According to the British newspaper,” the Guardian”, the payment of the job brokers fees to provide job opportunities in Qatar has become a widespread phenomenon, but leaves workers at risks of debt and forced labor.
The newspaper added that the security guards of the Marsa Malaz Kempinski hotel spend long shifts of 12 hours at very high temperatures up to 45 degrees and get about 8 pounds a day, which is the equivalent of a cup of fresh juice at the hotel. It pointed out that some say that they worked for 3 or 4 months without a day's leave, but they are punished by a 5-day wage cut, if they are caught sleeping during the shift.
The newspaper also pointed out that the interviews with 19 employees revealed several violations of the labor laws in Qatar, including salaries below the minimum wage. The results show for the first time that the documented exploitation of construction workers in Qatar extends to the hotelier sector as well.
The “Kempinski” hotel’s management is located in Switzerland and is classified as an upscale brand. Unlike many of these international chains, Kempinski Hotels runs its hotels directly rather than through the brand’s franchises.
Most of the hotel's staff are employed by unknown agents, not by direct employment from the hotel, and many have been working there for years. The group said it had begun an investigation into reports regarding the hiring fees paid by the hotel workers to the contracting agents and job brokers, and how to avoid the debts that would result from it, as well as, the below-minimum wage rates, pressure on workers to work on days off and fines for sleeping during the work.
#Qatar #exploitation #Marsa_Malaz_Kempinski #hotel
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