Doha: The Ministry of Labor has announced that more than 90 complaints of domestic workers against employers have been resolved last month.
117 complaints were received in August. In the monthly report released by the ministry, it has been stated that 96 of these have been resolved while 11 are being investigated and 10 have been forwarded to the concerned departments for further action.
The Ministry pointed out that 9945 applications were received for new recruitments, 5489 applications were approved while 4456 applications were rejected. The Ministry also indicated that out of the 1756 applications received for work permits, 673 were new applications.
One violation was found in 19 inspections of recruitment offices in August. Legal action has been taken against 120 companies that have violated Ministry Order No. 17 of 2021 allowing workers to rest in open spaces.
According to Decision No. 17 of 2021 issued by the Ministry of Labour, from June 1st to September 15th, the Ministry is conducting several awareness programs to implement the Ministry’s decision to allow midday break for outdoor workers and to inform about the dangers of working outside in extreme heat.
Rest time for workers is from 10 am to 3.30 pm. The ministry has warned that strict legal action will be taken against companies that do not follow the legal guidelines.
However, the ministry also directed employers and companies to immediately stop employment if the ambient temperature exceeds 32.1 in the Wet Bulb Globe Gauge (WBGT) index at any time. According to the decisions issued by the Ministry, the employer must post the notice specifying the daily work schedule in a conspicuous manner in the workplaces.
The said decision is part of an effort to reduce physical stress caused by extreme heat and to further support health and safety standards for workers during summer.