Chapter I: Definitions and General Rules

Article 1

For the definition of the provisions of this law, phrases mentioned should have the meanings stipulated unless the text mentions otherwise.1. Ministry: The 'Ministry' means the Ministry of Civil Service Affairs and Housing.2. Minister: The 'Minister' means the Minister of Civil Service Affairs and Housing. 3. The Department: The 'Department' means the Labour Department at the Ministry. 4. Employer: The 'Employer' means an individuals or corporate employing one or more persons against payment.5. Worker: The 'Worker' means an individuals working against payment with an employer or under the employer's departments or supervision.6. Trainee: The 'Trainee' means an individual having a contract with an employer for training him/her in the fundamentals of a profession or a trade or to increase his/her knowledge of skills in the profession. 7. Juvenile: The 'Juvenile' means an individual between 16 and 18 years of age. 8. Work: All human efforts, intellectual, technical or physical, extended against payment.9. Work Contract: An agreement between an employer and a worker, with specified or unspecified period, in which the worker undertakes or commits to perform certain work for the employer under his direction or supervision against payment. 10. Basic Wages: An average of payment given to a worker for the work performed by him in a specific period of time or based on piece or production. It includes the annual allowance only. 11. Wage: The basic wage with all the allowances in lieu thereof, incentives and increments paid to a worker against the work regardless of its nature or how it is quantified. 12. Vocational Training: Teaching the trainee the fundamentals of a profession, craft or trade or enhancing his knowledge, skills or preparing him/her to shift to another profession by the necessary practical and theory programmes and means. 13. Licenced Physician: A person who obtains a licence for practicing the profession of medicine in the State of Qatar. 14. Institution: An organisation with Qatari capital not less than 51 per cent of its total capital. Its headquarters should be located in the State of Qatar.15. Establishment: A project run by an individual or corporate employing one or more workers.16. Continuous Service: Continuous service extended by a worker with the original employer or his legal successor. The service should not be interrupted unless during sanctioned leave, legally accepted absence or in case of the interruption of work for a reason out of the worker's control.17. Temporary Work: Work the nature of which requires its accomplishment in a specific period of time or focused on a specific job which finishes with the finishing of the job.18. Casual Work: Work of a nature that does not add value to the employer's activity and not lasting more than four weeks.19. Work Injury: The incident of a worker being affected by a work-related diseases stipulated in Table 1 attached to this law or any injury due to an accident that occurs during the performance of the work or because of it or during commuting to or from work, provided that the commutation should be non-stop, without any absence or diversion from the regular normal route.20. Labour Association: Labour committee or the general committee of workers of a profession or industry or the Qatar General Union of Workers.21. Concerned Medical Agency: The agency to be defined by the Ministry of Public Health.

Article 2

This law shall be valid for the employers and workers, define their rights and duties and organise the relations between them.

Article 3

Except otherwise stipulated, the provisions of this law shall not be binding on the following:1. Employees of and those working with ministries, other government agencies, public corporations and authorities, companies established by Qatar Petroleum solely or in collaboration with other entities, and those whose affairs are organised by special laws. 2. Officers and personnel of the armed forces and police and those working at sea.3. Employees in casual labour. 4. Domestic employees such as drivers, nannies, cooks, gardeners and those doing similar jobs.5. Family members of the employee - wife and dependants of workers residing with the employer. 6. Argricultural workers or shepherds (except individuals working with commercial agricultural institutions) or those regularly operating or maintaining mechanical equipment and tools used in agriculture. All or some of the provisions of this law may be implemented for categories mentioned in items number 3, 4, 5 and 6 above according to a decision from the Council of Ministers based on a proposal from the Minister.

Article 4

The rights stipulated in this law represent the minimum average of the worker's rights. Any condition contrary to the provision of this law shall be null and void, even if it was prior to the date of enforcement of this law, unless more beneficial to the worker. Every settlement that rests on relinquishment of rights of labourers shall be null and void.

Article 5

Financial claims of workers or his/her heirs shall have priority over those of all other creditors, including the State, on the employer's fixed or liquid assets.

Article 6

If the employer assigns an individual or corporate entity to carry out all or part of his work, this individual or corporate shall treat the workers used for implementation of this work the same way as the employer himself treats them in rights and privileges. Both shall be responsible for fulfilling the work to the extent of payments due to individual or corporate by the employer.

Article 7

The employer, before initiating work in his establishment, shall notify the Department in written with the following details: 1. Name of the establishment, its location, type of activity, address for correspondence and telephone numbers.2. Nature of work that the establishment will undertake.3. Number of workers to be employed, their professions and nationalities.4. Name of the manager responsible.

Article 8

The durations and time specified in this Law shall be on the basis of the Gregorian calendar. A 'year' means 365 days; a 'month' means 30 days.

Article 9

All contracts and other documents stipulated in this Law shall be written in Arabic. The employer may attach to it translations in other languages. In case of a discrepancy between the two texts, the one in Arabic will hold good.

Article 10

All cases filed by workers or their heirs claiming rights specified in the provisions of this law, or according to the work contract, shall be dealt with expeditiously and shall be exempt from court fees. Subject to the provisions of Article 113 of this Law, all cases claiming rights specified by the provisions by this Law or Work Contract shall not be considered after one year from the expiry date of the contract.

Chapter II: Vocation

Training

Article 11

Vocational Training shall be conducted within establishments or institutes and centres specialised in this purpose. The Minister may define theoretical and practical training programmes by issuing a decision and determine the duration of such programmes, define principals, conditions organising training, methods of testing and certificates offered after the end of the training.

