The United Nations International Labor Organization said Tuesday that complaints from migrant workers in Qatar have "more than doubled" since Doha set up an online platform a year ago, noting that the vast majority of these complaints relate to unpaid wages.

In two reports it published 19 days before the start of the World Cup in football in this Gulf country, the United Nations said that the number of these complaints increased between October 2021 and the same month of this year by more than double to reach about 35,000 complaints, stressing that the Qatari authorities are making more efforts to implement the reforms they have initiated in recent years.

According to the organization, "the main reasons for complaints are related to the non-payment of wages and end-of-service benefits, and the failure to grant annual leave or pay financial compensation for it."

She pointed out that the number of workers treated for problems related to the extremely high temperatures in the summer decreased after the emirate imposed new restrictions in 2021.

The organization said that four clinics designated for migrant workers treated 351 workers this summer, a significant decrease compared to 620 workers in 2021 and 1,520 workers in 2020.

- 'Important reforms' -

She praised Qatar's implementation of "important" reforms that "improved working and living conditions for hundreds of thousands of workers," and also had an impact on the Gulf region in general.

But she stressed "the need to do more to fully implement and impose labor reforms."

“We all know that we are not yet at the finish line, and we will build on this solid foundation to address implementation gaps and ensure that all workers and employers can benefit fully from these key reforms,” said Ruba Jaradat, ILO Regional Director for Arab States. .

The publication of these two reports, one for what was achieved in one year and the other for what was achieved during the past four years, comes at a time when Qatar finds itself subject to a torrent of criticism against the background of its human rights record, including the rights of migrant workers.
The Qatari authorities are responding to these criticisms by highlighting the reforms they have made in the past five years in terms of construction site safety and working conditions.

Recently, the international labor federations and the International Football Association (FIFA) have praised these reforms, but nonetheless called on Doha to do more in this regard.

The publication of these two reports comes the day after German Interior Minister Nancy Weiser arrived in Doha, after she made statements that questioned Qatar's eligibility to host the tournament, which sparked a diplomatic storm between the two countries.

In Doha, Weisser, accompanied by the president of the German Football Association, Bernd Neuendorf, met with representatives of unions and officials of the International Labor Organization, according to diplomats told AFP.

- 'Not surprisingly' -

The International Labor Organization noted that "Qatar has demonstrated its determination to advance its reform agenda," noting that "there is global recognition that there are continuing challenges in its implementation, which is not surprising given the scale and pace of reforms."

In 2018, the International Labor Organization established a temporary office in Qatar, after international federations filed before it in 2014 a complaint accusing the Qatari authorities of violating the rights of foreign workers.

Human rights organizations are concerned about the possibility that Qatar will abandon all these reforms after the end of the World Cup (November 20 - December 18).

However, the organization confirmed that the Qatari government asked it to make its office in Doha permanent, which, if it happened, would establish a precedent in a region that often criticizes its countries because of the conditions of foreign workers in it.

In one of its reports, the organization stressed that among the issues it prioritizes, Doha must "ensure that all workers and employers benefit from the laws that sponsor changing" the worker's workplace from one employer to another.

"Mechanisms for workers to file complaints and collect their wages must be strengthened," she added, and "the rights of domestic workers, including working and rest times, must be better protected."

The organization commended that "Qatar is the first country in the region to adopt a non-discriminatory minimum wage that applies to all workers of all nationalities and in all sectors, including domestic work."

A report issued by the organization in 2021 stated that 50 workers died in construction workshops in 2020. In none of its new reports, the organization did not update these numbers, but it praised Doha’s “great efforts” in the field of “labor migration governance and law enforcement.” Work and access to justice, strengthening the voice of workers and social dialogue.

She pointed out that more than 300,000 workers in Qatar were able to change jobs after the authorities abandoned many provisions of the "sponsorship" system that prevented the worker from changing his job or even leaving the country unless the employer authorized him to do so.

Since the FIFA awarded Qatar to host the World Cup in 2010, the first Arab country to host the international football wedding has been criticized for various issues ranging from the working and living conditions of migrant workers in the country to the rights of gays and women in it, as well as the adaptation of stadiums to host matches.
Source: AFP