(MENAFN- The Peninsula) Qatar is signatory to International Labour Organisation's (ILO) Labour Inspection Convention of 1947 (CO81) and in compliance with its requirements, has 300 inspectors which is sufficient, says a lawyer.
The Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, consistent with the increasing demand for more inspectors due to a rising influx of foreign workers, has been raising the strength of inspection staff. "Today there are about 300 inspectors - sufficient according to the ILO convention," said Yusuf Al Zaman.
Work place and worker accommodation inspections are conducted with a reformative and developmental attitude and not just to check compliance with standards and guidelines as enshrined in laws.
Inspections are not something mechanical, said Al Zaman. The private sector, he said, is the engine of social and economic development and should be treated that way and not with a sense of vengeance.
Training inspectors is the right thing to do because it helps in respecting workers' rights and creating suitable work environment free of accidents.
Al Zaman was presenting a paper on a symposium on labour rights held by National Human Rights Committee for inspectors on Monday. He recounted steps the ministry has taken to help improve working conditions and protect workers' rights. He also touched upon the issue of a law passed earlier this year making it mandatory for employers to pay workers' salaries through banking channels.
Al Zaman said that since foreign workers were coming in large numbers, this was posing greater challenges to the ministry.
"You need qualified manpower to conduct inspections of work places and labour accommodations and monitor if all workers are paid salaries on time."
He said it is morally not right for employers to delay paying wages to workers. Islam says a labourer must be paid before his sweat has dried up.
Al Zaman said after Qatar won the bid to host FIFA World Cup 2022, the international media spotlight turned on it. Moreover, Qatar has become the focus of global human rights bodies and civil societies.
On the recent Amnesty International's report on Qatar, he said it had failed to note the progress made to improve workers' lot. He said the report only noted that Qatar had failed to fulfil its promise to make suitable changes to kafala and exit permit systems and that workers were not allowed to keep their passports. He argued that workers engaged in FIFA 2022-related projects should be kept out of the purview of kafala (sponsorship) system and their relationship with employers should be governed by job contracts they sign with them.
After their contract period is over, workers should be allowed to change jobs or go home. They must change jobs with permission from the Labour Ministry and the Ministry of Interior and not with permission from employers. They must be allowed to keep their passports and travel overseas when they wish and should be issued exit permit by the Interior Ministry the same day, he said.
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