Article 12

An employer who employs 50or more workers shall train at least five percent of Qataris from the total number of employees to do technical jobs. The Qataris will be nominated by the Department according to the training programmes made applicable by the Ministry.

Article 13

The Trainee shall sign a contract in person with the employer unless he is less than 18 years of age in which case his parent or legal custodian will sign the contract.

Article 14

The vocation training contract shall be in written form and shall define the type of profession or craft, the place and duration of training, the subsequent stages, the amount of wage to be paid to the Trainee, that the wage paid in the last stage of the training shall not be less than the minimum average specified to similar work.The stipend during training shall not be defined based on piece work or production.

Article 15

The contract for vocational training shall be written in three copies, with two being given to the parties involved and the third to be kept with the Department for registration and authentication within one week from its signing. If the Department does not express any objection within 10 days from submitting the copy, the contract that be considered authenticated from the date of submission.

Article 16

The Employer may terminate the Trainee's contract before the end of its duration in the following cases:1. If the Trainee proves to be not eligible for being trained in the profession or craft.2. If the Trainee breaches any of his/her core obligations stipulated in the contract.

The Trainee or his/her parent or legal custodian may end the training at any time provided that this should have a legally accepted basis. The party interested in terminating the contract shall notify the other party in written at least seven days before the date sought for termination.

Article 17

Both parties involved in the training shall agree that the Trainee shall work with the employer after the end of the training period.

Chapter III: Employment of Workers

Article 18

Priority in employment shall be given to Qatari nationals. Non-Qataris may be employed if necessary.

Article 19

The Employer shall submit to the Department every six months, details including names of workers, their nationalities, their sex, nature of work they do, their wages, their ages, and details of work permits issued to them.

Article 20

The Department shall carry out the following tasks in the field of organising the employment of Qatari workers:1. Collect data related to supply and demand of the workforce and prepare studies on the status of their operation. 2. Register unemployed Qataris and those searching for better jobs in a record prepared for this purpose. Registration shall be conducted as per requests. The candidate shall be given a certificate of registration, free or charge, which shall indicate his/her age, profession, qualification and previous work experience.3. Nominate those listed for employment and mention work suitable for their age and qualification for the employers. Article 21

Qataris who do not obtain the registration certificate mentioned in the previous Article shall not be employed, except those occupying major positions which entail acting on behalf of the employers in practicing their authority and those carrying out casual work.

Article 22

The Employer shall notify the Department about the vacancies available, conditions that should be applied for candidates, the wages specified for each position, and the date set for filling up the post, not more than one month from the date of the creation of the vacancy or availability of work.The Employer shall return to the Department, within seven days from the date of signing a contract with the worker, a certificate of registration of the worker attaching a description of the nature of work, the wage, and date of assuming the job.

Article 23

Non-Qatari workers shall not be employed without permission of the Department and without a permit to work in the country, according to the policies and procedures of the Ministry. For offering a work permit to non-Qataris, the following conditions shall be met:1. Non-availability of a Qatari worker, qualified to perform the required job, registered in the Department's

records.2. Valid Residence Permit.3. Medical fitness.The validity duration of the work permit shall be defined on the basis of that of the Residence Permit and shall not exceed five years, unless otherwise permitted by the Department. The provisions of this Article shall be valid for categories stipulated in items 3, 4, 5 and 6 of Article 3 of this Law.Article 24

A form for the work permit and the nature of the relevant data to be entered in it shall be as per decisions issued by the Minister.

Article 25

The Minister may cancel the work permit issued to a non-Qatari worker in the following cases:1. Non-fulfillment of conditions number 2 and 3 stipulated in Article 23 of this Law2. If the worker discontinues work for a personal reason and without a justifiable reason for a period exceeding three months.3. Working for other parties for whom the permit has not been given to him/her.4. If the worker is terminated in accordance with a decision of the disciplinary board.

Article 26

The percentage of non-Qatari to Qatari workers in every sector of work shall be defined by a decision of the Minister. The Minister may impose a ban on employing non-Qatari workers in any of the sectors mentioned above according to public interest.

Article 27

An employer who employs non-Qatari experts or technicians, shall train in such work an adequate number of Qatari workers to be nominated by the Department or shall appoint Qataris as assistants to them for the purpose of getting trained and gaining experience.

Article 28

The Employer shall not bring workers from abroad unless through a licensed party. The Employer or his representative may bring workers from abroad on his own accord after having approval from the Department. An exception are House Owners who need not obtain the approval of the Department.

Article 29

Individuals or corporates shall have no right to bring workers from abroad for a third party unless having a permit for this purpose. The permit shall be valid for two years, renewable for a similar period. Conditions for obtaining the permit shall be set by a Ministerial decision.

Article 30

Applications for permits to bring foreign workers for a third party shall be submitted to the Department on a prescribed form as specified by a Ministerial decision. The documents supporting the application shall be attached. The Department will examine the application and supporting documents and place them before the Minister within 30 days of the date of submission. If no decision is announced within this period, the application may be considered as rejected.

Article 31

A permit for bringing workers from abroad for a third party shall be issued through a Ministerial decision. The Department shall notify the concerned party about the decision of approval or rejection within one week from the issuance of the Ministerial decision. If the application is rejected or the period specified in the previous Article lapses without a decision, the concerned party may submit a grievance to the Minister within 15 days from the date of notification about the rejection or lapsing of the period. The grievance shall be settled within 30 days of its submission. The Minister's decision shall be final. The lapsing of the period without any decision on the grievance shall also be considered as rejection.

Article 32

The individuals holding a permit for bringing workers from abroad for a third party shall obtain the necessary commercial licence.

