Since the discovery of Oil and Natural Gas deposits in Qatar’s mainland, the country has seen a vast amount of wealth finding its way into Qatari hands and it’s no surprise that some of the biggest developments and the brightest minds in the world are also finding their way into the country, especially in its heart, Doha, the capital city.
What is surprising, however, is just how little some workers, typically domestic servants and blue-collar workers, are paid. In fact, in the country there is no minimum wage and as a result, many are only barely paid enough to live on and as such must struggle with austerity under wealthy masters. So despite the vast wealth throughout the country and massive developments, this wealth is rarely finding its way into the hands of the regular Joe as many are paid as little as 4 Riyals, ($1 or £0.60) an hour.
What’s worse is just how much power these employers have; to leave the country an employee must have permission from his or her employer first, workers are bound to a single employer for the duration of their residence in the country called a ‘sponsor’ and workers must obtain their employer’s permission to change jobs. These facts have put many workers directly under the thumb of their rich Qatari employers and as such, these practices have led to the abuse of rules and individuals by said employers, with Passports being confiscated (although illegal) and abuse on a legal and personal level which have frequently amounted to forced labour and human trafficking.
No more! Changes to the labour system have been announced this week which will, first of all, abolish the sponsor system, allowing workers to leave the country and change jobs via an automated system through the Ministry of Interior, and, second of all, will raise the fines for confiscating a worker’s passport fivefold from 10,000 Riyals (approximately $2,700 or £1,600) to 50,000 Riyals (approximately $13,700 or £8,200).
Despite the Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International stating that a lot of work still has to be done to improve employee rights in the country, these new regulations and laws are a huge step forwards for Qatar and make it an even hotter country than ever before for expatriate teachers! If you’d like to teach in Qatar, the richest country in the world, and see what it’s like to experience Arabic culture, make sure to check out SeekTeachers’ jobs page today!Â
[Source: Al Jazeera - Qatar Announces Changes to Labour Laws]