Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05DOHA1132
2005-06-21 08:41:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Doha
Cable title:  

ASIAN LABOR DEMOGRAPHICS AND EXPERIENCE

Tags:  ELAB ETRD PHUM QA 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 DOHA 001132 

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/ARPI, NEA/RA, DRL, INL, G/TIP, EB
STATE PLEASE PASS TO USTR--JASON BUNTIN
DEPT. OF LABOR FOR DR.SUDHA HALEY

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ELAB ETRD PHUM QA
SUBJECT: ASIAN LABOR DEMOGRAPHICS AND EXPERIENCE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 DOHA 001132

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/ARPI, NEA/RA, DRL, INL, G/TIP, EB
STATE PLEASE PASS TO USTR--JASON BUNTIN
DEPT. OF LABOR FOR DR.SUDHA HALEY

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ELAB ETRD PHUM QA
SUBJECT: ASIAN LABOR DEMOGRAPHICS AND EXPERIENCE


1. (U) Summary. Poloff hosted a group of Asian labor attaches
for lunch on May 17. Labor attaches from Indonesia, Nepal,
Pakistan, the Philippines, and Sri Lanka attended. Poloff
also met individually with attaches from Bangladesh, China
and India. For the most part, the attaches openly expressed
their views about the labor situation in Qatar and the
experience of their nationals. While the attaches welcomed
the new labor law, they criticized it for not including
domestic workers, easing sponsorship rules, establishing a
minimum wage, or providing a formal mechanism for ensuring
the payment of wages, such as automatic deposit. All
concurred that the stringent requirements for changing
sponsorship have created a situation of forced servitude in
Qatar. A lack of coordination with source country embassies
and inadequate and inefficient enforcement of the new labor
law continue to contribute to labor disputes as well. The
attaches did acknowledge, however, that overall labor
conditions have improved and that labor conditions in Qatar
are better than in previous years, and better than those
elsewhere in the region. End Summary.


2. (U) Various meetings over the past nine months as well as
a recent luncheon for labor attaches of Asian source
countries provided Poloff with the opportunity to learn more
about the concerns and problems of individual expatriate
communities. While workers from each country face similar
labor problems and concerns, some problems remain specific to
particular ethnic groups. Poloff was also able to gather some
demographic information about the Asian labor force in Qatar.
The figures below, specifically the population size of
particular labor communities, are often understated as labor
attaches are reluctant to give the actual numbers. There is
real and shared concern that knowledge of the actual size of
the individual populations may lead to government
restrictions or bans on the issuance of work visas to those
source countries.


3. (U) Expatriates constitute approximately eighty-five
percent of the population in Qatar. Asian nationals make up
the majority of the expatriate community--an estimated
seventy-three percent. Their size alone dictates that their

community endures the brunt of labor problems and disputes.
In speaking with the different labor attaches, it became
apparent that some communities share the same labor problems
and issues.

--------------
Bangladesh, Indonesia, Nepal and Sri Lanka
--------------


4. (U) Bangladeshi, Nepalese, and Sri Lankan workers face
similar problems and concerns. Among some of the problems
encountered are: abuse, delayed payment and nonpayment of
salaries, overwork and abuse of housemaids, and poor living
conditions at labor camps. A major problem are low wages.
Employment agencies in Doha charge high commissions to find
workers employment. Some employees also deduct various fees
from the workers, salaries, e.g. residence permit fees.
Further exacerbating the problem is the poor economic
situation in Sri Lanka. According to the labor attaches, the
economic situation in Sri Lanka is leading to a decline in
the average real wages of foreign unskilled workers in Qatar.
Because Sri Lankan laborers are willing to work for less,
laborers from the other countries are being forced to accept
smaller salaries if they are to find and keep employment.


5. (U) Recruitment is also an issue for workers. Workers
seeking employment in Qatar pay large sums to recruiting
agents in their countries. Often they arrive in Qatar only to
find out that they have no jobs. Recruiting agents also lie
about the nature of jobs and living conditions in Qatar. Some
agents tell the workers that they are going to work in
companies, hotels, or restaurants, but when the workers
arrive in Qatar, they are forced to work in menial positions
or given over to individuals. Some women who were recruited
for other positions end up working as housemaids once in
Qatar. Work contracts represent another problem area. Once in
Qatar, contracts are not adhered to and the wages are reduced
from the original amount agreed upon. These workers are also
involved in numerous labor disputes because the majority of
them do not speak or read Arabic. As a result, they sign
documents without knowing their content.