Article 33

The individuals holding a permit to bring workers from abroad for a third party are prohibited from carrying out the following: 1. Demanding from the worker any amount, claimed as recruitment or other costs or expenses.2. Practising any other work except bringing workers from abroad for a third party. 3. Bringing workers for the third party shall be in accordance with a written recruitment contract, prescribed by the Minister, to be signed between the permitted individual and the employer. The task of the permitted individual shall be considered as concluded immediately after the arrival of the workers and their being delivered to the employer without violation of the responsibilities specified in the recruitment contract.

Article 35

Individuals permitted to bring workers from abroad shall be subject to the control of the Ministry. They shall keep in their office all data, records and documents to be specified by the Minister.

Article 36

A decision from the Minister shall define the procedures for the recruitment permits and rules and conditions concerning the working of offices that bringing workers from abroad for a third party.

Article 37

Fees shall be imposed on the following:1. Offering work permit, its renewal and its replacement.2. Offering licence for practicing the profession of bring workers from abroad, its renewal and its replacement. 3. Attestation of companies' and establishments' seals, work contract certificates and other documents, the Ministry attests. A decision from the Cabinet shall define these fees and the cases for exemption.

Chapter IV: Individual

Relations

Article 38

Employment contracts should be written and authenticated by the Department and issued in three copies. Each party to the contract will receive a copy each and the third will be filed with the Department. Employment contracts will specify the provisions of relations between the work parties and include the

following data:1. Name of the owner of the business and its location. 2. Name of the employee, his nationality, qualification, profession, place of residence and other identification documents. 3. Date of signing the contract.4. Nature, type of work and place of contract.5. Date of joining the work. 6. Period of the contract, if it is for a limited time.7. Agreed wages, method of payment and date of payment.

If the contract is not a written one, the employees may prove their relation with the employer and entitlement that emerges from this relation through other approved methods.

Article 39

The employment contract may specify the probation period for the employee but such a period should not be more than six months from the date of joining the work. An employee must not undergo probation more than once in the same job. The employer may terminate the contract during the probation period if the employee is found incompetent to perform the assigned duties and that the employee be informed at least three days before the termination.

Article 40

If the period of the contract is limited, it should not exceed five years but can be renewed more than once, subject to the agreement between the employer and the employee. If the contract is not renewed and both parties continue to implement after the initial validity has expired, the contract shall be regarded as renewable for an unlimited period with the same provisions it contains. The renewal period will be regarded as an extension of the contract period. The service of the employee shall be calculated from the date of joining the service the first time.

Article 41

In the event that the contract is signed to complete a particular project, the contract will terminate upon completion of that work. If the nature of work is renewable and both parties resume implementing the contract after the project has been completed, it will be considered as renewed for another similar period and that both parties have agreed.

Article 42

Employees will comply with the following:1. Perform the same job and exert normal efforts in performing their duties.2. Comply with the instructions issued by the employer related to performing the stipulated duties, provided that such demands by the employer do not violate any provisions of the contract with the employee and any laws and the employee's life is not endangered or put to risk.3. The employee should not work with any other employer with our without payment.4. The employee shall maintain the resources under his authority such as raw material, means of production or products and other items and make necessary arrangements to safeguard them. 5. The employee shall enforce safety and health instructions prescribed by the employer.6. The employee shall provide assistance to prevent occurrence of disasters at the place of work and remove any hazards from the work sites that may arise due to such disasters. 7. The employee shall continue upgrading the quality of work and experience according to regulations prescribed by the employer, in cooperation with competent authorities and within available resources.8. The employee shall not divulge secrets of the work or the employer at the end of the contract.9. The employee shall not use equipment, machinery and tools provided by the employer outside the

place of work, without prior authorisation from the employer. Such equipment, machinery and tools will be stored safely by the employee.10. The employee shall not accept gifts, payments, compensation or any remuneration such as commission from other parties related to his duties.11. The employee shall return material, equipment, tools, unused material to the owner upon completion of the contract.

Article 43

Any provisions not included in the employment contract shall not be applicable. For example, if the contract includes an undertaking from the employee to work for the rest of his life with the employer or undertake not to practice any other profession throughout his life, the provision shall not be applicable. If the nature of work facilitates the employee to learn company secrets, the employer may prescribe that the employee will not work on any similar project which may compete against the employer. Such a provision will be limited to a certain place, time and nature of work and within the necessary limits to protect the legal interests of the employer. Such a time should not exceed two years.

Article 44

The employer shall undertake to provide the employee with all requirements needed to execute his work. If the employee arrives at a work place, ready to perform his duties but cannot do so due to reasons beyond his control, the employee will be regarded as have worked and shall be entitled to all benefits stipulated in the contract.

Article 45

The employer shall not be allowed to assign an employee to perform duties that are not specified in the contract, except in duties required to prevent accidents or clearing debris following a disaster or in cases beyond control. The employee shall be entitled to all benefits that may arise as a result of having performed such duties.

The employer may assign the employee to other duties agreed upon mutually for a limited period, provided that such duties are not different than the skills for which the employee has been hired. Such duties should not be degrading the dignity of the employee in any manner and does not entitle the employer to reduce the wages agreed upon in the contract.

Article 46

Employers who hire ten or more employees should issue by-laws organising the structure of the establishment and implement it effectively.

Any amendments made to this organisational structure should be authenticated by the Department. If such a structure is not authenticated by the Department within 30 days of its receipt, it shall be considered as endorsed.

The organisational structure shall be displayed at a prominent location at the establishment and shall be effective after 15 days.

The Minister may issue samples of such organisational structure for owners of establishments to serve as a reference.

