.
I don't know about the British Museum snafu you referred to, but they have held the British Museum on retainer, kind of like consultants, so maybe they figure if they're doing that, then they don't need their own in-house staff to do things like date pieces and research artifacts.
And there's nothing wrong with that thinking, but jeez....grow a pair and give folks a head's up that that's the plan.
"Most plain girls are virtuous because of the scarcity of opportunity to be otherwise."
-- Maya Angelou
Wasn't there already an issue between the MIA and the British Museum where the BM was due to hold an exhibition there, but MIA screwed them around too much?
The museum world is very small, but I don't think anyone here would care if anyone left.
There is probably already someone upstairs who thinks that there is a cohort of Qataris ready to take the places of all the 'sub-standard' ex-pats.
it depends on the 'mass exodus' of which ex pats though.
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Man makes plans...............God smiles ;-)
but I don't think people with MA's and PhD's in Islamic Art History are quite a dime a dozen as many other professions are...
And the museum world is rather small and well connected; if these folks go walking, you can bet that everyone else around the world who works in the arts will know the reason why, and then Qatar will be much less likely to find people willing to risk getting dicked around to come here...
"Most plain girls are virtuous because of the scarcity of opportunity to be otherwise."
-- Maya Angelou
No one will care if there is a "mass exodus" of expats.. There will be plenty more ready to take their place.. Bad PR doesn't count for anything here..
been happening to the Qataris. As I said in the post, the oversight of the MIA employees moved the Diwan 1-2 months ago, and per their rules, they do not pay any sort of allowances.
But that's how most of the MI employees' salaries are structured: a relatively modest base salary, topped up with a housing allowance, transportation allowance, etc. So it's these monies, the allowances, that many of them are being docked.
Can't say whether it affects any Qatari nationals. The ones I have heard from/about are all expats -- mostly westerners, a few Arabs.
"Most plain girls are virtuous because of the scarcity of opportunity to be otherwise."
-- Maya Angelou
Well something doesn't add up then.
If it's true that non-Qataris have had their salaries or allowances or whatever reduced (and I've heard this from other people too, so I have no reason to disbelieve it) then the staff are being screwed unfairly.
Very bad PR.
IS a government institution (Qatar Museum Authority). Therefor, the National HR law is applied there too.And as you said Fubar, so far it's only applicable on Qataris.
I thought salaries were only cut for Qataris in government institutions?
What is the reasoning for cutting the salaries of ex-pats at the museum?
And is this a sign of things to come for other ex-pats working here??