DOHA: The decision to introduce evening shift at the central fish market is expected to boost sales and attract more customers to the market, but several traders believe that they will have to employ more workers to make the experiment a success.
The evening shift from 6pm to 11pm has been introduced on a trial basis for one month, beginning today.
For several years the market had been operating in a single shift in the morning, from 6am to 12 noon. Since Sunday, the market has also introduced auctions in the evening, besides the morning auctions.
Several expatriates working in the market are worried that the evening shifts would put additional burden on the them, if more workers are not employed by the traders.
“We start working from early morning. Although the official working hours end at 12 noon, the sales continue until 1pm. We are working almost eight hours in the morning. If evening shifts are introduced we may be forced to work five additional hours, if new people are not employed,” said an Indian expatriate
Most outlets in the market are working with four or five people and to employ more people, they require sufficient sales in the evening shifts.
He said a possible solution is to reschedule the morning shifts reducing one or two hours
“The evening shifts may attract more customers to the market but it may not be in huge numbers, because many people now prefer the hypermarket to the central market to buy fish and vegetables,” said a vendor.
The market has been witnessing stiff competition from the mushrooming fish outlets in cozy shopping centres and commercial centres.
Some citizens meanwhile called on the authorities to curtail the middlemen in the market to ensure a fair revenue for the Qatari fishermen.
They proposed to set up fish markets similar to the Mazroua vegetable market in Umm Salal, where fishermen can directly sell the catch to the customers. The major share of the profit now goes to the expatriate traders and middlemen who dominate the auction and the retail sale, they point out.
The Peninsula
