ISO 9001:2008 CERTIFIED NEWSPAPER 1 June 2013 22 Rajab 1434 - Volume 18 Number 5717 Price: QR2 ON SATURDAY QR20bn metro project contracts awarded DOHA: Qatar Railways Company has awarded QR20bn ($5.49bn) of construction contracts to build the 216km Doha Metro line linking Doha city centre with many of the World Cup stadiums. Contracts worth QR8bn to build underground sections of the 12km-long Red Line South between Doha city centre and the airport have been awarded to a consortium of QDVC, a firm owned by Qatar sovereign wealth fund Qatari Diar and French construc- tion company Vinci, South Korea-based GS Engineering and Construction, and the local company Darwish Engineering, Al Sharq said yesterday quoting the UAE’s The National newspaper. A second QR8bn contract to build the 15km-long underground sections for the Green Line, which runs north-south through the city, was awarded to a consortium of the Austrian company Porr, Saudi Binladin Group and the local HBK Contracting Company. And a QR4bn contract to build stations at Msheireb and Education City went to South Korea’s Samsung C&T, Spanish construction firm OHL and local builder Qatar Building Company. Dust, low visibility PROTECTING WORKERS’ forecast early today DOHA: Visibility is forecast to be low until six this morning due to dusty con- ditions that were expected to begin late last night and last until early today, the Meteorology Department has warned. Northwesterly to westerly winds could gather speeds of up to 12 and 22 knots dur- ing the dusty weather. However, the wind is forecast to slow down to between three RIGHTS and 12 knots by the evening. Tweeters meeting to discuss concerns DOHA: Qatari tweeters are meeting THE ISSUE here today in what would be their first such conclave to discuss a number of issues, including the question of security Construction industry insiders camp and back, and the costs involved, are, So, if the NHRC guidelines are imple- involving tweeters in the Arab world. thus, saved. mented, companies could be forced to take The meeting will additionally focus on say they are taking the guidelines And only if the client permits setting up the above labour camps on rent notwith- the ethics of tweeting, challenges in the use issued recently by the national temporary labour camps can a contracting or standing their high rates per worker, said of social media and how to build trust in human rights watchdog on living construction company have such a facility on industry insiders. and reliability of the new media. the site. Projects owned by the government or However, not many in the industry think The meeting is being organised by Al space and other requirements semi-government organisations do not allow the guidelines would be implemented effec- Sharq newspaper’s website on the occasion in temporary labour camps on contracting and construction companies to tively. “We are hearing about the guidelines of of its first anniversary. A number of promi- project sites with a pinch of salt. set up temporary labour camps on sites, said the NHRC only in local newspapers. No one nent journalists and influential tweeters an industry source. from the NHRC or the labour ministry has from Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the rest of “So, you have to either house your work- so far approached us,” said another insider. the Arab world will be attending the meet- abour inspectors rarely visit ers in permanent camps or take a huge plot The industry is also calling into question ing at the Katara Cultural Village. makeshift labour lodgings at of land close to a site and build a temporary the timing of releasing the guidelines. “The construction sites, except to labour camp,” said an industry source. “These NHRC has been in existence for a long time, “Lcheck compliance with sum- are the challenges we face.” so why are they issuing the guidebook now?” Lebanon election put mer work timings in the months of June, Some state-backed big-time companies asked an industry source. July and August,” an insider said. have huge permanent labour camps in places Nasser Al Meer, head of the contracting off as Syria war rages Housing workers in temporary labour like Ras Laffan, Mesaieed and Dukhan and committee at Qatar Chamber, representative camps isn’t easy and becomes necessary only they rent them out to construction companies. body of the private sector, and a Chamber BEIRUT: Lebanon’s parliament yes- in the case of big projects where the number of These camps fulfil all criteria specified board member, said: “True. The guidelines terday voted to extend its mandate and workers involved goes up to 2,000 or 3,000 as a by the National Human Rights Committee are already there in the labour law, but they delay elections after failing to adopt a cost-saving measure, insist industry sources. (NHRC). But their rates are “exorbitant” are being issued in the form of a handbook new electoral law at a time of deep divi- Also, housing workers on a project site and reliance on them can “frustrate” the cost by the NHRC to remind the construction sions over the war in neighbouring Syria. becomes imperative when the project is of a project for a construction or contracting industry of their importance and the need The motion for a 17-month extension, sub- PAGElocated far from 6 a company’s permanent company, claim industry insiders. to comply with them”. mitted by Christian MP Nicolas Fattouche, labour lodgings. The time taken to trans- “Portacabins to house workers temporarily THE PENINSULA was passed unanimously by 98 members of port workers to the site from a permanent on construction sites work out a lot cheaper.” See also page 2 the 128-seat house who attended. See also page 8 THE PENINSULA & AFP www.thepeninsulaqatar.com [email protected] | [email protected] Editorial: 4455 7741 | Advertising: 4455 7837 / 4455 7780 JUNE 1, 2013 ON SATURDAY 02 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com Home Guidelines none too soon Companies are in the process of improving the living standards of their workers BY AZMAT HAROON member of the NHRC’s board of directors. ollowing the release of a Common violations include handbook of guidelines unhygienic conditions, poor by the National Human sewerage systems, lack of safety FRights Committee measures — the most common of (NHRC) on housing construc- which is uncovered electric wires tion workers at project sites, — and tens of workers housed in some private sector officials one room. familiar with labour camps Al Kuwari said that since the are wondering why the NHRC launch of the handbook a few did not develop the guidelines days ago, many companies had earlier. called him asking for a copy. Some argue the NHRC has “We have sent a copy to the been “too late” in framing the Ministry of Labour and we are guidelines, which they say only in the process of distributing the speak about makeshift labour book among construction and lodgings while ignoring bigger contracting companies,” he said. problems in permanent labour A project manager working accommodations. with a heavy equipment com- Although Qatar’s Labour Law pany said, requesting anonymity: Dr Mohammed bin Saif Al Kuwari sets high standards for workers’ “The human rights committee rights, many developers, contrac- was established many years ago, tors and construction companies why is it that they have issued visited construction sites and violate the law by ignoring the guidelines only now?” labour camps, where, he claimed, safety of their employees, said Dr He said that because of the he often found many people hud- Mohammed bin Saif Al Kuwari, nature of his work he regularly dled in small rooms. A lot of sanitary and safety issues were linked to cramped accommoda- tions, and many companies were reluctant to do anything about it because of the expense involved, sites in coordination with the human rights bodies, after which receiving negative points,” he he said. authorities. it immediately launched investi- said. The NHRC guidelines ban Asked why the focus was only gations into serious issues. Scoring high on the ministry’s bunk beds, a common feature on makeshift labour camps, Al He said that at best some assessment scale is crucial for in almost all camps, and call for Huwail said there had been many construction and contracting companies vying to get a share housing only four workers in a complaints regarding them. companies met 95 percent of of upcoming mega infrastructure room that must have at least “Many workers are now being the safety standards set by the development projects. four square metres of free space. moved from residential areas Ministry of Labour. “There is no In fact, many companies are According to the guidelines, to new, temporary shelters, and company that fulfils the criteria in the process of improving the construction and contracting there were also plans to establish 100 percent.” living standards of their work- companies will have to sign a a new industrial area.” A senior official of a construc- ers so that they can request the written undertaking at the time Al Kuwari said conditions at tion company that has some ministry to send its inspectors of submitting formal requests to permanent and temporary labour 3,000 workers at different sites and upgrade their rating. recruit workers. lodgings were not very different, said the majority of companies A project manager said work- Admitting that the guidelines except that at permanent labour did not want to score low on the ers accommodated at construc- should have come out earlier, camps problems such as those Ministry of Labour’s grading tion sites in areas such as Ras Jaber Al Huwail, a legal adviser related to electricity and water system.