Labour Ministry orders closure of 106 company sites in Qatar for working hour violations

Qatar Labors

As many as 106 worksites in Qatar were shut down in raids throughout July for making labourers work under the direct sun.

The sites were forced to stay shut for three days for violating the mid-day work ban which comes into force every summer. This year, the ban began on June 1 and will be in effect until September 15. During this period, working outdoors under direct sun is prohibited between 10 am and 3:30 pm.

The raids carried out by the Ministry of Administrative Development, Labour and Social Affairs between July 1 and 31. Most of the erring sites were in the contracting sector and were located in different parts of the country. In June, a similar inspection campaign resulted in the temporary closure of 232 sites.

The ministry said companies must abide by Ministerial Resolution No. (17) of 2021, and the employer must put a schedule for workers in a visible place showing the daily working hours in accordance with the provisions of this decision, and in a way that labour inspectors can observe during their inspection visits.

As well as providing an appropriate work environment for workers represented in providing free drinking water to all workers at an appropriate degree throughout the work period, and allocating shaded resting places that are easily accessible to workers, and that are effective in protecting against sunlight and high temperatures when resting, while providing workers with personal protective equipment suitable for the weather. Warm clothes, including light, loose-fitting clothes, to protect them from the risk of heat stress.

From this point of view, the Ministry of Administrative Development, Labor and Social Affairs calls on all companies in various sectors to abide by the ministerial decision, so that the workplace is not subjected to partial or total closure, due to non-compliance with the precautions that must be provided to protect workers from heat stress at work sites during the summer, whether for work performed Under the sun or outdoor workspaces.