ILO

Back to index

Technical cooperation project in Qatar - Final evaluation

eval_number:

3207

eval_url:

https://webapps.ilo.org/ievaldiscovery/eval/3207

location:

country:

Qatar

region:

Arab States

---

eval_title:

Technical cooperation project in Qatar - Final evaluation

recommendations:

date:

2022-10-28 00:00:00.0

themes:

theme:

Organizational issues

category:

Programme sustainability

---

comments:

[continuation] Workplace Cooperation Unit: • The MoL has created an online portal to register joint committees and to receive and manage collective grievances escalated to MoL for conciliation. • In May 2022, the ILO and ITC-ILO organized a three-day workshop/consultation on mediation and conciliation in collective disputes for the Workplace Cooperation Unit and Inspection Department’s strikes response team. Human Trafficking • There is regular collaboration with National Committee for Combating Human Trafficking (NCCHT) and MoL, exchanging information on cases received by the ILO, in an effort to provide assistance to vulnerable workers. • The NCCHT Shelter for victims of forced labour and trafficking reopened in October 2022 after its closure due to COVID-19 pandemic. The ILO Office will resume work for the development of NCCHT Standard Operating Procedures. • In collaboration with the NCCHT, the MOL, the ILO and Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy (SC), a training on forced labour was carried out for the hospitality sector in September 2022. • In July 2021, an MOU was signed by the NCCHT and Qatar’s Msheireb Museums with the objective of highlighting efforts to raise awareness of modern slavery and human trafficking. Minimum Wage • The SOQ has announced that the Minimum Wage Commission (MWC) will be reviewing the impact of the minimum wage and considering adjustments – as per the Law. To support the MWC, a study titled “Minimum Wage Law in Qatar: Survey of blue-collar workers”, was commissioned by the ILO and conducted by the Social and Economic Survey Research Institute (SESRI) at Qatar University. The survey was administered through face-to-face interviews in May and June 2022, among 1,036 low-wage workers residing in shared accommodations. The workers were of multiple nationalities, working in various economic sectors. Labour Inspection • A group of 18 senior labour inspectors (15 men and three women) were trained in OSH subjects and Risk Management by the UK-based National Examination Board in Occupational Safety and Health (NEBOSH) and will receive an international certification on OSH, upon successful participation in the post- training exams. The training was organized by the ILO and the University of Doha for Science and Technology (UDST). • In light of the influx of temporary workers and increased activity during the World Cup, measures are being taken by the MOL and ILO, in coordination with the Supreme Committee, to promote compliance with Qatari law. A dedicated labour inspection campaign will be run in November and December 2022. Key labour data and accessibility • Measures for the collection, analysis and publication of data were adopted in line with the National Policy on Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) and the key recommendations from the ILO’s November 2021 report on work-related injuries in Qatar. • In November 2021, a MOU was signed between MOL and the Ministry of Public Health (MOPH), with the objective to improve the collection and exchange of data and statistics, enhance cooperation, unify the joint database between the two ministries, and establish a general strategy aimed at developing the legal framework related to OSH. • The Taskforce on Safe and Healthy Employees of MOPH has a dedicated sub-group on data, which prepared four Minimum Data Sets (MDSs), responding to the need for harmonized data points and definitions among key ministries and institutions. A “National Healthcare Incident Reporting and Learning System” is to be established for the systematic and timely collection of data.

action_plan:

QCCI: • A strategic dialogue between the MoL, Qatar Chamber of Commerce and Industry (QCCI) and the International Organization of Employers (IOE) took place in October 2022 to identify opportunities for aligning practices with the labour reforms. QCCI has agreed to organize technical consultations and awareness raising activities with its members on the topics of fair recruitment and joint committees. The project is facilitating engagement between the international business community, the MoL and QCCI to encourage the alignment of practices. The latest engagement was in October 2022. Domestic Workers: • Awareness raising has been a key priority in the domestic work sector. The Ministry of Labour developed awareness raising materials such as the Know Your Rights booklet for domestic workers in Qatar in 12 languages, and the Guide to Employing Migrant Domestic Workers in Qatar for employers in two languages. These booklets are widely disseminated through social media, government offices including QVCs, community groups, embassies, private recruitment agencies and the International Domestic Workers’ Federation (IDWF). ILO is currently drafting a booklet for private recruitment agencies together with MoL to raise awareness about the legislation and concrete steps to facilitate a mutually beneficial employment relationship between domestic workers and their employers • In addition, ILO continues to engage with different communities of domestic workers from Ethiopia, India, Kenya, the Philippines etc. in Qatar through awareness raising sessions facilitated by IDWF. These sessions focus on Qatar’s domestic workers’ law, the standard employment contract, complaint mechanisms, changing of jobs and occupational safety and health. • The TCP celebrates International Domestic Workers’ Day every year since 2018 bringing together domestic workers, employers, recruitment agencies, Ministry of Labour, relevant government entities and embassies. The events aim to increase awareness of rights and responsibilities of workers and employers while prompting a discourse on relevant issues such as working hours of domestic workers and their right to a weekly paid day off. • ILO has worked with MoL and the Philippines Overseas Labour Office to design and deliver trainings for recruitment agencies focused on law compliance and tools to conduct better job matching, due diligence and conflict prevention between domestic workers and employers. New stakeholders • The ILO has partnered with Qatar University’s College of Business and Economics to mainstream labour rights into the curriculum (through the design of courses like sustainable accounting and sustainable management and through the development of context-specific case studies that integrate labour rights considerations). Taawon • In May 2022, the ILO, MOL, and ITC-ILO organized a training for Taawon members on consensus-building and negotiation skills, and the development of DWCPs. In August 2022, Taawon convened to discuss the draft recruitment toolkit developed jointly by the ILO, MoL, QCCI and the IHRB. • To further organize workers’ and management membership in Taawon, the ILO and MoL are supporting the establishment of sectoral central labour management committees. In collaboration with MOL and the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, the first Central Labour Management Consultation Committee (CLMCC) was established in the hospitality sector in May 2022.

management_response:

Partially Completed

progress:

Partially achieved

admin_units:

NORMES

title:

Recommendation 9: Identify activities and stakeholders that contribute to the sustainability of programme results and take practical steps to implement them as part of a second phase of the project. The following examples illustrate some possible means to implement this recommendation: • Develop further sensitization work with QCCI members aimed to promote that they become advocates of legal reforms and compliance with labour law, particularly with regards to fair recruitment, wage protection, OSH, and promotion of joint committees • Carry out awareness-raising campaigns on domestic workers’ labour rights and the need to improve DWs working conditions • Provide ad-hoc support to Taawon so it becomes an effective platform for exchange and fostering workers’ and management concerns to the national level • Strengthen the Workplace Cooperation Unit at MADLSA, so it can help extend the reach of Workers’ Dispute Settlement Committees • Provide technical support to NCCHT in the implementation of its HT Strategic Plan • Support MADLSA ensuring that annual meetings of the Minimum Wage Commission are held regularly, and that its agreements both publicized and implemented • Strengthen Labour Inspection capacity to enforce regulations and to reduce compliance gaps in targeted sectors, by further developing LI’s Strategic Unit capacity • Improve GOQ capacity for timely collection and use of key labour data and accessibility to the same by relevant national and international stakeholders.

project_symbols:

QAT/17/01/QAT

url:

https://webapps.ilo.org/ievaldiscovery/recommendations/16196

information_source:

Country Office

---