Arab Labour Organization Praises Qatar's Labor Reforms

Qatar was named the Group of Arab States' coordinator at the International Labour Organization in April, with the goal of helping the Arab states coordinate their positions on international labor issues.

The Director-General of the Arab Labour Organization (ALO), Fayez Ali Al Mutairi, hailed Qatar's efforts and "huge achievements" in the sphere of worker's rights to guarantee security and safety for the country's workers.

The official also emphasized Doha's involvement in ensuring the security and safety of workers in the country, particularly those working on FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 facilities.

Al Mutairi praised Qatar's enactment of legislation to protect workers' rights in an exclusive interview with Qatar News Agency on the sidelines of the International Labour Conference in Geneva.

He cited three trips to the Gulf countries since taking office, during which he was briefed on housing and employment opportunities for laborers around the country.

Qatar's efforts in training and qualifying labor inspectors in collaboration with the organization, as well as its executive decision to raise the minimum wage, were also mentioned by Al Mutairi.

The Kuwaiti official went on to say that he wants to see effective participation in the International Labour Organization (ILO) conference, as well as Arab and regional coordination, in order to achieve successive levels in meeting the needs of three parties involved in production: governments, business owners, and workers.

Qatar's labor minister expressed his satisfaction at being elected as Vice President of the International Labour Conference.

He also mentioned the group's "production of the Arab Group's reflections on the annex to the ILO Director-General Guy Ryder's report on the harmful consequences of the Israeli occupation on workers and business owners in Palestine and the occupied Arab lands."

"The international community must stop settlement expansion and not legalize the expansion and extension of Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem and the occupied Golan," he continued.

Qatar and the International Labor Organization (ILO)

In late May in Geneva, Qatar's Minister of Labor, Ali bin Saeed bin Smaikh Al Marri, was chosen Vice-President of the International Labour Conference.

Al Marri was elected by the International Labour Organization (ILO) in appreciation of Doha's vital role in improving its labor sector, including the introduction of major changes, according to the UN.

The Gulf country has been collaborating with the International Labour Organization (ILO) and other international organizations to improve the local working environment. In 2018, the ILO opened its first office in Qatar.

Al Marri's nomination as the country's new labor minister was considered as a critical step toward stabilizing the local labor market. Prior to this, Al Marri was the chairman of Qatar's National Human Rights Committee.

Al Marri, the Ministry of Public Health, and the International Labor Organization (ILO) signed a Memorandum of Understanding in November 2021 to collaborate in data collecting to better monitor work-related injuries and deaths.