ITUC lauds Qatar for upholding workers’ rights

The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) yesterday welcomed “the breakthrough” from the Government of Qatar to end the kafala system and said it plans further meetings with the labour minister on implementing labour rights for 2mn migrant workers in the country.“The new guidance from Qatar signals the start of real reforms in Qatar which puts the country on the pathway to meeting its international legal obligations on workers’ rights. Following discussions in Doha there is a clear government commitment to normalise industrial protections for migrant workers,” ITUC general secretary Sharan Burrow explained in a statement.“These initiatives have the support of the ITUC and we hope that implementation will be also supported by the International Labour Organisation with its technical expertise. Much remains to be done, but these steps open the way for workers to be treated with dignity and for their lives and livelihoods to be protected,” she stated.According to the ITUC, the new guidance and commitments made by the Government dismantle the system of kafala. The six steps are the following:lEmployment contracts will be lodged with a government authority to prevent contract substitution, ending the practice of contracts replaced with different terms than promised earlier, once workers arrive in the country.*Employers will no longer be able to stop their employees from leaving the country.*A minimum wage will be prescribed as a base rate covering all workers.*Identification papers will be issued directly by Qatar, and workers will no longer rely on their employer to provide their ID card without which workers can be denied medical treatment.*Workers’ committees will be established in each workplace, with workers electing their own representatives.*A special disputes resolution committee with a timeframe for dealing with grievances will be a centerpiece for ensuring rapid remedy of complaints.The ITUC has consistently called for Qatar to make the 2022 FIFA World Cup a world cup with rights for all workers. It has called on the government to abolish the system of exit permits, to put in place a minimum wage to end the wage differences, to allow workers representation, to eliminate contract substitution and to put in place a grievance procedure to settle disputes.  “These conditions have been met and we congratulate the Emir and Qatar’s labour minister for their commitment to modernise their industrial relations system,” the ITUC general secretary added.