ISO 9001:2008 CERTIFIED NEWSPAPER Thursday 10 October 2013 5 Dhul-Hijja 1434 - Volume 18 Number 5848 Price: QR2 Shale no threat Sheikh Hamad to conventional re-elected as energy: Attiyah QFA President Business | 17 Sport | 27 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com [email protected] | [email protected] Editorial: 4455 7741 | Advertising: 4455 7837 / 4455 7780 Emir inspects projects Eid holidays Rights panel from Oct 13 DOHA: The Emiri Diwan has announced that the Eid slams labour Al Adha holidays for min- istries, government depart- ments, general authorities and institutions will start from Sunday (October 13) and end on Sunday (October 20). inspectors The Qatar Central Bank, banks and financial institutions working under the supervision Call for strict enforcement of law of QCB and Qatar Financial Markets Authority will have DOHA: Qatar’s human rights About labour camps, the report three days holiday starting watchdog has criticised labour said some rooms accommodating Monday (October 14). inspectors and said they workers do not have windows QNA inspect companies and their (ventilation) while some toilets labour lodgings only when there have been found without rooftop. are complaints or checks are Many rooms with double- Directive to help needed to issue work visas, and decker beds have been found. The Emir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani yesterday toured the Qatar Railways Company to witness the not as a matter of routine to Even bigger companies do not Qatar Airways progress of important projects such as railway stations, the new port, infrastructure enterprises and Barwa help enforce the labour law. comply with the provisions of the Company. Report on page 5 The National Human Rights labour law regarding living condi- DOHA: It is being made man- Committee (NHRC) has in its 2012 tions of workers. datory for private companies report said the Labour Department The NHRC report said a model bagging government contracts of the Ministry of Labour and of a labour camp based on inter- or having any other business Social Affairs conducted 46,000 national standards needed to be dealings with state sector inspections in the year. developed for companies to follow. entities to use national carrier But most of these inspections The report, however, lauded Labour team checks work sites Qatar Airways for their cargo were conducted either due to the Labour Ministry for making needs as also for travel of their work complaints or to check com- a recommendation to the govern- BY FAZEENA SALEEM The team hopes to make rec- Speaking to The Peninsula, employees. pliance of the provisions of the ment that the provisions of the ommendations that would include Ambet Yuson, General Secretary The Prime Minister and labour law for the purpose of issu- labour law be made strict to pun- DOHA: A delegation from an reforms in the sponsorship and of the BWI and head of the del- Interior Minister H E Sheikh ing work visas to those compa- ish those companies that do not international labour federa- exit permit system. egation, insisted on visiting more Abdullah bin Nasser bin nies, Al Sharq reported yesterday. pay workers on time. It, though, tion visited labour camps and It has also suggested hav- construction sites and labour Khalifa Al Thani has directed Inspections should be con- bitterly attacked the Labour work sites yesterday to check ing minimum wages for work- camps besides those they visited all state agencies and institu- ducted as a matter of routine to Department for referring work- facilities. ers, improving health and safety in the Ras Laffan Industrial City. tions, including government make sure that companies comply ers with complaints against their The 18-member team from conditions, forming a committee “We have come here not to criti- companies and their subsidiar- with the provisions of the labour employers to the labour court Geneva-based Building and Wood to look after working and liv- cise the government, we have come ies, to include a clause in their law. The NHRC report said there without helping them any further. Workers’ International (BWI) ing conditions of workers and here to assess the situation and we business contracts with private was a need for close coordination “Distressed workers have no will speak to more workers and increase the number of work site have concrete recommendations,” companies to rely on Qatar between the three crucial depart- idea about the court and how to visit more construction sites and inspectors. said Yuson. Airways, Al Sharq reports. ments of the labour ministry, file complaints there. They also labour camps on the concluding The delegation met about 50 “It’s important for us to see sites The Minister of Finance H E namely, labour relations, inspec- don’t know Arabic language, so day of their visit to Qatar today. workers of different nationalities as we are a construction federation Ali Sherif Al Emadi, has in a tion and recruitment. they are left wondering what The team held talks with