PERMANENT BASE
The ILO has had a temporary office in Doha since 2018 advising the Qatar government on its reforms and monitoring conditions for migrant workers who make up nearly 90 percent of the 2.9 million population.
Houngbo has also held talks with Qatar on making the office a permanent base, the first in the Gulf region where nearly all countries face criticism of labour rights.
The ILO chief said many of the attacks on Qatar had shown “double standards”.
“I have heard harsh criticism of Qatar, when Qatar has done more in this field than other countries. But nothing is said about the other countries.”
Houngbo said Qatar deserved praise for dismantling its punitive “Kafala” labour system – which prevented workers from changing jobs or leaving the country without an employer’s permission – introducing a minimum wage and restricting hours that can be worked in heat since international unions made an official complaint to the ILO in 2014.
The government, which has expressed dismay at what it has called “racist” attacks, says it has spent more than US$350 million in compensation for stolen and unpaid wages since 2018.
“This shows the engagement of the government and the size of the problem,” said the ILO chief.
A “small number” of companies “continue to have illegal practices and that is where we have to continue to work”.
The ILO is also pressing Qatar to improve its data gathering to end bitter debates over the number of dead in labour accidents.
The government has said there were 414 deaths in accidents from 2014 to 2020. Rights groups say “thousands” have died.
“I think the public needs to know the truth and sometimes the sincere truth is that there is no credible information,” said Houngbo.
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