Global daily news 07.06.2014

*Global union hits Qatar Airways with UN complaint
  • GENEVA: A global union said it had filed a formal complaint at a UN body against Qatar Airways, accusing it of breaching the rights of its almost entirely foreign staff.
Gabriel Mocho Rodriguez of the International Transport Federation said the complaint was lodged with the International Labour Organization (ILO).
The union body wants the UN labor agency to condemn the airline for violating global rules on workers’ rights, as well as domestic regulations.
“We’re urging the ILO to make the recommendations necessary to bring the Qatar government into compliance with its international commitments as soon as possible and end the disgraceful measures,” Rodriguez said.
Qatar is already under pressure over the treatment of migrant construction workers, an enduring issue given fresh impetus as the emirate prepares to host football’s 2022 World Cup.
In April, the ILO urged Qatar to remove a host of restrictions on forming unions and striking, and to protect workers from discrimination.
The ILO cannot force countries to fall into line, but its criticism has moral weight.
Beyond the dearth of union rights, Rodriguez said, Qatar Airways staff must live in company compounds, under surveillance, with curfews.

They are banned from marrying during their first five years at the company and must obtain its permission thereafter.
Becoming pregnant is grounds for immediate dismissal, as is failing to inform the airline about a pregnancy.
Staff face regular medical checks, including AIDS tests.
“Any infringement of the draconian regulations imposed on them is likely to result in sacking and deportation,” Rodriguez said on the sidelines of the ILO’s annual congress.
He said the rules were rarely made clear to would-be staff before they had actually joined, and that they were bound by gagging clauses thereafter.
“Compared to the one-and-a-half million migrant workers in Qatar, there are a small number of aviation workers, around 20,000. They might have better salaries, they might have neat and tidy uniforms, but that does not mean they don’t suffer,” he added.
Qatar Airways is one of the world’s fastest-growing carriers.
Over 90 percent of its staff is foreign, reflecting the overall proportion of migrant workers in the Qatari economy.
Qatar’s “kafala” visa-sponsorship system handcuffs foreigners to their local employer.
If staff quit Qatar Airways before serving two years, they must repay a bond to the company in order to get an exit visa, said Rodriguez.



FROM THE QATAR DAILY STAR:




***Global kinship hits Qatar Airways with UN complaint
Posted by: admin in Global News 6 hours ago 0 14 Views
A tellurian kinship pronounced Thursday that it had filed a grave censure during a UN physique opposite Qatar Airways, accusing it of breaching a rights of a roughly unconditionally unfamiliar staff.
Gabriel Mocho Rodriguez of a International Transport Federation pronounced a censure was lodged Thursday with a International Labour Organization (ILO).
The kinship physique wants a UN work group to reject a unconditionally state-owned airline for violating tellurian manners on workers’ rights, as good as domestic regulations.
“We’re propelling a ILO to make a recommendations required to move a Qatar supervision into correspondence with a general commitments as shortly as probable and finish a infamous measures,” Rodriguez said.
Energy-rich Qatar is already underneath vigour over a diagnosis of migrant construction workers, an fast emanate given uninformed procedure as a emirate prepares to horde football’s 2022 World Cup.
In April, a ILO urged Qatar to mislay a horde of restrictions on combining unions and striking, and to strengthen workers from discrimination.
The ILO can't force countries to tumble into line, though a critique has dignified weight.
Beyond a default of kinship rights, Rodriguez said, Qatar Airways staff contingency live in association compounds, underneath surveillance, with curfews.
They are criminialized from marrying during their initial 5 years during a association and contingency obtain a accede thereafter.
Becoming profound is drift for evident dismissal, as is unwell to surprise a airline about a pregnancy.
Staff face unchanging medical checks, including AIDS tests.
“Any transgression of a draconian regulations imposed on them is expected to outcome in sacking and deportation,” Rodriguez pronounced on a sidelines of a ILO’s annual congress.
He pronounced a manners were frequency done transparent to would-be staff before they had indeed joined, and that they were firm by gagging clauses thereafter.
“Compared to a one-and-a-half million migrant workers in Qatar, there are a tiny series of aviation workers, around 20,000. They competence have improved salaries, they competence have neat and neat uniforms, though that does not meant they don’t suffer,” he added.




