The new minimum wage, which comes into effect in six months and is 250 riyals more a month than the old one, is non-discriminatory and applies to all workers. “This is a huge step towards our labour reforms," labour ministry assistant undersecretary Mohammed Hassan al-Obaidly told Reuters. Companies who do not pay wages or provide adequate accommodation will face harsher penalties under the new reforms, the labour ministry said. Qatar would be the first in the region with a non-discriminatory minimum wage and the "kafala" system was effectively dismantled now that employees would no longer need permission to change jobs, it said. Amnesty International said the changes were a significant step in the right direction but that the minimum wage remained relatively low and should be increased.

Source: bd News24 August 30, 2020 13:52 UTC