Labourers to get relief from scorching heat
Originally published in Gulf Times on May 31, 2011
Hundreds of thousands of labourers in Qatar will soon get a break from working in sweltering weather around noon time.
“The limitation of working hours in the open will be in effect from June 15 until August 31,” the Ministry of Labour said in an e-mail interview.
According to the ministry, the rule is part of a ministerial decision taken some years ago and comes into effect each year by default.
“(Work should) not exceed more than five hours in the morning ending at 11am, and can resume only at 3pm,” the ministry said in response to queries by Gulf Times.
“The Labour Inspection Department of the Ministry of Labour will, as happens each year, monitor the implementation of the ministerial resolution,” it said.
The Labour Inspection Department, according to the ministry, also prepares an annual plan for the inspection of establishments subject to the provisions of the Labour Law (Law 14 of 2004) prior to carrying out field visits.
“The entire yearly programme is scheduled and visit to facilities under the programme is prioritised ahead of each week,” the ministry said.
The Department was upgraded from a section in May of 2009 as part of renewed efforts by the government to protect workers’ rights, estimated by officials at that time to be “close to a million.”
The figure of workers in Qatar fluctuates heavily as the population in the segment remains transient.
One of the articles of the Labour Law, Article 115, makes it mandatory for companies and employers to submit their staff record (and number) every six months, including details of those who have left.
Meanwhile, the ministry said it does not stop companies from operations altogether but penalises them as a first step.
“… it suspends the transactions only if the companies violate the provisions of the Labour Law 14 of the year 2004 and its implementing ministerial decisions,” it said.
To another question of the type of manpower coming into Qatar currently, the ministry said: “The manpower is according to the standards set by the Standing Committee (of MoL) in light of the requests made to it.”
Earlier in May, the ministry stopped work orders for 191 companies for flouting the Labour Law provisions during the month of April.
On the question of handing over the process of family visas to the Ministry of Interior (MoI), the Ministry of Labour said the Council of Ministers has approved the proposed transfer of jurisdiction to the MoI.
“The Council of Ministers approved the proposed transfer of jurisdiction of granting residence permits to families from the MoL to MoI and legislative measures are being taken to prepare a draft resolution,” the Ministry of Labour said.
Photocaption:
The Ministry of Labour will enforce a rule giving labourers a break between 11am and 3pm from June 15
As Published
