Al-Arab Emphasizes Effectiveness of Reforms Adopted by Qatar to Strengthen Labor Laws

Doha, June 12 (QNA) - Al-Arab newspaper stressed on Sunday that the reform of labor laws and related practices in the State of Qatar have contributed to achieving a system suitable for the needs of workers seeking to improve their lives and the lives of their families. In its editorial, the newspaper said that some of these important reforms, if not all, are the first of their kind in the region, with the testimony of many international organizations, including human rights groups and United Nations organizations, which praised the State of Qatar's reforms and its leadership in the Gulf region with regard to labor market reforms. The paper highlighted the extensive reforms adopted by the State of Qatar to strengthen labor laws, as it decided to cancel exit permit requirement for residents in the country, allow workers to change employment freely, without requiring a no-objection certificate from their previous employers, and set a minimum wage for all workers, including domestic workers. The paper also referred to the establishment of 14 Qatar visa centers in each of India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, the Philippines and Tunisia, noting that the opening of these centers will expedite the recruitment process and ensure workers do not get exploited in their home countries. A Workers' Support and Insurance Fund which was also established to ensure and provide care for workers, guarantee their rights and provide a healthy and safe working environment, the paper added. The Qatari daily noted that the State of Qatar, represented by HE Minister of Labor Dr. Ali bin Saeed bin Smaikh Al Marri, chaired the 7th plenary session of the 110th Session of the International Labour Conference which concluded Saturday, with the participation of representatives of 187 member states of the International Labour Organization (ILO), indicating that Qatar's chairmanship of the session is an international testimony to the Qatari approach in updating labor legislation over the past years, despite suspicious campaigns that are trying hard to diminish the importance of reform steps. The paper underlined ILO Deputy Director-General Moussa Oumarou's description of the essential reforms in the labor sector in Qatar, saying that they are the widest in the past years. He also said that the developed laws and legislations contributed to improving the work environment in the country, welcoming the continuation of joint cooperation between the Organization, the World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU) and the State of Qatar, which is a model for all ILO member states in terms of fruitful cooperation that resulted in a number of distinguished reforms of the labor sector, the paper noted. In conclusion, Al-Arab pointed out that international acclaim for the reforms in the work environment reflects the confidence in Qatar's efforts in this field, as the State confirmed that it has a sustainable approach to continuously developing and updating the work environment in accordance with international standards. (QNA)