The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) and the Ministry of Labour of the State of Qatar held a roundtable meeting with the participation of the International Labour Organization (ILO), local and international transport and logistics companies, to discuss the application of domestic labour laws and international labour standards in the country’s transport sector.
Taking place at the end of April in Doha, there was an understanding that the increasing economic, climate and health uncertainties require the development of crisis protocols for the transport industry to ensure its resilience and sustainability.
As accelerating economic development and investment are increasing skills shortages, discussions identified some key requirements:
- Enhancement of recruitment and retention standards and processes.
- Benchmarking of local conditions and processes with international standards, such as ILO instruments and occupational standards, and models across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.
- Development of an action plan to narrow the gap between private and public sector recruitment. This could include conducting a study into skills anticipations in the transport sector, following the approach of the ILO study of the finance sector.
There was a recognition that government can play a critical role responding to non-compliance with recruitment regulations by coordinating the response with agencies and embassies.
Stephen Cotton, General Secretary of the International Transport Workers’ Federation, commended the fruitful cooperation with the Ministry of Labor and its efforts to strengthen social dialogue, enhance the working environment in the transport sector, and ensure protection of workers in this field. In his remarks at the conclusion of the roundtable discussions, Mr. Cotton noted that the State of Qatar “stands as a model in the region for its commitment to wholesale labour reforms and their effective implementation”. He also expressed appreciation for their participation in this meaningful dialogue, which places workers and joint committees at the centre of its priorities.
Actions coming out of the roundtable include:
- The joint development of crisis protocols for the transport industry.
- The scheduling of tripartite seminars on international occupational standards to facilitate benchmarking, aligned with standards across the GCC region.
- The expansion of Joint Committees in aviation, land transport, maritime transport and the platform economy to enhance worker voice in the workplace.
- Pilot interventions for fair recruitment in road transport, ride-hailing and food delivery.
- An ILO study into skills anticipations in the transport sector to be conducted, following the approach of the ILO study of the finance sector.
- Focusing, in collaboration with the ITF, on the mechanisms of occupational health and safety.
