A delegation of International Organisation of Employers (IOE) officials has praised workers’ conditions in Qatar and the state’s commitment to provide a safe working environment, healthcare and adequate housing units.
A field visit has been organised by the Qatar Chamber to a delegation from the IOE to check the living conditions in the Qatar’s Labour City.
Labour City was opened in November to accommodate more than 100,000 workers and is equipped with housing units, clinics, places of worship, stadiums, sanitary fittings, shopping centres and bus stops.
The IOE delegation visited work sites for Al Wakrah Stadium, which are scheduled to be completed in time for the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Officials from the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the IOE have expressed admiration for Labour City, noting that what they saw convinced them that Qatar deserved to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup and that Qatar was ready to host international tournaments and other sporting events.
Qatar Chamber director general Saleh Hamad al-Sharqi said the praise from the ILO and IOE officials was an international affirmation of Qatar’s commitment to international standards of workers’ rights, contrary to allegations by some Western authorities on the situation in Qatar.
Al-Sharqi said Qatar Chamber is keen to facilitate visits by officials of the two international organisations to World Cup projects and to labour housing units to see the reality on the ground for themselves.
He stressed that Qatar deals with World Cup issues with full transparency and clarity.
Al-Sharqi noted that Qatar considered the foreign workforce as an important part of development strategy.
He said the State is committed to ensuring workers’ rights, and for them to be treated with respect and appreciation.