Most Qatari employees are concentrated in the public sector. They rarely practise commercial activities and this shows what matters to them is the salary they get every month and advantages and privileges they enjoy through their positions.
The Human Resources Law regulates these affairs. Therefore, every amendment to the law adversely affects the daily lives of civil servants, which in turn affects the economic growth and overall performance of the economy.
This encourages us to ask about the reasons behind the delay in issuing the law in its final form, given the fact that some promising and encouraging statements have been about it in the past.
The law has not seen the light of day yet although almost a year has passed since it was announced. It is still in a drawer in the office of the concerned committee of the Cabinet.
I am afraid if the law has ‘evaporated’ due to the scorching heat of our summer, I am also afraid it will freeze because of the chill of this winter.
The long-awaited law has seen wondrous events and undergone important phases, which at the end made it look like a soap opera that started with the announcement by authorities about the bid of committee members to provide views regarding the articles. The announcement was followed by delay in restructuring ministries, and then by the absence of executive regulations.
These are legal contradictions that made the Human Rights Committee call for avoiding them and other problems immediately. Nobody, however, has complied and we do not know to how long this bizarre and unexplained situation continues, how long this controversial situation last.
Until the law is issued in its required form, I think it should be developed, reviewed and amended in accordance with developments in the labour market.
Employees must be granted promotions they deserve without any exception or recommendation from any official. The law must also have a strict article that stipulates special treatment for female employees.
Regulations for female employees must be more flexible and appreciate the privacy of families and households in the Qatari society.
Employees’ rights to get the end of service gratuity denied by any arbitrary action must be confirmed.
Also, Qatari employees must be granted full salary when they go abroad with one of their relatives or family members for treatment or other reasons. They have been deprived of this benefit by the old law of 2009.
Reinstating Qatari employees who were forced to leave is also necessary. They must be given a chance to become part of the production process once more so they can become active members of society again.
The fact that foreign experts were assigned the job of amending the law raises suspicions. Qatari experts will be more informed than their foreign peers as far as Qatari workers’ interests are concerned.
A story goes that an Indian king ordered his vizier to engrave some words on his ring that make the sad happy and the happy sad.
The vizier engraved: This time will pass.