Article 47

The employer may maintain a file for each employee in which all papers, certificates, decisions, instructions and other records. The owner may also maintain such files for a period of one year after the employee's service has ended.

Article 48

The employer shall maintain the following records:1. Record of employees, including names, nationality, type of work, salary, date of ending service, place of permanent residence, marital status, qualifications, experience, annual leave entitlements and penalties, if any, imposed on employees.2. Record of salaries paid, according to the date of joining service, amount of daily or weekly or monthly wages and payments made for certain jobs or production as well as any additional payments made to the employee, as well as amounts deducted from wages and the total wages paid.3. Records of penalties imposed over employees, including monetary penalties.4. Records of injuries at work with details. 5. End of service records, including names of employees whose services have completed, including dates, reasons for leaving, payments made to them and/or the next of kin.

Article 49

If the employment contract is not limited for a period of time, each party may end it without stating any reasons. In such cases, the party that wishes to terminate the contract shall inform the second party in writing as following:1. For employees who are getting monthly or annual payment, the other party shall be notified about the end of the contract at least 30 days in advance, for service periods that are five years or less. If the period of service is more than five years, the notice has to be served at least 60 days prior to the date of termination of the contract.2. In other cases, written notification has to be issued as per the following:

a. If the service is less than one year, the termination notice should be served one week in advance.b. If the period of service exceeds one year but is less than five years, the notice should be served at least two weeks before the end of the contract.c. If the period of service exceeds five years, the written notice has to be filed at least 30 days in advance. If the contract is terminated without complying with these conditions, the party terminating it shall pay a compensation that is equal to the salary or wages of the notice period.

Article 50

The employer shall pay the employee the salary for the notice period stated in the abovementioned article, if the employee has worked during this period.The employer shall allow Qatari employees during the notice period to remain absent from their work, for reasonable time to facilitate them to register their names in the Department's records and apply for new employment. In such cases, the employee shall inform the employer immediately upon finding a new job and should execute duties as per the terms of the contract, till its last date.

Article 51

The employee may end the contract before the agreed period, if the contract validity is specified. The employee can also terminate the contract without notifying the employer if the validity of the contract is not stated. The employee shall be entitled to all benefits that arise from the contract, according to the following:1. If the employer violated or neglected his commitment stated in the contract or provided by this law.2. If the employer or his designated officer in charge assaults physically or commits any acts of indecency

against the employee or any of their family members.3. If the employer or his designated representative misguides the employee on any matter related to the nature of the work.4. If there is a serious hazard or danger that threatens the safety or health of the employee and provided that the employer was aware of these dangers and hazards but failed to take corrective and preventive measures.

Article 52

The employment contract shall be valid and cannot be terminated in the following two cases:1. The death of the employer, unless the contract was signed on a personal basis and was based solely on the employer's activities.2. The merger of an establishment with another, change in ownership of an establishment or its administration to other parties for any reasons. In such cases, the second party shall be responsible as the owner to pay all the entitlements prescribed in the employment contract to the employees.

Article 53

At the time of ending a contract, the employer shall:1. Issue to the employee, upon request, an experience certificate free of cost, in which the date of joining the service, ending the service, nature of work and salary paid, is specified.2. Return to the employee, all documents, certificates and any other possessions they may have maintained.

Article 54

In addition to any amounts due to the employee, the employer shall pay the end-of-service benefits, in cases where the employee has worked for a period of one year or more. Such end-of-service benefits have to be agreed upon by the two parties and should not be lower than three weeks salary for every one year worked and shall be paid according to the period of work. The end-of-service benefit will also include any number of months for which the employee has worked, after completing one year.The period of service of the employee shall be regarded as a continuous, if it is terminated in cases other than those prescribed in Article-61 of this law and the employee was asked to return to work within a period of two months from the date. The last basic salary drawn will be taken as the yardstick for calculating the end-of-service benefits payment.The employer may deduct from the end-of-service benefits, any amounts that the employee owes to him.

Article 55

In the event the employee dies during the period of service, the employer, regardless of the cause of the death, shall pay to the competent court's treasury, in a period not exceeding 15 days of the death, any entitlements and payments, in addition to the end-of-service benefits. Records of filing these entitlements should include a full statement on calculation of amounts referred to as above, with a copy to the administration. The court will hand over the deposited amount to the heirs of the deceased employee, according to Islamic Sharia laws or personal laws, valid in the home country of the employee. If these entitlements remain unclaimed by the next of kin for a period of three years, the court shall return to amount to the public treasury.

Article 56

The employer who adopts a pension or similar scheme in their establishment, which offers more benefits after the end of service to the employee who is entitled to Article-54 of this law, the employer shall not pay end-of-service benefits in addition to the pension.If the net benefits which the employee can get is lower than the end-of-service pay, the employer shall

pay the end-of-service and reimburse any amounts deducted to subscribe to the pension fund. The employee is entitled to select either the end-of-service payment or the pension.

Article 57

Upon the end of service of the employee, the employer shall facilitate the return of the employee to the place from the place where he was hired or, to any other location agreed between the two parties. The employer shall also undertake the complete procedures of returning the employee to such the location in a period not exceeding two weeks from the date of end of the contract.If the employee takes up another employment before the end of the contract, the responsibility of returning the employee to the location from where they were hired, rests on the new employer.The employer shall bear all costs of arranging the carriage of mortal remains of the employee to their home country or place or residence, if requested by the family of the employee to do so.In cases where the employer does not return the mortal remains or arrange for its carriage, the Department will undertake the task at the cost of the employer and recover all expenses it incurred through administrative methods.

