With issuance of the new wage protection law, salaries of  some 550,000 workers of 11,000 companies have already been transferred to their bank accounts, a senior official of the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs has said.

The law has made it mandatory on all employers to transfer salaries of their employees to a financial institution. The employers have been given a November 2 deadline to comply with the law. 

Update : 30 AUG 2020 Qatar removes kafala system completely no more NOC required for job change now 

The Ministry has set up a separate section with adequate staff for monitoring the wage transfer, said Saleh Al Shawi, Director of Legal Affairs  at the Ministry. The wages must be paid before the 7th of every month as per the ministerial decision on wage protection. 

Al Shawi was addressing a meeting held by the Qatar Chamber with a delegation from the International Organisation of Employers (IOE), representatives of companies and Qatari businessmen on Thursday at the Chamber’s premises. Al Shawi said Qatar has made significant amendments in the labour law in line with its commitment to all international laws and agreements governing labour rights.

The IOE team expressed its satisfaction over the progress that Qatar has made in protection of worker’s rights, especially in the legal aspects. Improvements have been made in the workers’ condition and the companies have shown the commitment to create a suitable work environment and healthy accommodations. The delegation, accompanied by Qatar Chamber’s staff, visited several work sites and labour accommodations including those belonging to Hamad bin Khalid Company and Starbag Qatar Group.

The team members noted that the progress achieved by Qatar on wage protection and sponsorship system are added values to Qatar and support its position in the annual conference of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) next month. 

“There are concerns about Qatar which have been raised by trade unions within the ILO to complaint mechanisms. Our view is that the Qatar government is showing progress. It also needs to bring its laws in line with those of international standards. I think it is very important that the business sector plays its role in respecting those rights and making sure that they have made progress,” Linda Kromyoung, IOE Secretary-General told The Peninsula on the sidelines of the meeting.

Qatar Chamber Vice-Chairman Mohamed bin Tawar Al Kuwari said that the main objective of the meeting was to highlight the workers’ condition in Qatar.

“Qatar receives a large number of foreign workers who account for about 85 percent of the total population. They are working in all economic sectors and contributing to sustainable development of the state,” said Al Kuwari.

The chamber later organised a meeting between Minister of Labour and Social Affairs H E Dr Abdullah Saleh Mubarak Al Khulaifi and the IOE delegation at La Cigale Hotel. Qatar Chamber Chairman Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassim Al Thani was present.

“Qatar has made positive progress and has seriously sought to amend its laws and regulations in line with international standards,” Qatar News Agency quoted Yorgen Ronest, IOE’s Vice-President and spokesperson to International Labour Organisation, as saying.