Observation (CEACR) - adopted 2000, published 89th ILC session (2001)

Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention, 1958 (No. 111) - Qatar (Ratification: 1976)

1.  The Committee notes the communication from the International Confederation of Arab Trade Unions (ICATU) and the Government’s reply to it. Noting that in its communication the ICATU alleges breach of the Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention, 1948 (No. 87), and the Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention, 1958 (No. 111), the Committee draws attention to the fact that Qatar has not ratified Convention No. 87. Consequently, in examining the comments of the ICATU, it will consider only those that concern the application of Convention No. 111.

2.  The ICATU also refers to differences in the treatment of national workers and foreign workers as regards the content of their work contracts. Noting that the Government provides information on the treatment of foreign workers, the Committee points out that "nationality" is not one of the seven grounds of discrimination in employment and occupation formally prohibited by Convention No. 111 (namely race, colour, sex, religion, political opinion, national extraction and social origin) and that Qatar has ratified neither of the ILO Conventions on migrant workers. The Committee is therefore not in a position to express any opinion on this matter.

3.  In its communication the ICATU states that the Government is in breach of Convention No. 111 in that there is blatant discrimination in employment on grounds of gender, race, nationality and religion. The ICATU supplies no documentary information in support of its allegations but indicates that, since the efforts it has made at numerous International Labour Conferences and Arab Labour Conferences to convince the Government to change its attitude have borne no fruit, it has decided to call on the ILO’s supervisory machinery.

4.  In its observation on the ICATU communication, the Government states that labour law and regulations are free from all discrimination on grounds of sex, as are all other laws. The Government cites the legislation on education, health and social security as an example. The Government informs the Committee that it has just adopted a five‑year plan (2001-05) for the training and rehabilitation of secondary school, technical and university graduates so as to open up new employment opportunities for women and to encourage them to opt for training which is adapted to the needs of the labour market, in both the mixed and the private sectors. Throughout the five‑year plan period, 437 female university graduates and 388 secondary school graduates are to be trained for the private and mixed sectors and 200 female graduates of the technical college are to be trained to work in the government sector. The Government also places emphasis on the efforts made, with ILO technical assistance, to promote career and employment opportunities for Qatari women. Lastly, as regards foreign workers, the Government affirms that Qatar is an open country in which tens of thousands of foreign workers of different nationalities and religions live. The Committee observes that the information supplied by the Government is closely linked to the dialogue that has been ongoing between the former and the latter for a number of years. In the absence of more detailed information from the ICATU, the Committee is bound to return to the points raised in its previous comments.

5.  With regard to the adoption of the five‑year plan (2001-05), the Committee recalls that in its previous comments it already noted the relatively high number of women students registered at the Institute of Technology of the University of Qatar, and that it asked the Government to provide information on the distribution of men and women in the various types of programme provided by this Institute and also by the Occupational Training and Development Centre, the Secondary Technical School of Nursing, the Institute of Development Management and the Institute for Banking Training of Qatar, and, if possible, on the type of jobs taken up by men and women students at the end of the various courses. The Committee would therefore be grateful if the Government would provide the information requested and keep it informed of progress in the implementation of the abovementioned plan and of the results obtained.

6.  Regarding more specifically the employment of women, the Committee recalls that in its previous comments it noted that outside the fields of education and health, women’s participation in the labour market remained generally very low. It therefore suggested that the Government take specific steps to create conditions to encourage women to train for different occupations and professions - including occupations traditionally considered to be male - and to send a list of the jobs from which women are formally banned. It also requested a copy of the recommendations adopted by the conference on "Women and the Labour Market" held in Qatar in 1997, along with information on the implementation of those recommendations and the results obtained to date. It trusts that the Government’s next report will contain the information requested.

7.  Noting that by virtue of the Constitution equality of rights and duties among all citizens without discrimination on grounds of race, sex or religion is a fundamental principle of national policy, the Committee recalls that it is important that the Government should give its attention to all sources of discrimination envisaged by the Convention. It therefore asks the Government to indicate how protection against discrimination in employment and occupation on the basis of race, colour, national extraction and religion is ensured in law and in practice.

8.  The Committee is raising other points in a request addressed directly to the Government.