6. (U) Bangladeshi, Indonesian, Nepalese and Sri Lankan women
are discouraged from coming to Qatar to work as housemaids
because of the abuse some housemaids face. The women need the
approval of their embassies in order to work in Qatar.
However, to circumvent this prohibition, recruitment and
employment agencies send the women to other Association of
Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries before sending them
to Qatar, as no visa is required for citizens of ASEAN
countries to travel to other member countries. The housemaid
problem is particularly acute in the case of Indonesia, as 67
percent of its laborers in Qatar are women working as
housemaids.

--------------
India and Pakistan
--------------


7. (U) At approximately 200,000, India has the largest
expatriate population in Qatar. Because of this size, about
which the Government of Qatar is sensitive, the Indian
Embassy is reluctant to provide official statistics on their
population. In fact, the tendency is to under-report the
numbers. In the past year there have been a few cases of
Indians entering Qatar with forged Nepalese passports. Indian
laborers also encounter problems with unscrupulous recruiting
agents who charge workers large fees for finding them work
only to find that when the workers arrive to Qatar they do
not have a job. Many workers are also made to pay high
residence fees that are the responsibility of the sponsor.
Domestic workers also complain of overwork, nonpayment,
sexual harassment and physical abuse. More than one-third of
labor complaints filed at the Indian Embassy involve domestic
workers. Some small businesses have also complained of being
cheated by their Qatari sponsors.


8. (U) While the Pakistani population does not approach that
of India, the Government of Qatar has ceased issuing new work
visas to Pakistanis. In fact, only 5,000 Pakistanis were
allowed into Qatar in the last five years. These newcomers
are from Western countries and hold dual nationalities. With
their qualification and citizenship they have been able to
get better jobs and have better working conditions. Pakistani
women are not allowed to enter Qatar to work as domestic
workers. In the last few years, salaries for Pakistani
laborers have decreased due to competition from their Indian,
Nepalese and Sri Lankan laborers who work for lower wages.

--------------
The Philippines
--------------


9. (U) According to the Filipino attache, the majority of
Filipino workers are women working as housemaids. Filipina
housemaids also complain of overwork, nonpayment, sexual
harassment and physical abuse. There are also many Filipinos
working as technicians and engineers. Some of them are
required to work long hours without being paid overtime. Upon
their arrival to Qatar, some workers find that their wages
are reduced sometimes by as much as fifty percent from the
original amount agreed upon in the Philippines. Since January
2005, 6,343 Filipinos have entered Qatar to work. This
increase is largely due to the current expansion in the
construction sector as a result of the upcoming Asian Games
in 2006.

--------------
China
--------------


10. (U) Chinese workers are just beginning to come for work
in Qatar. Their number is very small, but according to the
Chinese economic and commercial attache, the number of
Chinese laborers is expected to double by the end of 2005 due
to a recent government construction contract. The number of
Chinese is expected to further increase in years to come, as
there are numerous pending projects with Chinese companies.
Under these projects, Chinese companies will supply their own
laborers. There are not many unskilled Chinese laborers in
Qatar because of a lack of competitive advantage. Wages in
Qatar are low, as are living standards for laborers. The
average Chinese laborer can earn the same if not more in
China and does not have to leave his family. Unskilled
workers who come to Qatar do so because they are promised
overtime. They also tend to face problems such as delayed
payments and contractual disputes. Language also poses a
major obstacle, as the laborers do not speak Arabic or
English. Skilled workers, on the other hand, come with their
companies for specific projects and have a fixed salary, and
thus do not have labor disputes that the unskilled and
locally hired workers do.

--------------
The Impact of Soaring Rents
--------------


11. (U) The labor attaches commented on the impact of the
housing crisis in Qatar on their nationals. Soaring rents and
a shortage of affordable housing in Doha have laborers
reconsidering working and staying in Qatar and are forcing
many to reside at their workplace or share rooms and
apartments with other laborers. Many also send their families
back home because they cannot afford the high rents.

