Qatar, Philippines ink pact to protect workers
Qatar and Philippines have agreed to sign a fresh agreement that would aid in protecting Filipino workers from problems that they are currently facing about working with their employers in Qatar.
The said labour agreement between the two governments is likely to reduce the grievances of overseas Filipino workers in Qatar.
The two countries had signed a labour pact in 1997, but, the new agreement will include a clause on “single contract obligation”, as demanded by the Manila government.
According to Arturo Sodusta, the Under Secretary for Philippine Department of Labour and Unemployment, such a contract would be considered valid by the departments of labour of both nations.
Currently atleast half of the labour-related problems are due to communication gaps, wherein the Filipinos sign one particular agreement in their home country, and end up with something totally different in Qatar, he added.
The agreement is in its final stages, and will be fine-tuned during the visit of the Qatari delegation to Manila in January.
Sodusta revealed that about 37,000 Filipinos are likely to come into Qatar for employment next year. At present about 150,000 Filipinos are working in Qatar.
Posted on 17/12/2008