DOHA: Qatar and its GCC neighbours are working with labour-exporting countries to ensure manpower agencies in their territories do not charge exorbitantly from GCC-bound workers or show them fake employment contracts.
“Such practices (recruitment agencies charging hefty sums from hapless workers and handing them forged job contracts) are banned in Qatar and other GCC countries,” said Minister of Labour and Social Affairs H E Abdullah Saleh Mubarak Al Khulaifi.
He, however, added that since exploitative manpower agencies are out of the geographical boundaries of the GCC states, “we cannot do much directly to rein them in. “We are in talks with labour exporting countries in whose jurisdictions these agencies operate. We are urging these countries to clamp down on such agencies and stop their exploitative activities.”
Al Khulaifi was delivering a speech yesterday on behalf of the GCC states at the 104th session of an international conference in Geneva, reports Qatar News Agency (QNA).
He said expatriate workers remit home about $80bn from the GCC states annually on average and that is helping narrow yawning income gaps in labour-exporting countries.
Cash being pumped into these countries is contributing to their economic growth and increasing people’s living standards,” he said.
“Some parties are calling upon industrialised countries to emulate the example of the GCC states and contribute their bit to helping bridge that gap.”
On Abu Dhabi Dialogue, he said its third ministerial consultative meeting had decided to launch a skills development programme for expatriate workers, an initiative that would help them greatly.
Workers are to be handed certificates at the end of each training programme, he said.
Besides, the GCC states are busy making their work sites and workers’ accommodation inspection mechanisms more effective and to make such inspections of global standards, they are cooperating with International Labour Organisation (ILO) to provide regular training for their inspectors.
The GCC countries are keen to protect labour rights by taking more and more legislative steps. One of the steps is to ensure workers are paid in time. Efforts are also being made to ensure employers’ rights are also protected.
The GCC states, according to the Minister, are open to ILO-led initiatives and ready to join forces with the organisation to help achieve strategic goals and create a stable, sustainable and diversified economy, said Al Khulaifi.
The Peninsula
