A jail term of one year and a fine of up to QR 10,000 is the new penalty for non-compliance with the labor law regarding payment of minimum wage to workers, according to Fahad Al Dossary, Director of the Labor Inspection Department at the Ministry of Administrative Development, Labour and Social Affairs on Sunday as reported in Qatar Tribune.

Speaking to Qatar Television, Al Dossary said that a national committee was formed and specialized research centers were set up to determine the minimum wage. He said the objective behind this move is to attract skilled workers, raise the economic level, and enhance the productivity of establishments.

Al Dossary also mentioned that the new law covers all workers, including domestic workers. If a worker receives a salary that exceeds the minimum wage, the law will not affect their salaries, he added.

The Ministry of Administrative Development, Labour and Social Affairs issued a statement on August 30 regarding the details of the new minimum wage and when it will take effect.

Workers' accommodation

With regard to violation of the conditions and specifications of workers’ accommodation, Al Dosari said the violators will now face imprisonment for a period of six months and a fine of not less than QR2,000 and not more than QR100,000. In the case of repeat violations, the penalties will be stiff, he added.

Removal of NOC

For his part, Director of Labor Relations Department Abdullah Al Dossary said the law facilitating the movement of workers has certain controls and conditions, most notably compensation to the former employer, non-competition, and the employee''s commitment to a notice period before changing his workplace.

Changing employer during probation

Al Dossary said that a worker has the right to change his workplace during the probation period, provided the new workplace compensates his previous employer and pays the cost of recruitment and the cost of travel ticket/s. The worker should give at least one month's notice and the new employer should compensate the former with an agreed payment that does not exceed the equivalent of two months of the worker’s basic wage.

The former employer is entitled to compensation during the probationary period for training fees, recruitment fees, the value of the travel ticket.
After the probation period, the former employer is entitled to compensation if there is an agreement between the two parties on the training fee.

Non-competition clause

Regarding non-competition, Al Dossary said that there must be a clause stipulated in the work contract about non-competition and there are conditions and controls for competition. The worker is prohibited from transferring the secrets of the previous employer, and the employee is not allowed to move to a new entity competing with the previous one in the same specialization and activity, he added.

What if the worker leaves the country?

If the worker leaves the country without notifying his employer, he is not permitted to return to work in Qatar for another employer. In case the worker leaves the country following disciplinary termination of his work contract by the employer in accordance with Article 61 of the Labor Law, and the worker abides by the conditions and controls, he can return to work in Qatar again, he added.

Can an employer cancel the work contract?

The employer can terminate the contract with the worker in accordance with the regulations and laws, according to Al Dossary.

He said there are three committees for resolving labor disputes. Each committee is headed by a judge. With the issuance of the new law, the number of labor dispute settlement committees has been increased to facilitate litigation procedures between the two parties.

Source: Qatar Tribune

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