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Make labour rules flexible, GCC urged


A conference in Nepal has urged the GCC countries to amend the prevailing sponsorship system. The appeal was made at the five-day conference on “sponsorship system in GCC states” held in Nepal ’s capital Kathmandu . The conference which concluded on Friday, was organised by the Pravasi Nepali Co-ordination Committee (PNCC) in association with Nepal ’s Ministry of Labour and Transportation Management (MLTM), the embassy of Switzerland in Nepal and Migrant Forum Asia. PNCC has chapters in all GCC states. The key focus at the meeting was the problems faced by the Nepali migrants working in the GCC states. The participants appealed to the Gulf authorities to make their labour rules more flexible to suit the requirements of their growing expatriate workforces. While pointing out the necessity of doing away with the current system of exit permit in most of the GCC states, speakers said there have been reports of its massive misuse by sponsors from some of the member states. “When a foreign employee approaches the appropriate authority for assistance in leaving the country when his employer refuses to issue an exit permit, the repatriation should be facilitated within a stipulated time,” said a speaker. This will help overcome the issue of non-issuance of exit permit to harass the worker even when there is no case against him, he argued. One of the major recommendations made at the conference was on granting the workers the right to transfer to another employer without requiring his present employer’s consent. Automatic contract renewal needs to be stopped. The renewal should be done only with the consent of the employee, the speakers said … Doha-based legal activist Nizar Kochery was the key speaker and resource person. Diplomats, lawyers, government officials, delegates from labour and rights organisations, journalists, migrant forum activists from Sri Lanka , Bangladesh , India , Philippines and other countries and representatives of women’s organisations were among others in attendance. more>>

Leave entitlements vex legal eagle



Nizar Kochery  speaking at the seminar on ‘ Qatar Labour Law and emerging trends

It is high time respective departments and authorities intervened to effect suitable amendments in the existing Qatar Labour Law to ensure that affected sections received leave entitlements in emergency or compassionate grounds, it was pointed out at a seminar organised by a local social forum on “Qatar Labour Law and emerging trends”.

Speaking at the seminar hosted by Qatar Quality Plus, legal activist Nizar Kochery pointed out shortcomings in the existing Labour Law and appealed to the authorities to expedite steps to ensure that such anomalies did not occur when suitable amendments are made in the future.

While welcoming the social and democratic principles enshrined in the Qatar Labour Law, Kochery said there should have been provisions for leave entitlements in emergency or compassionate situations. “Somehow this aspect is missing in the provisions of the labour law,” he told his audience.

Participants at the seminar also expressed concern over the absence of adequate time in the labour law to receive entitlement in the event of either a person sustaining disability or suffering death in Qatar . The one-year time given for completing formalities at different levels, including courts, is hardly sufficient, it was pointed out at the seminar.

“One has to go to a host of offices and meet officials for obtaining different kinds of clearance reports before submitting the final application for entitlement,” said the legal activist.
“Subject to the provisions of the Article 113, the right to file a law suit for claiming entitlement accruing under the provisions of the law or the service contract shall lapse by the expiry of one year from the date of the expiry of the contract,” pointed out the legal expert while making a strong plea for the introduction of necessary amendments.


Kochery said under Article 113, the right of the worker to claim compensation for disability or death shall is withdrawn one year from the date of the medical report.

Difficulties are encountered by commoners or their nominees before initiating court proceedings, said the lawyer. “This needs to be looked into with utmost attention.”

Representatives of employees of a number of private companies attended the day-long seminar, where the lawyer highlighted various provisions of the existing Qatar Labour Law and their timely application to bring benefits to the country’s residents, both locals and expatriates. more>>

Indian expats hail former envoy's appointment as foreign
secretary



Mathai : elevated as top diplomat

Considered as an official known for his no-nonsense approach, Mathai was very much dedicated to the interests of the community members during his Doha stint, recalled legal activist Nizar Kochery. The former ambassador worked tirelessly to establish the growing importance of India as a major power at the international level, said the lawyer. Though for most of his compatriots in Qatar , the former ambassador may have appeared to be an intense personality, he was always accessible to even commoners when his services were really required, said Kochery. more>>

Doctors briefed on medico-legal aspects in Qatar



Dr Krishna Kumar introduces the guest speakers at the IMA session

Doctors working in the country's health sector were given a useful briefing on the standards of care expected of them while performing duties, at a seminar jointly organised by the Indian Medical Association (Qatar chapter) and Indian Doctors Club as part of their recent monthly meeting.

Director of legal department at the Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC), Abdul Majid, and legal expert Nizar Kochery spoke on those issues to be taken care of by medical professionals while delivering duties at hospitals and clinics in Qatar.

Kochery, who initiated the discussion with a presentation on Qatar's prevailing laws related to medical practice, explained how different certain aspects of law in Qatar were from the laws existing elsewhere. more>>

Indian activist to seek release of fishermen held in Iran

A Doha-based India legal and rights activist will visit Tehran next week in a bid to secure the release of 19 Indian fishermen, who are in the custody of Iranian coastguards for the last seven months. The fishermen were accused of straying into Iran’s waters while fishing in the Arabian Sea. Nizar Kochery, Regional Co-ordinator of the South Asian Fishermen’s Fraternity (SAFF), said he would meet Indian Ambassador to Iran A N Srivastava and senior officials of the Iranian coastguards on September 9 and 10 during his mission, which is carried out at the initiative of Indian parliamentarian Helen Davidson of Kannyakumari in Tamil Nadu. Sixteen fishermen of the group are from Kannyakumari district and the rest from Kerala. more>>

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