Minister of Labour H E Dr. Ali bin Smaikh Al Marri (centre) speaking at a session of 17th regional meeting of Asia-Pacific countries.
Doha: Minister of Labour H E Dr. Ali bin Smaikh Al Marri has said that laws have been enacted to increase the protection of workers from heat stress, raise awareness of occupational safety and health and update the inspection policy by training labour inspectors.
He said that legislation also aims to raise awareness among domestic labourers, amplify the voice of labourers and encourage social dialogue, implement digital government initiatives, combat trafficking and forced labour, as well as the creation of a safe and balanced work environment in accordance with the standards of the International Labor Organization. The Minister headed the delegation of Qatar at the 17th regional meeting of Asia-Pacific countries which is organised by the ILO, which is being held in Singapore from December 6 to 9, 2022, under the auspices of H E Halimah Yaqoub, President of Singapore.
Dr. Al Marri yesterday participated in a high-level session along with the Ministers of Labour, representatives of employers’ federations and representatives of labour unions, with the aim of discussing the broad economic context of the labour market in the Asia-Pacific region and the Arab countries, which is reflected through various economic policies and various labour policies which are necessary to promote a human-centred recovery.
The plenary session of the 17th meeting of the Asia-Pacific countries discussed the Director-General’s report, which was entitled “Renewed Social Justice for a Human-Centered Recovery”. The Minister explained that social justice is a basic principle of peaceful coexistence among people, which is what Qatar believes in, based on the saying of the Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani: “We believe that social justice is the real safety valve for societies, which requires fair tax policies, because most societies cannot do without the services of the state.”
He stressed that achieving social justice requires the availability of many factors, including equality, non-discrimination, equal opportunities, and restoring priority to decent work in national, international and multilateral sustainable development strategies, through close cooperation between stakeholders, especially the tripartite bodies that make up the ILO.
Dr. Ali bin Smaikh Al Marri stressed that Qatar has taken an effective approach to address the COVID-19 pandemic and its health and economic effects, by taking many measures to ensure social protection for all members of society, noting that this policy mitigated the repercussions of crises and challenges facing the global economy.
During his speech at the session discussing the Director General’s report, the Minister noted that Qatar is moving forward in developing economic legislation that reflects a forward-looking vision for the future through the implementation of the Qatar National Vision 2030 and its related strategies, the application of international labour standards and the realisation of fundamental principles and rights in the field.
Regarding decent work for expatriate labourers, he indicated that the Ministry of Labour adopted a series of pioneering legislative and institutional reforms in the field, which led to the improvement of working conditions and ensuring a decent living for all labourers.
The Minister said that these reforms included many aspects, the most important of which is the abolition of the sponsorship system, facilitating the job transition process, and providing fair employment through Qatar visa centres, and setting a minimum wage.
He said that the Ministry of Labour worked to establish a digital platform for complaints, as the majority of complaints were a result of the delay in the payment of wages and end-of-service benefits.
The Minister revealed that Qatar will host the 5th United Nations Conference for the Least Developed Countries in March, to meet the needs and priorities of these countries and contribute to supporting their journey towards achieving development in line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
