Geneva (Washington Insider Magazine) – Qatar was facing unnecessary criticism over hosting the FIFA world cup 2022. The international and western media accused Qatar of the violation of human rights.
So, it was important for the Qatar government to showcase some labour reforms to prove they were on the right path. And it is exactly what they did. The Qatar Ministry of Labour organized a seminar to showcase reforms at the international labour conference.
They invited giants like the International Labour Organization (ILO), the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), and the International Organization of Employers (IOE). They all praised Qatar’s efforts to modernize its labour laws.
Sharan Burrow, ITUC General Secretary, was very critical of the Qatar labour system, but after the seminar, he said that he believes that work can now get justice in Qatar.
He further added, “The system of modern Slavery Kafala is dead, there are labour laws, there is progress, and even domestic workers in this country do not face any discrimination.”
Reforms
1- Occupational Safety and Health
Data collection, analysis, and publication is a specific objective of Qatar’s National occupational safety and Health policy adopted in 2020.
The project supported initiatives to improve the collection of OSH data in collaboration with MADLSA, the Ministry of Public Health (MOPH), Hamad Medical Corporation, and other institutions.
It included participation in an inter-agency task force chaired by the MOPH. A series of international exchanges on the collection and analysis of OSH data was organized by MADLSA and ILO.
2- Labour Inspection
The training program with MADLSA’s Labour inspection Department has continued. It includes the development of a course on OSH in construction, which includes a virtual reality training module developed specifically for Qatar but could be applied in other countries.
A program on a gender-responsive labor inspectorate is currently being developed in cooperation with the Swedish work environment authority.
3- Access to Justice
In 2021, the government also established an online platform for workers, including domestic workers, to submit complaints online. For the first time, anonymous whistle-blower complaints can also be submitted to the Ministry, including the multiple workers.
The ILO and civil society organizations have provided feedback on the platform from October 2020 to October 2021.
4- Trafficking and Forced Labour
In 2020 and 2021, the ILO, the British Embassy in Qatar, and Beyond Borders (a UK-based NGO) organized a series of online training with representatives of the National Committee for Combat human trafficking, which included participants from MALDSA