yesterday and will hold a press and we know if health and safety notification asked Qatar Airways The result of a lack of coordi- to do,” the rights body said. Hussein Al Mulla, Undersecretary briefing this morning. mechanisms are in place and we to follow up on the directive. nation is that companies that are “They are struck and eventually at the Labour Ministry, and The National Human Rights want to talk to workers and know The daily said the idea is to help barred from getting work visas removed by their employers due Hassan Al Thawadi, Secretary Committee is facilitating the about their problems,” he added. the national carrier play a wider manage to get them, the report to filing complaints against them.” General of the Qatar 2022 delegation in its visits to labour THE PENINSULA role in the national economy. hinted. THE PENINSULA Supreme Committee. camps and construction sites. Continued to page 7 THE PENINSULA THURSDAY 10 OCTOBER 2013 04 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com HOME Four QIB branches open Cabinet urges solution for during Eid holidays DOHA: Qatar Islamic Bank (QIB) Eid holidays except October 15, the yesterday announced that four of first day of Eid, from Saturday to its branches will remain opera- Thursday from 9am to 2:30pm and Doha traffic congestion tional during the Eid Al Adha hol- from 3:30pm to 9pm and on Friday iday break. from 4pm to 9pm. The Barwa, Muaither and Al QIB’s 24-hour e-services will also Nasiriyah branches will open their be available through ATMs at more More government service complexes ordered across Qatar doors on October 16, 17 and 19 from than 170 locations in the country, 9am to noon. as well as Internet banking, QIB’s DOHA: The State Cabinet Interior Minister H E Sheikh requires providing the state-of- It reviewed a draft law on sea The City Center branch will mobile application, and phone yesterday raised the issue Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa the-art e-data base for births vessels which aims at reducing provide services during normal banking. of traffic congestion on city Al Thani chaired the weekly and mortalities and linking it problems of security, harass- operational hours throughout the THE PENINSULA roads and said effective solu- Cabinet meeting at the Emiri to government agencies. ment and threats to sea-faring tions must be found soon. Diwan. It also endorsed draft agree- people and families. The Cabinet asked authorities Following the meeting, the ments on economic, trade Vessels can be operated only to take immediate action, taking Deputy Premier and Minister and technical cooperation after being registered as the into account recommendations of State for Cabinet Affairs with Georgia; air services draft law explains terms, con- of the Advisory Council. The H E Ahmed bin Abdullah Al between Qatar and Gabon; ditions, procedures and validity council has made recommenda- Mahmoud said the Cabinet was and on cooperation to develop of registration and the estab- tions after conducting studies. briefed on the inauguration of trade services for the indus- lishment of centres for sailing The Cabinet also said more the first stage of the govern- trial intellectual property training, conditions and regula- government service com- ment services complex launched section at the Registration tions of issuing sailing licences plexes like the one opened in in Mesaimeer on Tuesday, and Commercial Licence and procedures for leasing and Mesaimeer should be set up in which the Cabinet had earlier Department at the Ministry of transferring ownership. Doha and out of it for the ben- approved. Economy and Commerce and A draft decision of the efit of nationals and expatriates Then the Cabinet approved a World Intellectual Property Minister of Environment on in line with the Qatar National draft law on regulating births Organisation. the selling prices of recyclable Vision 2030. It said services and mortalities. The draft The session approved the materials resulting from activi- should be made more efficient law aims at keeping pace with hosting of an Arab Organisation ties of the waste treatment cen- and of high quality. Qatar’s social, economic and for Administrative Development tre was also discussed. The Prime Minister and technological progress which symposium on December 3-4. QNA FM meets new envoy Al Kuwari meets French minister The Foreign Minister H E Dr Khalid bin Mohamed Al Attiyah received yesterday the Irish Ambassador, Patrick Hennessy, The Minister of Culture, Arts and Heritage H E Dr Hamad bin Abdulaziz who presented a copy of credentials. The Minister wished him Al Kuwari met French Culture Minister Aurelie Filippetti in Paris yes- success in his assignments. terday. Talks covered ways to boost cultural cooperation. Two Salwa Road lanes closed DOHA: Following an accident on Salwa Road, the Public Works Authority ‘Ashghal’ has announced tempo- rary closure of two lanes for repair works in the direction from Faleh Bin Nasser Interchange to Wholesale Market Interchange.