Qatar introduces minimum wage for workers; thousands of Indians to get direct benefit

Doha, October 26: Earlier, Qatar was criticized strongly from all around the world as Doha did not have any proper laws for workers including minimum wage, protection rights etc. Amid gulf crisis, Qatar has introduced a minimum wage for all the workers working in the country with an aim to empower them. This move will also benefit thousands of workers who are residing in Doha.

 

Notably, the Qatar News Agency (QNA) on Wednesday announced that a minimum wage for all the workers is introduced. QNA also announced that Qatar has signed bilateral accords with 36 countries from which it draws most of its two-million-strong foreign workforce, to provide legal protection for workers headed to the Gulf.

The Minister of Administrative Development, Labour and Social Affairs, H E Issa Saad Al Jafali Al Nuaimi said that a minimum wage would aim to meet the necessary needs of the worker to live at an appropriate humanitarian level. However, the announcement came the day before a meeting of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), which earlier warned Qatar to end abuse of migrant workers.

Meanwhile, the International Trade Union Confederation (ICTU) welcomed the move. The general secretary Sharan Burrow of ICTU said the changes signaled the start of "real reforms" and "will bring to an end the use of modern slavery". “We congratulate the Emir and Qatar’s Labour Minister for their commitment to modernize their industrial relations system,” Sharan Burrow added.

Earlier, in February 2015, Qatar introduced the Wage Protection System, a major reform, designed to ensure workers receive their salaries electronically, either fortnightly or monthly. The massive decision is taken by Qatar amidst Gulf crisis as it is facing isolation from Arab quartet of the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Egypt over supporting extremism. On the other side, Qatar denied all their allegations saying that they never supported Islamist militants and Shi'ite Iran.