By IANS
New Delhi : India and Qatar signed an Additional Protocol to a 22-year-old bilateral agreement on regulation of manpower, which will now cover domestic helps and workers in the unorganised sector.
The protocol was signed by Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi and Qatar’s Minister for Labour and Social Affairs Sultan bin Hassan Al-Dhabit Al-Dosari Tuesday.
Sultan bin Hassan Al-Dhabit Al-Dosari is on a two-day visit to India.
With over 300,000 workers, Indians constitute the largest expatriate population in Qatar, whose booming economy is fuelling a massive construction growth and consequent demand for manpower.
While India had signed a bilateral agreement with Qatar on protection for welfare of workers, as early as in 1985, it did not cover categories of domestic helps like drivers, cooks and housemaids. This loophole has been amended in the Protocol.
“This agreement shows the determination of Qatar and India that personal interests of workers from India are protected in every way,” said Ravi.
He added that this Qatari counterpart had informed him that the new domestic legislation to protect domestic and unorganised sector workers would be completed by end of this year.
As per the earlier 1985 agreement, a Joint Committee was set up to discuss mutual labour issues. Now, under the Additional protocol, the six-member panel’s mandate has been enlarged, with more frequent biannual meetings.
A ministry communiqué said that the protocol provides for the payment of full wages and other entitlements under the contract and the labour laws the entire period of the contract, in case of premature repatriation without any fault of worker.
“We are looking for more Indian workers, because they are preferred by employers,” said Sultan bin Hassan Al-Dhabit Al-Dosari, adding that the agreement will help all the concerned parties, that includes the workers and the employers.
The number of Indian workers migrating to Qatar has been on an upswing. In 2005, the protector of emigrants granted clearance to 50,222 Indians to travel to Qatar, which increased to 76,324 in 2006.
Besides, Ravi also said that India was also taking steps so that malpractices by employment agents were reduced.
“The minister said that we could speak directly on any problems, so I was thinking that maybe we could set up a hotline,” he added.
Besides Qatar, India has already signed similar memorandum of understanding with United Arab Emirates and Kuwait. A pact on manpower regulation is expected to be signed with Oman by the end of this year, while negotiations with Saudi Arabia is still going on.