DOHA: Several members of Central Municipal Council (CMC) see a lack of monitoring of construction and contracting firms by the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs as responsible for abuse of workers’ rights.
At least one businessman and a CMC member have said most rights’ violations are committed by foreign construction firms but they largely go unpunished.
Councillor Ahmed Al Sheeb, from Umm Salal, told local Arabic daily Al Raya that a major problem with firms was that their managers didn’t respect workers’ basic rights and threatened them that they would be sent home if they complained to the ministry.
He welcomed the ministry’s plans to name and shame erring firms after putting them on the black list. “What we need is stricter monitoring by the ministry on companies and their work sites.”
These are the companies that are ruining Qatar’s image in the world. “So stricter monitoring is the need of the day,” agreed councillor Hamad Lahdan Al Mohannadi, from Al Dhakheera.
Another councillor, Mubarak Fraish, said local firms involved in bigger development projects are very few and mostly foreign players in large numbers are doing major projects. “But the monitoring is weak and that explains why rights’ violations are continuing.”
Businessman Ahmed Al Khalaf said some 70 to 80 percent firms doing mega projects were foreign and many were violating the law. “Action must be taken against them.”
The Peninsula
