Qatari official Mohamad Al Meer confirms violations of foreign workers rights
Ministry of Administrative Development, Labor and Social Affairs (MADSLA) has intensified inspection campaign at labor accommodations to ensure enough spaces for the workers and maintaining necessary hygiene at the facilities.
The provision of enough bed spaces at labor accommodation is important to maintain social and physical distancing following state preventive and precautionary to curb the spread of COVID-19.
“The objective of the campaign is also to make the companies compliant to the occupational safety and health requirements at labor accommodation,” said Director of Labor Inspection Department at the Ministry of Administrative Development, Labor and Social Affairs, Mohamad Al Meer, while talking to the ‘social distance program’ of Qatar TV.
Al Meer, who is also the Supervisor of the Inspection Campaign, said that the phase one of the campaign targeted labor accommodation in famous areas of Doha including Umm Ghuwailina, Najma, Aslata, Doha Al Jadeeda, Ghanam Al Qadim, Fereej Bin Abdula Aziz, Matar Al Qadeem among others.
“It is a pre-planned campaign by the Ministry of Administrative Development, Labor and Social Affairs to check the level of accommodation and rectify their situation,” said Al Meer.
He said that most of the violations at labor camps are related to housing more workers than their capacity, for example an apartment of two to three rooms which is supposed to accommodate five to six workers, was found occupied by over 10 people which is illegal according to the Ministerial Decision.
“The Ministry has been communicating with the companies regularly asking them to shift from their poor labor accommodations to suitable one which is complying to the occupational safety and health requirements,” said Al Meer.
He urged the employers to adhere to the health and safety rules issued by the Ministry recently because in case of violation they would face legal actions and punishments.
“We hope that the company will rectify the situation of their labor accommodations following the occasionally safety and health requirements and those issued recently about social and physical distance to curb the spread of COVID-19,” said Al Meer.
He said that under the campaign, the labor inspectors will visit labor accommodations twice and thrice as per the need to make sure the companies rectify the situation.
He said that the Ministry of Administrative Development, Labor and Social Affairs checked the labor accommodations to ensure they are suitable for workers before issuing approval to the companies which is a basic requirement for employers.
