His Excellency Rashid bin Ali Al-Khater, Ambassador of the State of Qatar to the Republic of Bulgaria, confirmed that the new measures taken by the State of Qatar in the labor market aim to protect the rights and wages of migrant workers in the country, including a large number of Bulgarian citizens.
His Excellency said in an interview with the Bulgarian newspaper “24 Hours” regarding the reforms of the State of Qatar in the labor market, that the state has decided to facilitate the movement between workplaces and a minimum wage for expatriate workers, as the minimum wage was set at 1,000 Qatari riyals per month, and he added: “This It mostly concerns migrant workers from developing countries because Bulgarians work mainly in the service sector, which has salaries much higher than this limit. “
He pointed out that the law stipulates a minimum set for the housing allowance (500 Qatari riyals per month) and the food allowance (300 Qatari riyals per month) in the event that the employer does not provide adequate housing or food for the worker.
He explained that another step for Bulgarian workers in the State of Qatar is the abolition of the no-objection certificate related to the movement between jobs, as in the past this certificate was a necessary condition in the event that the worker wanted to move to another workplace.
His Excellency Mr. Rashid bin Ali Al-Khater emphasized that removing this condition is a facilitation for expatriate workers, which leads to enhancing their rights and raising the level of competitiveness in the market. He added: “These decisions apply to foreign citizens working in all sectors, including domestic workers.”
He stated that the legislative amendments made by the State of Qatar came after consultations with the International Labor Organization, foreign governments, non-governmental organizations and labor committees, and thus the State of Qatar became the first country in the Middle East to adopt a minimum wage.