Chapter V: Authority of the Employers

Article 58

Employers hiring more than 10 employees shall formulate by-laws stipulating penalties that can be imposed upon violators and define provisions and procedures for implementing them and the Minister may issue upon his discretion, these kinds of by-laws according to the nature of work in different sectors, to serve as a reference. To regard these by-laws effective, including any modifications effected, they should be authenticated by the Director of the Department within 30 days from the date of their filing. If this period is completed without any objections from the Department, they shall be regarded as endorsed and the owner shall display it prominently at the establishment for the benefit of the employees. Such by-laws will be regarded as in force after 15 days of their display.

Article 59

Penalties that may be imposed upon employees:1. Warning: A warning shall be issued in writing to the employee and shall include the nature of violation and a caution against repeating it, stating clearly that the employee may face severe penalties, if repeated.2. Salary Deductions: The employer shall not deduct salary of more than five days as a punishment to the employee.3. Suspension from duties with loss of pay shall not exceed more than five days for each violation.4. Suspension of work with loss of pay or reduced wages till investigations into a criminal accusation against an employee is complete shall be considered null and void if the charges are proved baseless and no further action is taken. The employee shall be entitled to all monetary compensation. 5. The payment of annual benefits to the employee in case of violation, shall not exceed a period of six months, in establishments that have such a system.6. Promotions may not be delayed for a period of more than one year in establishments where such a system exists.7. Termination of employment with the end-of-service benefits to which the employee is entitled.8. Termination of employment without payment of end of service benefits.

Article 60

Penalties imposed such as deduction of salary shall not exceed more than five days per month. The employer shall maintain records of all violations and penalties imposed upon the employee, specifying the

name, reason and other details such as salary deductions and suspension and the date. This record shall be subject to inspection by the Inspections Authority at the Department.The total salary deduction imposed over an employee shall be deposited to the authority specified by a Ministerial Decision which will also state on how the money should be utilised.

Article 61

The employer may terminate an employee without warning and without paying end of service benefits in the following cases:1. The employee is found impersonating other nationalities, has submitted false documents and certificates.2. The employee has committed a mistake that has resulted in massive financial losses for the employer and provided that the employer has informed the Department before the end of the next working day, from the time that the mistake had occurred.3. The employee violates more than once, instructions related to the safety or other employees and the establishment, despite being issued a written warning earlier and provided that these instructions are written and displayed prominently inside the establishment at a place where it can be easily accessed.4. The employee violates more than once the commitments stated in the contract and in the law, despite being warned in writing earlier.5. The employee divulges vital secrets of the organisation.6. The employee is found intoxicated with alcohol or under the influence of narcotics while on duty.7. The employee physically assaults the employer or other officials and seniors while on duty or due to work related disputes.8. The employee repeatedly assaults his colleagues while on duty and was served written warnings.9. The employee was absent without justified reasons for more than seven consecutive days or for periods totalling to 15 days in one year.10. The employee is found guilty in a court verdict in a crime related to his personal honour.

Article 62

In enforcing penalties upon employees, the following shall be considered:1. If the employee is not informed about the accusations within 15 days of the violation by the employer, except in cases where criminal acts are involved.2. The employee shall not be subjected to penalties for any non-work related violations, regardless whether they occur while on duty or not and at the work place or outside.3. Penalties can be imposed only after the employee has been duly notified and a written explanation was sought. Such an explanation may be orally submitted in minor violations, which does not exceed a penalty of more than one-day salary deduction. However, such explanations and deductions have to be recorded in the personal files of the employee.4. Not more than one penalty may be imposed for a single violation.5. Penalties signed by the employer only shall be invalid and cannot be imposed by any person authorised by the employer upon the employee.6. No penalties not stated in the by-laws shall be imposed on the employee.

Article 63

Employees shall be informed in writing about any penalties imposed upon them. If the employee refuses to accept such notification, it shall be displayed at a prominent location at the place of work. If absent from work, the notification shall be sent by registered mail to their address mentioned in the personal file.

Article 64

Prior to appealing against any such penalties before a competent court, the employee shall approach the employer within seven days from the date of being informed of the penalty to seek a review. If the

employer does not respond for a request for such a review within seven days of the application, it shall be viewed as a refusal by the employer and the employee may approach the Department for a review. The Department shall respond to such requests within seven days upon receipt of the application and the Department's decision on the matter will be final.Exception of the above, the employee may appeal against termination from service before a competent court. If the court finds that such a termination was baseless and was in violation of provisions prescribed by this law, the court may revoke the termination order and permit the employee to work again, with a right to lost pay during the period or suitable compensation. The compensation will be calculated on basis of the salary and perquisites that are drawn by the employee but were stopped due to the termination.

Chapter VI: Payments

Article 65

Employees shall be paid their salary and wages according to the employment contract. In cases where the salary is not stated in the contract, the employee will be entitled to payments according to by-laws organising work activities. If the salary or wages are not specified according to previous paragraph, the employee is entitled to payment equivalent to the same as offered for similar work within the establishment. Payment shall not be calculated on estimates and general calculations. If precise calculations are not available, the judge in an appropriate court may calculate the entitlements.

Article 66

Salary and other payments due to the employee should be paid in Qatari currency.Salary for employees appointed on annual basis shall be paid once every month. Salary for other employees shall be paid once every two weeks. Payments shall be handed over to the employees in person, on a working day and during duty hours and at regular places specified by the department.Salary may be transferred to a bank account held by the employee and agreed upon by the two parties. The employer shall be considered as having cleared the salary only after having remitted it to the bank or, the employee or his representative have signed in the records of having received it or on the receipt.

