Belgian labour inspectors went to Doha on Saturday to train their Qatari counterparts, after Qatar requested Belgium's assistance in improving working conditions in their nation.
The French-speaking newspaper La Dernière Heure reported on Saturday that the Belgian inspectors would be making the trip to assist the country in fighting the mistreatment of workers in the middle eastern country.
Qatar is often accused of disregarding workers' rights, especially considering the number of worker deaths as a result of their hosting of the FIFA World Cup. As a result, they had contacted Belgian authorities at the start of 2022 so that both could cooperate to improve Qatari working conditions.
Related News
- Belgian Foreign Minister opposes World Cup boycott
- Belgium to send smaller delegation to Qatar World Cup in human rights protest
- Twenty Belgian Red Devils fans to be invited to World Cup, all expenses paid
The cabinet of Federal Employment Minister Pierre-Yves Dermagne (PS) explained that "we are working with the International Labour Organisation (ILO) to set up technical cooperation in the field of social inspection in Qatar." To that end, the latter signed a tripartite agreement with both France and Belgium.
While some perceive Qatar's willingness to operate under the ILO umbrella as an indication of them wanting to take the necessary steps to improve working conditions in their nation, many remain concerned about the country's lack of transparency
Nonetheless, Qatar only has 60 inspectors for a population of about 3 million people. In comparison, Belgium has 1,200 labour inspectors for a population of 11.5 million people. As a result, any progress will be perceived as such for Qatari workers.
