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Foreign Workers in Qatar Open Bank A/Cs

Foreign Workers in Qatar Open Bank A/Cs
Foreign Workers in Qatar Open Bank A/Cs

Long queues formed outside banks in Qatar this week as workers lined up to open accounts on the day the country’s new Wage Protection System came into effect.

The new system follows an amendment to Qatar’s labor law in February. It was originally scheduled to take effect from August, but was delayed until this month to allow companies to prepare for the changes, Arabian Business reported.

It requires firms to pay employees salaries at least monthly, in Qatari riyals, through direct bank transfers, and is intended to make it easier for the government to record late- or non-payments, particularly to low income workers.

The new rules apply to more than 50,000 private companies.

On Sunday and Monday, hundreds of workers queued up to open bank accounts–a requirement of the Wage Protection System–for up to 12 hours.

The Doha News said, approximately 200 people were at Qatar International Islamic Bank’s branch in Barwa Village on Sunday, and a further 180 showed up at the bank on Monday.

It said many banks have opened special departments to handle the uplift in new customers.

Meanwhile, Qatar has officially opened the country’s biggest workers’ accommodation camp on Sunday, with enough space to house almost 100,000 laborers, AFP reported.

“Labor City” which also contains two police stations, Qatar’s second largest mosque and cost some $825 million to build, will house roughly 100,000 workers when it reaches full capacity, according to official figures.

It was unveiled by Prime Minister Abdullah bin Nasser Al-Thani and the Labor Minister Abdullah al-Khulaifi in a ceremony in the capital Doha. The site is currently around 60% full and houses workers from various countries including Nepal, India, Sri Lanka and Vietnam.

 

Financialtribune.com