Article 67

In cases where the employment contract is terminated for any reasons, the employer shall pay the salary and all other entitlements before the end of the next working day on which the contract ends, with the exception that the employee left work without notification according to Article 49 of this law. In such cases, the employer shall pay the salary and all entitlements within a period not exceeding seven days from the date of leaving the work.

Article 68

The employer shall pay the employee, the salary and other entitlements before the annual leave, till the date before the leave commences.

Article 69

The employee shall not be forced to purchase food or commodities from specific retailers or produced by the employer.

Article 70

No portion of the salary of the employee shall be stopped or withheld by the employer without a court order. In case of freezing the salary or part of it due to a court order to pay debts or alimony or other outstanding amounts, the portion should not exceed 35 per cent of the salary.The employer shall not benefit from any loans availed by the employee and shall not deduct more than 10 per cent of the salary against any amount owed to the establishment. In all cases, the total deduction of salary from the employees to meet any commitments shall not exceed 50 per cent of the salary. If the amount exceeds 50 per cent in one month, the balance amount shall be collected in following months.

Article 71

If the employee causes any losses or destruction of any machinery, equipment or other items due to negligence or mistakes, he shall be liable to compensate the employer. Such compensation may be collected only after completion of a proper investigation. The employer may deduct compensation from the payment of the employee in portions not exceeding seven days salary per month. The employee may appeal for review against such compensation within seven days of receiving a notification from the employer. If the Department revokes or reduces the compensation amount, the employer shall reimburse all amounts that were collected in excess of this amount, within seven days.

Article 72

Salary of the employee during annual leave, sick leave and end-of service benefits shall be calculated on the basis of the basic, last drawn salary. If the employee was paid only for specific work, such benefits will be calculated on the basis of the last three months.

Chapter VII: Work hours and leave

Article 73

The maximum work hours are 48 hours per week or, eight hours per day during all months of the year, except during the Holy Month of Ramadan, during which it will be reduced to 36 hours per week or six hours daily. The time spent on transport between residence and work will not be calculated. Work hours shall include one or more intervals for prayers, meals and rest and shall not be less than one hour and not more than three hours. These periods shall not be calculated within duty timings. The employee shall not work continually for more than five hours, without rest.For work that requires continuously without rest, a Ministerial Decision will be issued.Article 74

Employees may work additional hours exceeding duty timings prescribed in the previous article. The total work hours per day shall not exceed 10 hours. Employees may exceed these hours to prevent huge losses, accidents, maintenance or to remove effects caused by losses or accidents.The employer shall pay for additional work hours, an amount not less than the basic salary of the employee, adding an increase of not less than 25 per cent of this salary.Employees working between 9pm and 3am will be paid basic salary plus an incentive of 50 per cent of this salary, except those who work in shifts.

Article 75

Employees are entitled to a weekly paid holiday of not less than 24 hours. Friday is the normal weekly holiday for all employees except those working in shifts.If work conditions requires that the employee work on a holiday, the leave shall be given on an alternative day and shall be compensated for the work performed on the holiday which includes the basic salary and an addition of 150 per cent of that salary, except for those working on shift basis.No employee shall be work on two Fridays consecutively.

Article 76

Provisions of Articles-73, 74, and 75 of this law are not applicable on those working at senior positions, provided such positions bear the same authorities as that of the employer.Provisions of Articles 73 are not applicable on the following categories: 1. Employees engaged in preparation or completion of a project, before or after duty timings.2. Employees working as security guards and janitors.3. Other employees whose categories are decided by a Ministerial Decision.4. Maximum work hours will be prescribed by the Minister.

Article 77

The owner shall display at all main entrances used by employees and at prominent locations at offices and workplaces, a timetable stating the duty hours, rest periods and weekend holidays for all categories of staff. Similar notification shall also be filed at the Department.

Article 78

The employee is entitled to holidays every year with full salary as following:1. Three days for Eid Al Fitr. 2. Three days for Eid Al Adha. 3. One day for Qatar Independence Day.4. Three more days of casual leave decided upon by the employees.If circumstances require an employee to work on these days, provisions of Article-74 of this law shall come into force.

Article 79

Employees who complete one year of service with an employer shall be entitled to paid annual leave as stipulated in Article-72 of this law. Such leave shall not be less than three weeks for employees who work less than five years and four weeks for those who worked more than five years.The employee shall also be entitled to the portion of the year, for which the annual leave was not availed of.

Article 80

The employer shall fix the dates of the annual leave of employees based on requirements of workforce. The annual leave can be divided into two periods with consent of the employee. The employer may also postpone not more than half of the annual leave to the next year, if employee submits a written request for such an adjustment.

Article 81

The employee has to utilise his annual leave and not forgo it to the employer. Any agreement between the two parties that contravenes this provision shall be considered null and void and the employee is entitled to receive cash payment against the leave, equal to the days of such leave, if the contract is terminated for any reasons before the leave period is utilised.

Article 82

The employee is entitled to sick leave with pay for each year of his service. This leave shall be given only upon completion of three months from the date of joining service, after submitting a medical certificate signed by a physician and accepted by the employer.

The employee shall be entitled to full payment for sick leave not exceeding two weeks. If it extends beyond two weeks, the employee shall receive half the salary for the next four weeks. Leave exceeding this period will be without pay, till work is resumed or the employee resigns or is terminated.Employee's service can be terminated upon completion of the 12th week of the sick leave, if proved by a medical report issued by a physician that the employee is unfit to perform duties.If the employee resigns on medical grounds and submits proof from a medical authority before the end of the six weeks, he shall be entitled to a paid sick-leave for the period and the employer shall pay the balance amount. This provision will also apply in cases of death due to disease, before six weeks.The above provision does not in anyway, contravene the employee's entitlements of the end-of-service benefits. The 12 weeks sick-leave shall not affect the end-of-service benefits.

