Qatar arrests 60 protesting workers who have been waiting for their salaries for months | Abroad

The protest took place on August 14. Video footage posted online shows around 60 workers angry at their wages protesting on the sidewalk outside the offices of Al Bandary International Group, a conglomerate that includes construction, real estate, hotels and restaurants. Some protesters had not received their wages for seven months, said Equidem, a workers’ rights agency investigating the case.

In a statement to the Associated Press (AP) news agency last night, the Qatari government acknowledged that “a number of protesters have been arrested for violating public safety laws”. Qatar refuses to provide information on possible arrests or deportations.

The head of Equidem says the detentions cast new doubt on Qatar’s commitments to improve the treatment of workers. “Is it really the reality that stands out?” asks executive director Mustafa Qadri. He says police arrested and detained the protesters in a detention center, where some described being in sweltering heat with no air conditioning. The temperature in Doha reached around 41 degrees last week.

Like other Gulf Arab countries, Qatar is heavily dependent on foreign labor, especially since stadiums and hotels have recently been built for the World Cup. Internationally, there has already been much criticism of the country migrant workers take care.

Al Bandary International Group could not be reached for comment, according to AP. The Qatari government acknowledges that the company had not paid the wages and that the Ministry of Labor would pay “all deferred wages and benefits” to those affected. “The company has already been investigated by authorities for non-payment of wages for this incident, and further action is now being taken after a deadline for payment of unpaid wages passed,” the government said.

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