by : mohamed ibrahem
Qatar : The Summer in qatar heat puts Qatar worker conditions back in spotlight : Though temperatures are already hitting 40C (104F) and above in Qatar, it will be another two weeks before summer working hours take effect for those working outdoors.
From June 15 until the end of August, companies here are required to suspend work in open areas from 11:30am to 3pm. But with 14 days to go, some employees are already buckling under the strain,
Compounding that issue for many low-income expats is poor housing conditions that give them no respite from the heat even when they’re done working for the day.
Flouting rules
Last week, the National Human Rights Committee issued a guidebook for companies, reminding them of key labor law regulations, including the housing of no more than four people per room, a ban on bunk beds and requirements for proper ventilation and natural lighting.
But on a visit to construction sites in Qatar late last month, Sharan Burrow, the secretary general of the International Trade Union Confederation, said she found flagrant disregard for the rules.
Gulf Times reports:
“Workers exposed to heat conditions are finding it difficult to work even in the mornings. Heat conditions set in as early as 9am or sometimes even earlier and the mercury keeps on rising for the next 5 or 6 hours.
As a result, work is affected at most worksites across the country and the output of workers keeps falling,” said one of the engineers in charge of a major urban development in downtown Doha.
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