Article 83

Muslim employees shall be entitled to special leave of 20 days without pay once, to perform the Haj pilgrimage. The employer shall decide the number of employees who are given this special leave every year, depending upon the requirement of workers and giving priority to long serving employees.

Article 84

Employees shall not undertake employment with other parties during their leave. If proved that the employee has violated this provision, the employer may suspend the salary for that period of leave and is entitled to receive the amounts paid before leave.

Article 85

Employers may not in any case terminate work contract or inform the employee about such a termination during leave periods mentioned in this law. The employer may not inform employees that their contract is terminated if the notification period ends during any of these leave.

Chapter VIII: Employment of Minors

Article 86

Employing persons below 16 years of age for any kind of work is strictly prohibited. Such persons are barred from entering any place of work for employment.

Article 87

Minors cannot be employed without the permission of their parents or guardians and only after obtaining special authorisation from the Department. In cases where the minor is a Qatari national, an approval of the Minister of Education is mandatory.Minors shall not work and cannot be employed in any work that might endanger their health, safety or morality. A Ministerial Decision regarding such work shall be issued.

Article 88

Minors cannot be employed without a health certificate from medical authorities which certifies that they are fit to perform their duties. The employers of such minors shall conduct medical checks on minors once every year.

Article 89

Minors shall not work between sunset and sunrise or on rest days, official holidays or for more than normal duty hours. Minors shall not remain at their place of work for more than seven hours continually.

Article 90

Working hours for minors shall not exceed 36 hours per week or six hours per day, except during the Holy Month of Ramadan during which they can work 24 hours per week or four hours per day. Time for transportation from residence to place of work shall not be calculated. Intervals for rest and meals shall also be included during the work hours and minors shall not work for more than three hours at a stretch.

Article 91

The employer shall maintain files on all minor workers with records such as birth certificate, medical fitness certificate, regular health check certificates and other relevant details.

Article 92

Employers hiring more than one minor shall comply to the following:1. Submit to the Department, records such as name of the minor, age, nature of work, date of joining work.2. Display at a prominent location at the place of work, a notification stating clearly the duty hours for minors and their rest and meal timings.

Chapter IX: Employment of Women

Article 93

The working woman shall be give wages equal to the man while performing similar work. She shall be offered the same opportunities of training and promotion.

Article 94

Women shall not be employed for work that is hard, hazardous, unsafe or morally harmful, or of other nature to be defined by Ministerial decision.

Article 95

Women employees shall not have working hours other than those specified by Ministerial decision.

Article 96

Women workers completing one year of service shall have the right to avail of maternity leave for 50 days with full salary for the pre and post delivery period. The post delivery leave period shall not be less than 35 days. The leave shall be given according to a medical certificate issued by a licenced medical practitioner indicated the expected date of delivery. If the post delivery leave is less than 30 days, the remaining period will be adjusted against her annual leave, otherwise it shall be considered as leave without pay.If the post delivery health condition hinders her return to work after the end of her permissible leave, the excess period will be without pay provided it does not exceed 60 consecutive or staggered days on the condition that a medical certificate from a licenced practitioner is furnished. The right of a working woman to obtain maternity leave shall not affect her right to any other leave.

Article 97

In addition to the rights mentioned in Article 73, a working woman who is breastfeeding her child shall be entitled to one hour off daily for one year, after the end of her materinity leave. The woman has the right to determine her breastfeeding schedule. The breastfeeding period shall be considered as part of the working hours and there shall be no deduction of wages or any other consequences on this account.

Article 98

The employer shall not have the right to end the contract of the working woman due to her marriage or obtaining leave stipulated in Article 96. The employer also has no right to serve a notice of termination of contract during the maternity leave period or to give her a notice period that expires during this period.

Chapter X: Vocational safety and health, and social care

Article 99

The employer or his representative shall notify every worker at the beginning of the service about the work-related risks involved and acquaint him/her with safety measures and shall post at a prominent place the steps to ensure vocational health and safety from the hazards that they are exposed to during work.

Article 100

The employer shall take the necessary precautionary measures to protect workers while at work from any injury or disease that could occur from the work done in his establishment or any incidents, defaults or failures in machineries or equipment, or fire. The employer shall not hold his workers responsible or deduct from their wages any amounts for the provision of these safety measures. If the employer refuses to take the prescribed safety measures or in case of any possible hazard that threatens the workers' health or safety, the Labour Department shall inform the Minister to issue a decision on the partial or complete closure of the workplace or stop the operation of one or more machineries unless the cause of the danger is removed. In this case, the employer shall be committed to pay the workers' full wages during the period of closure or termination of operations.

Article 101

The worker shall not carry out or refuse to carry out any task with the intention of hindering the implementation of the employer's instruction regarding protection of the workers' health and safety, or with the intention of destroying or interrupting the functioning of any device or equipment meant for this purpose. The worker shall use protective equipment and clothes meant for this purpose provided by the employer and shall follow all the instructions aimed at protecting him/her from injury and disease.

Article 102

The Minister shall issue, after coordination with the concerned authorities, the necessary decisions for the organisation of agencies concerned with vocational health and safety, define and organise services and necessary precautionary measures for the protection of workers during work, and means and levels of such measures as well as organising the means of protection from work-related diseases.

Article 103

The employer shall take measures than ensure sanitation and ventilation at the workplaces, and shall provided them with adequate lighting, clean drinking water, drainage system according to the regulations of the concerned agencies.

