Foreign maids get rights boost

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RIGHTS BOOST: Domestic workers in Qatar will be legally provided with better working conditions, under a
draft law approved by the government. (AFP)

Domestic workers in Qatar will be legally provided with better working conditions, under a draft law approved by the government on Monday.

According to the law, approved by Qatar's Advisory Council, all domestic help in the country is entitled to a paid day off a week, an air ticket to their home country every two years and gratuity, Qatar daily Gulf Times reported on Tuesday.

The establishment of a new department within the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs to settle disputes between domestic workers and their sponsors was also recommended under the law.

The council’s report on the draft law commended Article 9 which stipulates that the expenses for recruitment, including visa fees and any other official charges, shall be paid by the employer and not deducted from the employee’s wages.

“This article is meant to combat possible human trafficking and other practices of exploitation committed in this context,” the report said.

Employers face imprisonment and fines of up to $2,747 for violating the law, the newspaper said.

The 26-article draft will now go to Qatar's ruler Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani for approval.

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