Qatar could follow Bahrain
Qatar could follow Bahrain in scrapping sponsorship system
Manama: Qatar could be the second country in the Arabian Gulf after Bahrain to move towards scrapping the sponsorship system, its prime minister has said.
"The option to scrap the sponsorship system in Qatar has been a subject of study for a long time, and there are reports now being prepared by the ministries of interior and labour and social development," Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Shaikh Hamad Bin Jasem Bin Jabr Al Thani said.
"An ad-hoc committee has been set up to look into this issue so that it agrees on a decision that does not harm foreign workers and our citizens in assuming their responsibilities towards the sponsorship system," Shaikh Hamad was quoted by a local Arabic newspaper as saying.
Shaikh Hamad said that there was a need for an in-depth study.
"What Bahrain did was a great move, and we are studying the Bahraini law so that we can make the appropriate decision."
Bahrain in May said that it would on August 1 implement a new labour law that allows foreign workers to switch jobs without the consent of the employers. The move sparked praise by embassies accredited in Manama, international labour organisations and rights activists.
It has, however, been resisted by the business community, several members of parliament and political formations on the grounds that it would harm the local economy.
Majid Al Alawi, the Labour Minister who announced the new decision, has come under fire. Several business owners last week staged a rally in front of the office of Al Wefaq, Bahrain's largest parliamentary bloc.
hope it does
"New sponsors" : ??? Didn't they "Scrap the sponsorship system"
Minimum 1-year: so new companies can't employ anybody.
What if I owned 99 companies and start a new one, I can't employ anybody there?
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We would also need guarantees of employer's rights, guarantees that an employee will perform his/her contract....
The business community are trying to fight back, by saying that all the expats will just switch jobs randomly and share trade secrets.
They are afraid of losing their grip of power and money.
However...
From todays GDN....
"MANAMA: New sponsors must be authentic employers, holding a minimum one-year-old commercial registration, while expatriate workers can change sponsors only once a year, Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) first deputy chairman Ibrahim Zainal said. He was speaking at a quartet committee meeting on criteria regulating the new labour market reforms allowing expatriate workers to swap jobs without the sponsor's consent. "
http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/NewsDetails.aspx?storyid=251844
I like the way they say 'New sponsors must be authentic employers, holding a minimum one-year-old commercial registration,'
Its the same sponsors who are abusing their powers, and have been for years, so nowt has changed.
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I think you have me confused with someone who gives a sh1t.
Surely, scrapping the sponsorship system would increase the unemployed expats staying longer in Qatar trying find new work.
Can't scrap sponsorship system unless infrastructure is in place to (a) mutually enforce contracts including workers getting paid and treated as promised when fulfilling their obligations to employer, which means the equivalent of an employee rights agency, (sorta like Brit and jack says) and (b) immigration rules aligned so those without jobs don't just show up and troll about for months on end and create a permanent underclass and add additional costs to the country (as blue points out). Qatar is blessed to have very little of the latter and all that comes with it in terms of crime, resentment, etc.
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A wise young crackpot knows no fear - Ian Dury.
At least people will not have to stick with companies ...who dont pay them their wages.....
These are the companies who are making the biggest noises....since they will have to start paying their employees.
I am sure there could be many companies who have completed many projects and left Qatar without paying a single penny to their staff........The person who protests is kicked out and an new guy brought in.......Now this is what is called slave trade!!!
My boss has already welcomed the scrapping of sponsorship system, he feels nothing going to change his buisness,and he hopes he would get good qualified and experienced workers from Qatar itself,
Its a good news for both employees and Company's...we should take it in a positive way..
I'll tell you one thing, if there's no sponsorship system here, I won't bring anybody from abroad, let somebody else foot the bill for bringing them here, familiarizing them with the country, and training them enough to do the actual work.
I'll also ask my employees to do a lot more than they're doing now, I'll require exactly 28800 seconds of work each day.
Bahrain's Mr Alawi tried to implement a "six year" mximum rule, but it didn't pass. His logic was that locals need to be brought in to replace expats, but more importantly, he felt that long term expats created ghettos and destroyed local culture.
This is years away here. Agree with brit since the top line won't change working to improve the practices below that far more likely to yield results.
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A wise young crackpot knows no fear - Ian Dury.
Cannot be implemented without critical thinking and the Rulers to accept that relaxing these rules will come at a price.
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HE WHO DARES WINS
Didn't Bahrain introduce a 7 year maximum rule around the same time?
I would prefer to keep the "sponsorship system", but work aggressively to address the employee abuse issues.
We would need to learn some lessons from bahrain's move, so we should wait a couple of years before studying the pros/cons of the issue.
I expect: The Qatari economy (Small/Medium Businesses) could crumble if this is implemented here... Wages will skyrocket and people would move to work for the highest bidder. Prices will go up to supply these increases.
Big business would scoop-up all the good people from the market, and SMBs would be stuck with the worst.
"Shaikh Hamad said that there was a need for an in-depth study."
That means a couple of years at least then :)
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"Every adult of sound mind, should be able to choose to do whatever they want, as long as they cause no harm to others".
then they must treat them/us well with proper benefits and follow what really are the rules in labor law... companies here has their own labor law as well.
"Several business owners last week staged a rally in front of the office of Al Wefaq, Bahrain's largest parliamentary bloc"...
I can see the tables are turning.... Cheers!!!
Now Qatar will be a Great Nation , Nothing bad will happen to the companies, only will harm to the bosses who ruled slaves,
Keep going Qatar.....
if you treat your staff with the respect they deserve and pay them their actual dues, there is no need to fear losing them.... Most expats here would have come from a culture of loyalty to their employers - so if they are getting everything out of the deal they were promised, there is no need for people to 'jump ship' to other companies.
Acutally this might be a good thing in that employers start to realise they need to treat their staff like humans and not machines - they will get far more loyalty from them....
"if you don't like the heat... get out of the kitchen... but stop trying to fan the flames before you leave... it will burn you on the a** as you go through the doorway...." ME
visit www.qaws.org
really good for those who are suffering coz of sponsors
i did hear this last month about Bahrain...lets see how far it works coz here rules change as day and night.........
Life is a play with out a script ...
for everybody!!!
........tsk! tsk! tsk! Ganun pala nangyari sa miting ng mga Heneral!!!!!!
"Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship"
definitely not good for the companies...