The participants at the Community Leaders Forum on Workers’ Welfare in the Construction and Allied Sectors. Pic: Baher Amin / The Peninsula
DOHA: The Ministry of Administrative Development, Labour and Social Affairs (MADSLA) is keen to work with the newly opened International Labor Organisation (ILO) office in Doha and other international organisations to raise awareness among migrant workers of their rights as provided by Qatar’s labour law.
This was underlined by Mohammad Hassan Al Obaidly, Chairman of Labour Sector at MADSLA, during the “Community Leaders’ Forum on Workers’ Welfare in the Construction and Allied Sectors” organised by Building and Woodworkers International (BWI) on the eve of Labour Day.
The forum, held at Holiday Inn Doha, saw the attendance of leaders of different sectors of expatriate communities as well as officials of ILO, BWI and International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC).
“For the next step, we will be working closely with ILO regarding providing awareness, communicating and explaining to you everything about Qatar’s labour law. The objective of us working with the ILO, BWI and ITUC is that we are keen to provide you with all the protection and your rights,” Al Obaidly told the community leaders.
He stressed the Ministry considers migrant workers as partners in the prosperity of the country and urged the BWI and ILO to regularly hold such forums with the community. The forum provided a chance for the community leaders to directly ask crucial questions such as on no objection certificate, exit permit, filing complaints, and domestic workers’ concerns which Al Obaidly answered.
Houtan Homayounpour, head of project office at ILO, said abolishing exit permit system, implementing minimum wage and eradicating recruitment fees are among the matters the ILO will be working on in its first year. He said the ILO looks forward to working its Qatari and international partners as well as with the community leaders in the next three years.
Sharan Burrow, General Secretary of ITUC, called the opening of the ILO office in Qatar “an historic time” and expressed optimism “that laws are changing in Qatar. With the ILO we will see real change, real dignity, real respect for workers.”
Speaking to reporters at the conclusion of the forum, Ambet Yuson, General Secretary of BWI was appreciative of the Ministry for the new labour reforms and opening its doors to partner with community organisations to help in educating migrant workers about their rights.
“I think this forum is really important because Filipino, Nepali and Indian migrant workers were able to have an opportunity to directly ask questions to the Labour Ministry and this is a good start,” said Yuson.
“They (Labour Ministry) are opening their doors, making reforms and actually want to partner with the community organizations to help them educate about their rights and what’s good about it is that the community organizations can also help file a case for the workers and have direct access to the Ministry and this is good news,” he added.
He said the ILO plans to make publications, convene the community organizations and run seminars and trainings for community leaders so they can educate others of their rights, adding that they can also help in lodging complaints which can be filed at the Ministry as well as through BWI or ILO office.
The community leaders lauded the Ministry for reforms in recent years that benefit migrant workers in the country.
“We highly commend the MADSLA and the government of Qatar for the many beneficial labour reforms. I have been in Qatar for more than ten years and witnessed how the State through the Ministry of Labour and the MoI has pushed these significant reforms for the welfare of the workers,” said Ressie Fos, president of Bayanihan ng Manggagawa sa Konstruksyon ng Qatar (BMKQ), a group of Filipinos working in the construction sector and related fields in Qatar.
“We as leaders in the community are open to continue collaborating with the Ministry of Labour, the MoI, BWI and ILO especially on community-based programs that would help the labour sector. We are here not only for our family but also to help build this country,” said Fos.
