Friday, 11 October 2013
DOHA: The State Cabinet has set up a committee that is studying the sponsorship and exit permit system for a possible review, the state human rights watchdog said yesterday.
Another key committee has been appointed under the supervision of the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, tasked with forming what is likely to be a core group of Qatar's first trade union.
This panel has some 50 members representing workers.
The sponsorship review committee is expected to submit recommendations to the Cabinet soon, said Dr Ali bin Smaikh Al Marri, Chairman of National Human Rights Committee.
Based on the recommendations, the Cabinet will decide on what changes are to be made to the sponsorship and exit permit rules, Al Marri said.
He was replying to questions by reporters at an impromptu news conference he addressed right after a press briefing by a visiting delegation of an international trade union headquartered in Geneva.
Al Marri said challenges remained and hinted he was optimistic that the two committees would look into those hurdles and come up with solutions.
Earlier, officials of the Geneva-based Building and Wood Worker's International (BWI) disclosed their findings about the situation of migrant workers in Qatar and submitted recommendations to improve workers' rights.
Trade unions
The BWI, in its recommendations, called on Qatar to abolish the sponsorship and exit permit system and allow the setting up of trade unions.
The recommendations outlined suggestions on health and safety, employment standards, equality, dignity, wages, working and living conditions, grievances, access to information and training of foreign workers.
The BWI delegation consisted of workers' health and safety experts, labour inspectors, and union leaders and they visited labour camps and worksites over the past four days to check facilities.
"While there are workplaces that are better off, it does not imply that the situation is the same in the whole country," said Ambet Yuson, General Secretary of the BWI and head of the delegation.
The delegation has seen good working conditions in the Sidra hospital project of the Spanish firm OHL and the Norwegian project Qatalum with both firms having concrete policies and practices on workers protection.
The delegation also held discussions on improving the situation of workers in Qatar with Hussein Al Mulla, Undersecretary at the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, and Hassan Al Thawadi, Secretary General of the Qatar 2022 Supreme Committee.
© The Peninsula 2013
