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Qatar Labour Law

By Dhiauddin Abbas

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abour issues are among the top priorities of Qatars National Human Rights Committee (NHRC). NHRC organized from 19 to 20 June 2012, a media campaign on the principles of human rights concepts to raise awareness among workers about their rights and duties that included a variety of lectures in this regard. The campaign was held in Ras Laffan Industrial City, which recruits the workers according to agreed standards that are governed by attested contracts. Most labour issues arise due the fact that some recruiting agencies out of Qatar show the workers fake contracts and sell them at large prices. Therefore, the workers are forced to borrow money to pay the contract prices to the agencies. Then the workers are shocked by the actual contracts that are different from the ones they have signed. Hence, NHRC has proposed adapting unified contracts supervised directly by the competent official authorities of the State of Qatar and labour-exporting countries to avoid these problems that are faced by many of the workers unaware of the work environment and their wages. Labour camps also are a priority for NHRC. The Committee discussed the issues of labour camps at the Labour Conference, which was held in Kiev, Ukraine, in March 2012. Sultan Al Jamali, Head of NHRC Delegation, said that NHRC strongly believes that workers rights are an integral part of human rights. He added that NHRC provides lawyers to give the workers free legal advice as well as legal representation

in the courts. He stressed that the State of Qatar is on its way to develop procedures and measures to solve the problems of labour camps. He said that large camps are now being built outside the city, adding that the Ministry of Labour will not issue any permit for those camps unless they meet the minimum appropriate living conditions stipulated by the law. Labour camp complexes are currently being built for low-income workers. The complexes contain all vital facilities as well as entertainment, shopping and sports centers. There is ongoing work to replace the old industrial area with a new one containing compounds for bachelors, four cinemas, 385 shopping stores, an outdoor theater and a huge cricket ground. In order for NHRC to provide the workers more access to its services, Labour Rights Unit was created to handle issues of labourers and workers and offer suggestions to improve labour conditions. NHRC also released the book Workers Rights based on the Qatari labour law and this was translated into six languages. Speaking in his lecture during the campaign on labour rights, organized by NHRC in Ras Laffan, Momen Dardiri, NHRC legal adviser, said that according to the views of legal experts, Qatar Labour Law complies with international standards. Qatar Labour Law is in line with international conventions in many of its provisions. It gives workers debts a higher priority than the States, and it has made it easy for the worker to go to the court in the event of undergoing arbitrarily disciplinary actions. The judge can also cancel the internal regulations of c o m p a n i e s i f t h e y c o n fl i c t w i t h t h e L a b o u r

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Momen Dardiri NHRC legal adviser

Jaber Al Hoil Director Legal Affairs, NHRC

Sultan Al Jamali Head of NHRC Delegation

National Human Rights Committee strongly believe that workers rights are an integral part of human rights
Sultan Al Jamali, Head of NHRC delegation.
Law, he added. The State of Qatar has been always keen to organize workers rights. So, in the early 60s, Qatar issued Labour Law No. 3 of 1962 and established a labour court in its judicial system. This law was applicable for more than four decades until the new Labour Law No. 14 for the year 2004 was issued in line with the latest developments of labour legislation. Regarding this law, Jaber Al Hoil Director, Legal Affairs, NHRC, said in the workshop organized by the NHRC for preachers and imams of mosques: The provisions of the labour law and residency in the State of Qatar are applicable for workers in private enterprises and companies whose capital is at least 51% Qatari with a head office in Qatar. Al Hoil mentioned in his lecture that the worker must know details about his work before he joins, most importantly, to know the nature of work, remuneration and housing. He stressed that verbal agreement has no legal value and can be breached after arrival in Qatar. He noted that in front of the court, the worker can stick to the contract that he has signed even if it has been

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changed, adding that the absence of the contract does not make the employer unaccountable by the law. He said that the law and the judiciary system are on the workers side to prove his right. Al Hoil talked about the duties of the worker at the beginning of his work, including having the required skills. He also said that there are general provisions, most important of which is that recruiting agencies in Qatar are not allowed to take any charges or fees from the worker and it is not permissible for the employer to keep the workers passport. He stressed that there are important things that should be checked after the arrival of the worker in the State of Qatar, including checking the correctness of the information in the contract such as the name of the employer and the workplace. Al Hoil talked also about the provisions of the contract term and end date, continuation of work after the expiration of the contract, working hours, the rights of working women, the rights of employers, the provisions of the sponsorship system and human rights of all immigrantworkers, and their families in the international agreements and the measures of resolving labour disputes. He addressed the obstacles of labour, saying, Expatriates constitute 85% of the population, which is the most important problem in Qatar. That has led to the heterogeneity of the society, and increased the concerns of the citizens with intensification of the financial obligations on the citizen or sponsor, in addition to the increase of the crime rate and the arrival of some groups into Qatar with the aim of committing crimes. He praised the considerable efforts made to overcome these obstacles such as combating phony companies, greater leniency towards requests for transfer of sponsorship, as well as the draft law on domestic labour being prepared by the Ministry of Labour and the work toward creating ideal labour cities.

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