FROM THE MORNING STAR (UK):


Jun
2014
Thursday 5th
posted by Morning Star in World
GLOBAL trade union groups put Qatar in the dock at the International Labour Organisation (ILO) in Geneva, Switzerland, today over the conduct of national carrier Qatar Airways.
The United Nations organisation heard the International Transport Workers Federation and the International Trade Union Confederation accuse Qatar of allowing the state-owned airline to violate ILO Convention 111 on discrimination.
The groups accuse the airline of workplace sex discrimination and of restricting women’s rights.
They allege that the Qatari government is in breach of its international obligations by turning a blind eye to these offences.
The two organisations have provided evidence that female cabin crew members face gender-based discrimination such as a contractual marriage bar for the first five years of service and a provision allowing the company to terminate employment upon pregnancy.
ITF has repeatedly exposed discriminatory practices including curfews, surveillance and arbitrary dismissal at the airline.
Its acting general secretary Steve Cotton said: “Qatar Airways already has an unenviable reputation for severe employment practices.
“We urge the ILO to … bring Qatar into compliance with its international commitments as soon as possible and end the disgraceful discriminatory measures against women workers.”
ITUC general secretary Sharan Burrow said: “The corrupt kafala system used in Qatar, including by Qatar Airways, virtually enslaves women and controls their every movement.
“They are being denied their rights and their dignity.”
ITF president Paddy Crumlin added: “Qatar is on trial. The truth will out and we’re going to continue making sure that it does.”




FROM YOUR MIDDLE EAST, ALSO MA'AN NEWS AGENCY:




***International unions slam "slave state" Qatar
International unions on Thursday slammed 2022 World Cup host Qatar over the treatment of migrant labourers and condemned what they call the systematic exploitation of workers at sporting events worldwide.
"Qatar is a slave state," said Sharan Burrow, head of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC).
Speaking on the sidelines of the annual congress of the International Labour Organization (ILO) -- the UN's labour agency -- Burrow said little real action had been taken to improve labourers' working conditions.
"We haven't unearthed the worst of it yet," she said.
Migrants, mostly from South Asia, form over 90 percent of the labour force in Qatar, where 88 percent of the population is from outside the country.
Human rights campaigners Amnesty International say they are treated like "animals," with hundreds dying on construction sites.
The ITUC warns that at current rates, as many as 4,000 might be killed by the time the tournament kicks off.
The energy-rich emirate is also facing swirling claims that corruption played a role in the surprise decision by world football's governing body FIFA to name it host of the 2022 showcase.
"The danger now is that the corruption issue -- which is very serious of course -- is going to overshadow the situation of workers on the ground," Burrow warned.
Long-running concerns have been given fresh impetus by the World Cup drive and Qatar's breakneck economic development.
Burrow said workers' living conditions in Qatar were all too often squalid, with inadequate food and medical care.
Qatar's "kafala" visa-sponsorship system handcuffs foreigners to their local employer.
South Asian workers pay middlemen huge sums to win a work permit, and fear that complaining will mean getting fired and deported -- if their employer even agrees to an exit visa.
Domestic workers, mostly women, who suffer abuse also struggle to free themselves from employers.
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"How can we allow, as human beings, that Qatar can have a World Cup when they are still abusing domestic sector and contract workers," said Myrtle Witbooi, chair of the International Domestic Workers Network.
The International Transport Federation has also filed a complaint against Qatar Airways at the ILO over its treatment of white-collar employees.
- Devil in the detail -
Global unions have repeatedly locked horns with Qatari authorities, who say they are striving to improve the situation.
Under mounting pressure, Qatar in February issued fresh guidelines on workers' rights, but the ILO has urged it to go further.
The emirate has said it plans to abolish the kafala system.
"It remains to be seen what they will replace it with. The devil is in the detail. Announcing is very easy to do," said Francois Crepeau, the UN's migrant rights monitor.
"But years of international scrutiny due to Qatar asking for and obtaining the World Cup will prove useful. We'll see what happens," he added.
Unions say Qatar is an extreme example of a wider problem surrounding the globe's increasingly expensive sports events.
Workers all too often pay the price for high-pressure, multi-billion dollar drives to get ready, they say.
"We should focus on the workers, who make the beautiful game possible," said Ambet Yuson, head of the Building and Wood Workers' International.
Nine workers have died on stadium projects in Brazil, where the 2014 World Cup kicks off on June 12.
The picture was similar for the 2012 European football championships in Poland and Ukraine.
Six died in Poland and 14 in Ukraine, where shadow employment left many workers unprotected, said Vasyl Andreyev, head of Ukraine's construction union.
In contrast, the stadium toll for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa was two, and zero for the 2006 edition in Germany.
Five have died on 2018 World Cup host Russia's stadium sites, but concerns are rising because of the use of easily-exploitable migrant workers, said Yuson.