The CIOB has urged Carillion engage with the underlying issues on labour abuse in Qatar revealed on Monday night’s Newsnight programme, rather than making a knee-jerk response.
The programme interviewed two labourers working on phase 1B of the Msheireb Downtown Doha scheme, who were employed by labour supply companies working for Carillion subcontractors.
Following the programme Carillion announced that it was “deeply concerned and surprised” over the allegations and would be conducting an immediate investigation.
But in a statement, the CIOB advises that “sacking the labour subcontractor is not the solution” as this “typical response” can result in the “plight of the workers going from bad to a humanitarian disaster”.
The CIOB, which highlighted the issues surrounding the exploitation of migrant labour in Qatar at its Members Forum in June, also urged Carillion to consult with the Qatar Foundation and Amnesty International if allegations made in Newsnight’s exposé on worker conditions are substantiated.
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The BBC spoke to Professor Ray Jureidini, an adviser to the Qatar Foundation, who argued that international contractors in Qatar need to ask more questions about the conditions under which sub-contracted labourers are brought to the country in the first place, and their terms of employment.
In response to the CIOB statement a Carillion spokesperson told CM: “We are committed to engaging with appropriate international, government, non-government and independent organisations and contributing our knowledge and expertise for the common purpose of maintaining good working conditions and high safety standards – both ours and those of the wider industry.”
CIOB statement in full
“The CIOB is pleased that Carillion are conducting an urgent investigation into the allegations made in the Newsnight programme.
“If Carillion find that the allegations are substantiated then we hope that the response is appropriate to dealing with the issues the workers face. The typical response in such cases has usually resulted in the plight of the workers going from bad to a humanitarian disaster where the workers are left in a limbo with no work, nowhere to live and no means of getting home and at risk to even more unscrupulous operators.
“Sacking the labour subcontractor is not the solution, making a real difference to the plight of the workers is. We would recommend that Carillion consult with the Qatar Foundation, a major client of the construction industry, who have developed and are enforcing a very strong set of standards for their work. As well as Amnesty International who held a workers welfare workshop at the CIOB Members’ Forum in Qatar last June.”
I have viewed first-hand the situation in Doha /Qatar and the UAE over the last 15 to 20 years. There has been no change.
Eg, in 1998 I worked in Central Dubai and the local Indian support staff lived on site and earned 700 drs a month. All of which was sent home – so they were begging for food and warm clothing sometimes in the workplace.
I returned to the DAA T3 project in 2007/8 and we had Pakistani onsite security staff living in the offices and our tea boy was earning 600 drs per month. We fed and clothed him – one weekend he was carving a cricket bat from an piece of old wood. So I bought him a bat and a couple of cricket balls – which resulted in evening matches with smiling faces. He said it was a better option than living in a camp!!
Doha is currently the same for Indian Pakistani Nepalese and some other migrant workers working on site.
Remember this !!
Everyone working has a local sponsor and they tend to be the individuals or local companies that cut the deals and prices with the local labour firms.
Remember the work permit/residence permit is a provision by the local partners / agency arrangement.
Normally.
The whole No Objection Certificate issue is promoted by the local partners and the government agencies.
Note there is currently an estimated requirement for 60,000 more migrants in Qatar to support the newly awarded government construction projects.
I am involved with a project where a government agency is providing the work permits.
Salaries for the migrants on site are similar to the previous amounts – our project JV is paying drivers 1000 QR per month for 7 day working.
Why am I making this point?
Because the situation is not of the international companies making and until it is changed from within – in each of the 7 Emirates through the Civil Code-ie Statute Law – nothing will happen in addition to what is happening now. The perpetrators hide behind the International companies and if anyone rats them out –
they will get deported!!
So when Amnesty International announce they are arriving – they are steered by the Government agencies [I have first hand experience of this] to the model camps and only allowed to meet certain ‘happy ‘ as in bribed individuals.
Time that the external authorities and local High Commission & Foreign Commissions took off the rose tinted glasses and looked behind the facade.