GCO highlights various labour reforms introduced by Qatar
Government Communications Office (GCO) highlighted all the various measures taken by Qatar to protect the rights of both employers and workers.
Qatar’s rapid infrastructure development and fast-growing economy have attracted hundreds of thousands of expatriates seeking to better their lives and the lives of their families.
Qatar currently provides jobs for almost two million people.
Government Communications Office (GCO) recently highlighted all the various measures taken by Qatar to protect the rights of both employers and workers.
Here is what Qatar has most notably done:
- Introduced new laws that mean most workers no longer need exit permits to leave the country.
- Announced procedures allowing workers to change employment freely, without requiring a No-Objection Certificate (NOC) from their previous employer.
- Introduced a non-discriminatory minimum wage.
- Announced the establishment of 20 Qatar Visa Centres (QVCs) in India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Philippines and Tunisia, which will expedite the recruitment process and ensure workers do not get exploited in their home countries.
- Established a Workers’ Support and Insurance Fund which will ensure and provide care for workers, guarantee their rights, and provide a healthy and safe working environment.
- Qatar’s reforms have been recognized by major human rights groups and UN organisations. This progress makes Qatar the leader in the Gulf on labour reform as unlike others in the region, Qatar’s reforms are genuine, long-lasting, and the product of years of careful planning.
Reforming Qatar’s Labour Laws
The Government of the State of Qatar has implemented major labour reforms in the past few years, including:
Minimum wage
In August 2020, the government introduced a non-discriminatory minimum wage of QAR 1000 per month.
An additional QAR 500 must be allocated per month by the employer for accommodation expenses, and QAR 300 per month for food, unless provided by the employer.
The minimum wage is the first of its kind in the Middle East and will provide additional stability to Qatar’s labour market.
No-Objection Certificates
Employees will no longer require No-Objection Certificates to terminate their contracts.
Following the Qatar National Vision 2030’s aim of attracting workers, protecting their rights and ensuring their safety, the new decision will encourage economic growth and open doors for investors, employers and employees alike. This will drive greater competition in Qatar’s labour market by allowing employees to change employers and allowing employers to attract the best talent in the local market.
The new law also indicates the following for employees:
Employees will have the ability to pursue new opportunities in Qatar and strengthen the economy through local and international business.
Employees will be able to terminate their contract providing at least one month’s written notice if they have worked with the employer for two years or less, or two months’ notice if they have worked with the employer for over two years.
Employees can be placed on probation for a period agreed upon with their employer if the period of probation is no more than six months from the date their work commenced.
In the case that employees had access to sensitive information, the employer can stipulate that the employee cannot compete with them on any projects or work within a year of ending the contract.
The cancelling of exit permissions
On 16 January 2020, the Interior Minister Decision No. 95 of 2019 was issued, indicating that with immediate effect, exit permits have been removed for all expatriates who are not subject to Qatar’s Labour Law.
The new law allows almost all migrant workers in Qatar – including domestic workers – to leave the country without first obtaining permission from their employers, except for military personnel.
To protect the rights of both employers and domestic workers, domestic workers must notify employers at least 72 hours prior to their departure.
The decision also stipulates that the employer has the right to submit a prior reasoned request to the Ministry of Interior including the names of those whom they deem necessary to obtain prior approval before leaving the country due to the nature of their work if it does not exceed 5% of employees.
Domestic workers law
In August 2017, His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani issued Law No. 15 of 2017, which regulates the relationship between domestic workers and their employers.
The law advances the rights of domestic workers in accordance with the provisions of the International Labour Organisation’s Convention No. 189 on working conditions for domestic workers.
The Ministerial Decision No. 95 of 2019 further allows domestic workers to leave the country without first obtaining permission from their employers.
In order to protect the rights of both employers and domestic workers, domestic workers must notify employers at least 72 hours prior to their departure.
Joint Committees
In April 2019, His Excellency Mr Yousuf Mohamed Al Othman Fakhroo, the Minister of Administrative Development Labour and Social Affairs signed a decree regulating the conditions and procedures for the election of worker representatives in Joint Committees.
This decree will allow workers in companies with 30 or more employees to elect their own representatives.
Joint Committees bring together representatives of management and facility workers into regular communication over workplace issues.
This includes topics such as the organisation of work, ways to increase production and development, workers’ training programmes, risk prevention tools, and ways to improve the level of adherence to occupational safety and health rules.
Workers’ Support and Insurance Fund
In October 2018, His Highness the Amir issued Law No. 17 of 2018 to establish the Workers’ Support and Insurance Fund. The fund protects workers from the impact of overdue or unpaid wages in instances where the employer has gone out of business or been forced to close due to illegal activity.
Qatar Visa Centres
Qatar has announced the establishment of 20 Qatar Visa Centres (QVC) to create a unified visa system that expedites the recruitment process and protects the rights of workers by eliminating exploitative practices in their home countries.
Qatar Visa Centres will be located in India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Philippines and Tunisia.
Qatar Visa Centres are an initiative led by the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Administrative Development, Labour and Social Affairs, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Public Health.
ILO first project office opens in Doha
The International Labour Organisation (ILO) inaugurated its first project office in Qatar on 30 April 2018. The office will support the implementation of a comprehensive technical cooperation programme on working conditions and labour rights in Qatar.
This announcement is an acknowledgement of the important steps the Qatari government has taken to develop a modern labour system that is fair to employers and employees alike.
Labour Dispute Resolution Committees
In March 2018, Qatar established Labour Dispute Resolution Committees with the aim of improving access to justice by settling labour disputes within three weeks of a migrant worker filing a complaint.
Regulating the entry, exit, and residence of expatriates
In 2015, the State of Qatar issued Law No. 21 of 2015, which introduces new provisions regulating the entry, exit and residency requirements for Qatar’s workers. The law came into effect on 13 December 2016 and introduced new provisions that provide:
- Freedom to change jobs
- New measures to prevent contract substitution
- Greater transparency
- Enhanced representation
- New measures to prevent passport confiscation
- Wage Protection System
The Government has also legislated to protect workers from wage exploitation through the introduction of a Wage Protection System (WPS).
The law seeks to end a cash-in-hand culture that puts workers at risk throughout the world. In addition, it also grants new powers to the Qatari authorities to monitor wage payment and ensures that migrant workers are being paid in full and on time, as stipulated in their contracts.
Health, safety & welfare
The government employs multilingual male and female labour inspectors who are fully trained on all aspects of Qatari labour law.
These individuals have the ability to file reports instantly from the location using GPS-equipped electronic handheld devices.
The government also has channels available for individuals to report grievances against their employer. A 24/7 hotline has been set-up for workers and 11 electronic kiosks have been set-up in locations across Qatar (operating in 11 languages) for workers to file anonymous complaints.
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