India, Qatar to sign labour agreement

Doha, Jan 22: India and Qatar are set to sign a labour agreement that will provide better working conditions to over 1,80,000 Indian workers in the gulf nation besides ensuring timely payment of wages and perks.

This agreement will also serve as a 'model' for future agreements with other gulf nations where more than three million Indian workers are enganged in various developmental activities, press reports said.

The draft pact is ready and will be signed in New Delhi within a fortnight.

The purpose of the agreement is to plug loopholes in the present agreement, which was signed by the two countries in 1995, the report said quoting top Indian Embassy officials.

The agreement envisages that the both sides would ensure welfare of the Indian community in Qatar and curb all illegal practices, which are detrimental to their interest.

It is hoped that the new agreement will eliminate complaints of maltreatment by the employers and non payments of their wages.

The agreement gives right to the Qatar government to repatriate those workers whose presence in the country becomes a threat to its national security.

The Indian workers constitute the largest expatriate workforce in this tiny gulf nation.

UNI