Most firms following Ramadan work hours
By Sarmad Qazi/Staff Reporter
Strict enforcement of Ramadan working hours by the Labour Department this year has benefited most labourers in Qatar.
In the previous years, as most companies felt that following the labour law regarding Ramadan working hours was optional, labourers continued to work their usual 10-12 hour long shifts that start at 6am.
The labour law in Qatar calls for a six-hour work day during Ramadan for all – Muslims and non-Muslims alike – in addition to two hours of permitted overtime.
“The shift still starts at 6am but ends at 12pm. Some of our non-Muslim colleagues agreed to work overtime since the company is eager to end the project on time,” Akram, an Egyptian labourer working at a building site in Doha, said.
“But it’s still a long day for us. We remain awake after the Suhour (ends at 4am) since the bus collects us at 5am from the camp in Rayyan,” he added.
Another low-income worker, a non-Muslim, at a site near the Villagio, said he and his colleagues are required to work only six hours as their supervisor is a Muslim.
According to Article 73 of the Qatari Labour Law Number (14) of 2002: “The maximum ordinary working hours ... (during the) month of Ramadan shall be 36 hours per week at the rate of six hours per day.
The time spent by the worker in transportation to and from the place of work and residence of the worker shall not form part of the working hours.”
On Ramadan, the Law further states: “The working hours shall include an interval or more for prayer, rest and taking of meals which interval or intervals shall not be less than one hour and shall not be more than three hours. The said intervals shall not be taken into consideration in calculating the working hours in fixing the rest interval but the worker shall not work more than five consecutive hours.”
For juveniles under the age of 16, Article 90 of the Law calls for a work day of not more than four hours during Ramadan.
However, there are companies, especially the cleaning firms which fail to observe the law as some cleaners in offices were found to be working far more than the stipulated schedule.
Senior officials at the Ministry of Labour have recently reiterated that the law is there for all to follow, failing which there will be consequences.
In an interview with Gulf Times last month, Labour Inspection Department manager Mohamed Saeed al-Naimi had said the inspection teams of the Department will continue to check whether companies are flouting the timings during Ramadan.
"Deaths in the Bible. God - 2,270,365
not including the victims of Noah's flood, Sodom and Gomorrah, or the
many plagues, famines, fiery serpents, etc because no specific numbers
were given. Satan - 10."
Most firms following Ramadan work hours
By Sarmad Qazi/Staff Reporter
Strict enforcement of Ramadan working hours by the Labour Department this year has benefited most labourers in Qatar.
In the previous years, as most companies felt that following the labour law regarding Ramadan working hours was optional, labourers continued to work their usual 10-12 hour long shifts that start at 6am.
The labour law in Qatar calls for a six-hour work day during Ramadan for all – Muslims and non-Muslims alike – in addition to two hours of permitted overtime.
“The shift still starts at 6am but ends at 12pm. Some of our non-Muslim colleagues agreed to work overtime since the company is eager to end the project on time,” Akram, an Egyptian labourer working at a building site in Doha, said.
“But it’s still a long day for us. We remain awake after the Suhour (ends at 4am) since the bus collects us at 5am from the camp in Rayyan,” he added.
Another low-income worker, a non-Muslim, at a site near the Villagio, said he and his colleagues are required to work only six hours as their supervisor is a Muslim.
According to Article 73 of the Qatari Labour Law Number (14) of 2002: “The maximum ordinary working hours ... (during the) month of Ramadan shall be 36 hours per week at the rate of six hours per day.
The time spent by the worker in transportation to and from the place of work and residence of the worker shall not form part of the working hours.”
On Ramadan, the Law further states: “The working hours shall include an interval or more for prayer, rest and taking of meals which interval or intervals shall not be less than one hour and shall not be more than three hours. The said intervals shall not be taken into consideration in calculating the working hours in fixing the rest interval but the worker shall not work more than five consecutive hours.”
For juveniles under the age of 16, Article 90 of the Law calls for a work day of not more than four hours during Ramadan.
However, there are companies, especially the cleaning firms which fail to observe the law as some cleaners in offices were found to be working far more than the stipulated schedule.
Senior officials at the Ministry of Labour have recently reiterated that the law is there for all to follow, failing which there will be consequences.
In an interview with Gulf Times last month, Labour Inspection Department manager Mohamed Saeed al-Naimi had said the inspection teams of the Department will continue to check whether companies are flouting the timings during Ramadan.
http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=312766...
"Deaths in the Bible. God - 2,270,365
not including the victims of Noah's flood, Sodom and Gomorrah, or the
many plagues, famines, fiery serpents, etc because no specific numbers
were given. Satan - 10."