(File Photo)
Doha: In line with the wage protection system (WPS) that was introduced last year, Qatar is attempting to regulate salaries of domestic workers.
The draft law on domestic workers, which was approved by the Council of Ministers last February, included many articles that regulate many outstanding issues, reported Al Sharq.
The most important of these was the emphasis on the need for the employer to transfer the monthly salary of the domestic workers to the bank or keep signed receipts to document the payment of salary. To certify that the worker received his monthly wage in cash, two receipts – one for the employer and another for the worker (signed by employer and worker) - needs to be maintained.
The draft law also specifies matters relating to the rights and duties of the domestic worker, including their recruitment, household duties, holidays and duty hours, as well as the procedures for recruitment of domestic workers through recruitment offices licensed by the State.
The law states that a person can’t be employed unless he gets the approval of the competent authority and have license to work in the country. The validity of the work permit shall also be limited to a period of five years.
The Department may extend the validity of the work permit at the request of the employer.
The law also states that the work permit requires the user to satisfy the following conditions:
(1) Have a valid work visa.
(2) Be medically fit, free from infectious diseases
(3) Not less than eighteen years of age
(4) Not been sentenced for felony or for crime against honor or trust, unless he has been rehabilitated.
The contract is expected to clarify the issues of wages, annual leave and tickets.
The draft also states that it is necessary to grant a off day and a limit daily working hours and overtime.
The draft law also plans to provide termination benefits for domestic workers like their counterparts in private sector institutions and companies, who are entitled to end-of-service benefits, which are provided for in employment contracts.