--------------
Improving Conditions
--------------


12. (U) The attaches concluded by emphasizing that while
there are numerous labor issues in their communities, they
had nevertheless observed a general improvement in the
conditions of expatriate laborers in Qatar. They viewed the
new labor law as a step in the right direction,
notwithstanding some weaknesses. They noted that the Labor
Department needs to be more efficient and expeditious in
resolving labor disputes but recognized that the Department
is severely understaffed to handle the volume of disputes and
issues. All concurred that the labor situation in Qatar is
better than in other Gulf countries. What follows are some
employment data for each ethnic population as provided by the
respective embassies.

--------------
Population by Ethnic Group
--------------


13. (U) India: There are approximately 200,000 Indians in
Qatar. An estimated 140,000 are workers. Thirty-five thousand
are skilled professionals and about 105,000 are unskilled
laborers. Domestic workers number between six to eight
thousand.

Bangladesh: There are approximately 100,000 Bangladeshis
living in Qatar. An estimated 60,000 are male workers and the
remaining 40,000 are family members.

Nepal: There are approximately 60,320 Nepalese in Qatar. An
estimated 60,000 are male workers and the remaining 320 are
female workers.

Pakistan: There are approximately 60,000 Pakistanis in Qatar.
An estimated 35,000 are male workers and the remaining 25,000
are family members.

Sri Lanka: There are approximately 55,000 Sri Lankans in
Qatar. An estimated 40,000 are male workers and 15,000 female
workers.

The Philippines: There are approximately 45,000 Filipinos in
Qatar. An estimated 42,000 are documented and 3,000 are
undocumented. Approximately 16,200 are male workers and
28,800 are female workers.

Indonesia: There are approximately 18,000 Indonesians in
Qatar. An estimated 3,000 are male workers and 15,000 female
workers. Twelve thousand of the female workers are housemaids.

China: There are approximately 1,000 male Chinese workers in
Qatar, 500 skilled, 500 unskilled.

--------------
Work Sectors by Ethnic Group
--------------


14. (U) India: hospital, banks, electric, technical,
government, sales, gas and oil, small business owners,
domestic workers

Bangladesh: construction, government, oil, banking,
electricity, public works, small business owners, education,
medical, domestic helpers

Nepal: construction, airline, security, hospitality,
hospital, sales

Pakistan: small business owners, banking, government sector,
construction

Sri Lanka: construction, domestic workers

The Philippines: domestic workers, education, engineering,
construction, hospital, government, communication, banking,
gas, oil, electricity, service, private commerce

Indonesia: domestic workers, hospitality, sales

China: construction, hotel, restaurants

--------------
Earnings by Ethnic Group
--------------

15 (U) India: The average skilled professional earns between
$330 to $825 a month plus food and accommodation. Some
managers and individuals in the technical field can earn up
to $5,000 to $7,000 monthly. Unskilled workers earn between
$140-$165 a month plus food and accommodation.

Bangladesh: The average skilled professional earns between
$190 to $550 monthly, with doctors, engineers, bankers
falling at the latter end of the scale. Those in the
electric, oil, public works fields may earn as much as
$1,920-$2,200. Unskilled laborers earn $110 plus food and
accommodation.

Nepal: The average skilled worker earns $800 a month plus
food and accommodation. Unskilled workers earn $140, with
domestics earning $110 plus food and accommodation

Pakistan: The average skilled worker earns $275 a month plus
food and accommodation. Unskilled workers earn $165 plus food
and accommodation.

Sri Lanka: The average unskilled worker earns $125 a month
plus food and accommodation.

The Philippines: The average skilled worker earns between
$680 and $780 a month plus food and accommodation.
Semi-skilled workers earn $370 plus food and accommodation
and unskilled workers earn between $200-$277 plus food and
accommodation. The wages of domestic workers fall at the
lower end.

Indonesia: The average skilled worker earns between $220-$550
a month plus food and accommodation. Unskilled workers earn
between $150-$250 plus food and accommodation. The wages of
domestic workers fall at the lower end.

China: The average skilled worker earns more than $250 a
month plus food and accommodation. Unskilled workers earn
about $250.
UNTERMEYER