The Ministry of Administrative Development, Labour and Social Affairs and Qatar Chamber participated in the high-level meetings of the regional summit organised by the International Labor Organisation (ILO) via video conferencing on the crisis of the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) and its impact on work in Arab countries.
The summit aimed to provide a platform for exchanging experiences and highlighting new practices in different countries of the region to address the Covid-19 crisis and its social and economic impacts.
It also reviewed views on the application and relevance of the ILO Centenary Declaration for the Future of Work towards achieving a sustainable economic recovery in a participatory human-centred approach.
Also, the summit sessions discussed the corporate support, jobs, income, and social protection for all, in addition to the role of social dialogue, rights and work to ensure a sustainable and participatory recovery.
In his speech, the Assistant Undersecretary for Labour Affairs at the Ministry of Administrative Development, Labour and Social Affairs Mohamed Hassan al-Obaidli reviewed the measures and procedures implemented by Qatar to ensure the sustainability of works, jobs, and payment of wages for migrant workers. The measures included the adoption of a package of incentives to support the economy, help the private sector, ensure the sustainability of employment, protect wages, and ensure a sustainable recovery.
The Assistant Undersecretary for Labour Affairs pointed out that the incentives package approved for the benefit of the private sector to help employers to continue to pay salaries for expatriate workers regularly, stressing the state’s keenness on continuing the contractual relationship between employers and workers during the crisis. He added that the rights and obligations of the two parties were regulated by a set of policies adopted by the state and conditions were set for the agreement between them while obliging the employer in all cases to provide food and housing, which are considered basic principles of the relationship between the expatriate worker and the employer during this crisis.
Al-Obaidli focused on the importance of social dialogue, co-ordination, and co-operation in this period to reduce social and economic damages, emphasising the need for full co-operation between all parties concerned and intensify communication between the Ministry of Administrative Development, Labour and Social Affairs, employers and expatriates until overcoming the crisis and recovering from its negative effects.
Al-Obaidli concluded his speech at the summit by noting that Qatar started gradually lifting restrictions implemented due to the Covid-19 pandemic, indicating that work is being done to gradually reopen the markets while setting firm preventive standards to mitigate the necessary financial and social damage.
Director of the Department of Legal Affairs at Qatar Chamber Abdul Aziz al-Kuwari pointed out that Qatar has dealt with the Covid-19 pandemic crisis by balancing between protecting public health and supporting economic sectors, so the QR75bn financial and economic incentives package directed by His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani was able to help the private sector, especially small and medium enterprises to overcome the negative repercussions of the pandemic.
Al-Kuwari added that the state was keen on protecting expatriates by emphasising on companies to provide safety and health standards, adding that the state, through National Response Guarantees Programme, provided the necessary funding for companies to pay their obligations towards employees, and paying rents, referring to the ‘Takatuf’ Initiative that was launched Qatar Chamber to support companies.
MADLSA
