Private sector responds positively to proposed labour law changes
The private sector has softened its stand on the issue of exit permit rules and sponsorship change for foreign workers, according to a report in the Peninsula newspaper.
The only change the sector wants in the new system is that engineers and senior employees of mega projects should not be entitled to sponsorship change before they have completed five to 10 years with a company.
This is because a major development project takes at least five to 10 years to complete, argues Qatar Chamber, the representative body of the private sector.
The chamber is interacting with the Advisory Council on proposed amendments to certain key provisions of the labour law (Law No. 4 of 2004).
The amendments are part of a draft law which is with the council. Its legal committee is preparing a report.
The proposed changes are mainly related to the employment contract of foreign workers, based on which an employee is to be allowed to change sponsorship automatically after serving a company for a certain period.
According to the amendments, workers with 'open' job contracts will be automatically entitled to change sponsorship after serving a company for five years.
In other words, a worker will not need permission (NOC letter) from his employer to take up another job.
In the case of 'fixed duration' contracts, workers will be permitted to automatically change sponsorship at the end of the period.
Though the law says a limited period contract can be for a maximum of five years, normally the duration is two years.
In the chamber’s opinion, the question of sponsorship change should be linked to the nature of the job, particularly for professionals like engineers, senior technicians and others working on mega projects.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassim Al Thani, Chairman of the Qatar Chamber, said that they have given their observations and recommendations about the draft law to the council.
He said details in the draft law about job contracts of foreign workers lacked clarity.
"The council’s review of the draft law is in the final stages," he said.
The chamber wants the duration of service of senior staff, including engineers and technicians, on mega projects, to be extended to five to 10 years before they could be eligible to change sponsorship.
"Take Musherib development project as an example. It can’t be completed in five years," Rashid Al Athba, a member of the Qatar Chamber Board, said.
"A senior staffer working on the project cannot be permitted to leave midway. The project is of immense value to the national economy."
The chamber is insisting that conditions of sponsorship change for foreign workers be kept flexible.
"We have no objection to the conditions for sponsorship change for other workers," Al Athba said.
"Let the duration of service for them be two to five years."
The private sector, he said, had no objection to the system of exit permit being changed.
The new system will facilitate online clearance by the Ministry of Interior for overseas travel by a foreign worker if his employer fails to give nod within 72 hours of application.
Al Athba said the fine suggested in the draft law for an employer keeping the passport of a foreign worker is a deterring $15,000.
The proposed amendments also make it mandatory for all workers to be paid salaries through banking channels.
The Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs are carrying out extensive changes in the labour law to help protect the rights of foreign workers and improve their working and living conditions, said Al Athba.
HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani will bring new era into Qatar where whole world and nationals will benefit out of it. Though the Rome was not built in one day, Qatar is achieving many countries dream within a short period of time. May God's Blessings and long life be to HH to our Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Ameen
plz change and start up and tel office location
nothing new, i entered Qatar in january 2014 and heard the law will be changed so I waited and got caught till my pataka was issued. Why would they have unlimited period? let the unlimited by max 2 years for employees who take less than 10000 QR. Damn, I laugh at myself being and engineer and research scholar in maths and double MBA from a pretentious institution, I get damn little salary. I was offered better amounts by other companies but uffffff this kafala system. Employers will black mail you. Once I leave Qatar, I am not gonna come back. I am very much disappointed with these laws. I want to go home.
Correction: The word "without" in my above posting in the sentence "without having been cheated" should be overlooked as a typing mistake. After all, I am human.
I agree with Accha , Let the greed be reduced from the society { specially the employers who exploit their workers } ............. greed is behind all this .......................
Gurubalat is right. While the steps being taken to bring in the much-awaited changes is no doubt welcoming, protection of employees from the cruel "games" of unscrupulous employers must also be looked into. True, the Labor Office is there to look into complaints of employees, but one approaches the Labor Office usually at the last stage of the game when the employee simply raises his hands and shouts out "I have had enough!" Many even do not go the Labor Office and leave the country without having been cheated out of their benefits and with sad memories of having worked here. Many other workers especially in the lower income bracket, are not even aware of their legal rights or the protection they have. Laws should be brought in that would instill a fear and "kill the devilish thoughts" when they come up in the minds of unscrupulous employers as they would be well aware of the fines and punishments they would be facing should they behave wildly with their employees who contribute so much to the progress and development of Qatar.
Let me put in a way that any mega project will not held up due to a senior employee resignation from the co. for an instance if allow a change of employment without NOC all mega projects will get cream of the cream and quality of the mega projects will be enhanced to the top level and complete the project in time. The debate here is would provide change of employment after 5 to 10 years, by that time employers will treat there employees like what ever they want and it will not fulfill the requirements of the various regulations across the world.
Thenga means ? ..............................................................................
very small ?
Hi Teck ....... Your pain is genuine ...........................................
Mega or "thenga" project!!! NOC should be given to anybody anytime. That will be the end of mega companies cruel behavior like no salary increment since 3/4 years because there is no law monitoring such things if employees are happy or not. Such companies knows very well that employee will not move because NOC is in their hands unless he EXIT.
This is one of the best things the Year 2015, we are all hoping to this be granted very very soon, we will be grateful for the people of State of Qatar
Old vine in new modern bottle
a4aries_ka : I DO AGREE WITH YOU BROTHER.....
UAE is great ..............because the ex parties are happy there...!( any one from root level worker to top level. go and ask ... how about this country (UAE) no one will give you negative answer ...
NO one can do like dubai s rules , UAE is the best ruler for all nationality and foreigner
Go Qatar,be a model, you must show to the world that you really deserve and have the right to hold all the big international sports such as 2022.We love and admire you much if you care for human rights to all nationalities.
Dream on people.
Well done but till now i am not happy untill i see it the law to be changed ... SHUKRAN AMIIRUL QATAR SHEIKH TAMIM BIN HAMAD AL THANI