Article 104

The employer who appoints between five and 25 workers shall keep a first aid box with medicine and equipment to be specified by the concerned medical authorities. The box shall be placed at an easily accessible and prominent place in the establishment. A trained worker shall be assigned to provide the preliminary medical assistance. If the number of workers exceeds 25, each group of five to 15 workers shall have a first aid box, and if the number of workers exceeds 100, the employer shall appoint a fulltime male nurse in addition to providing the required number of first aid boxes. If the number of employees exceeds 500, the employer shall set up a clinic, manned at least one medical practitioner and a male nurse.

Article 105

Periodical medical test shall be conducted for workers exposed to work-related injury or disease as frequently as required by the nature of the work and according to the instruction of the concerned medical authorities which define the type and periodicity of the tests. The employer shall keep the test results in special files. If the test proves that a worker has been affected by a work-related injury or disease, the employer shall notify the Labour Department within three days of the date of his coming to know the test results.

Article 106

The employer who appoints workers far from cities where no regular means of transport are available, shall provide the following services:1. Adequate means of transport or adequate accommodation or both.2. Clean drinking water. 3. Adequate nutrition or means of obtaining it.A Ministerial decision shall define these areas.

Article 107

The employer who appoints 50 or more workers shall provide to them social services to be defined by a Miniterial decision, taking into consideration the nature of the workplace area, its circumstances and the number of workers employed.

Chapter XI: Work-related injuries and compensation

Article 108

If a worker dies while performing his work or due to it or affected by a work-related injury, the employer or his representative shall immediately inform the police and the Labour Department. The report shall include the name of the worker, his age, his profession, his address, his nationality and a brief description of the accident and its circumstances and measures taken for rescue or treatment. The police, immediately after receiving the report, shall launch an investigation and shall include in their report the statements of witnesses and the employer or his representative, the statements of the injured worker if possible, and also shall particularly establish a connection between the incident and the work. The police, immediately after the conclusion of the investigation, shall send a report to the Labour Department and a

copy to the employer. The Department may ask for the completion of the investigation if it deems necessary.

Article 109

The worker affected by a work-related injury has the right to medical treatment in conformity with his condition at the expense of the employer as prescribed by the concerned medical authority. The worker shall be paid full wages during the period of medical treatment or for six months whichever is less. If the period of treatment exceeds six months, the worker shall be paid half of his wages until cured or proved to have a permanent disability whichever is sooner.

Article 110

The heirs of workers killed in work-related incidents and the workers having complete or partial disability have the right to claim compensation. The compensation amount in case of work-related death shall be determined in accordance with the Islamic Shariah. The percentage of the partial disability to that of the permanent disability in accordance with Table No 2 attached to this law. The amount of compensation in this case shall be determined on the basis of this percentage from the amount of compensation stipulated in the previous Article.

Article 111

The provisions of the two previous Articles shall not hold good if:1. The worker deliberately injures himself 2. The worker was intoxicated or under the influence of drugs at the time of the injury or death, and that was the real cause of the injury or death. 3. The worker deliberately violates the safety instructions of the employer, or grossly neglects them4. The worker refuses, without justifiable reason, to undergo medical tests or to follow the medical treatment prescribed by the concerned medical authority.

Article 112

In case of a dispute between the worker and the employer concerning the ability of the worker to resume work or on any other medical issue related to injury, disease or prescribed medical treatment, the Department shall refer the issue to the concerned medical authority whose decision shall be considered final.

Article 113

The right to claim compensation for disability or death shall evaporate after one year from the date of the final medical report confirming the disability or death due to one of the work-related diseases listed in Table No 1 attached to this law, or from the date of the death of the worker.

Article 114

The employer shall pay the compensation on disability within a period not exceeding 15 days from the date of the disability or from the date of announcement of the result of the investigation proving the disability as work-related. The employer shall deposit the compensation due to death with the court cashier within a period not exceeding 15 days from the date of death or from the date of announcing the result of the investigation confirming the work-related death. The court shall disburse the death compensation amount to the worker's heirs according to the Islamic Shariah or the personal law applicable in the country of the worker's origin. The ownership of the compensation shall be given to the State Treasury if no claimant emerges after three years from the date of death.

Article 115

The employer shall forward to the Department every six months the statistics on the work-related injuries and diseases every six months, in a form prepared for this purpose and in accordance with procedures stipulated by a Ministerial decision.

Chapter XII: Work associations

Article 116

Workers in an establishment having not less than 100 Qatari workers has the right to form a committee to be called the "Workers Committee". Each establishment shall have not more than one such committee.The Workers Committee in establishments in the same profession or industry, or similar or connected profession or industry have the right to establish a committee to be named as a "General Committee" for the workers of that profession or industry.The General Committees for different professions and industries shall together constitute a union to be named the "Qatar General Union of Workers."Membership of both committees referred to and in the Qatar General Union of Workers shall be strictly for Qataris.The minister shall define conditions and procedures for the establishment of the workers' associations referred to, and membership, system of functioning and similar or connected professions or industries.

Article 117

Once established each of the workers associations shall have a body corporate in accordance with the provisions of this law.

Article 118

The workers associations shall defend the interests and rights of their members and represent them in all work-related issues.

Article 119

The workers associations shall be prohibited from practicing the following:1. Any activity related to religion or politics.2. Prepare, print or distribute any material insulting the State or the existing situation therein.3. Entering into any financial speculation whatsoever. 4. Accepting gifts or donations unless having approval of the Ministry.The Minister may dissolve the workers association if found committing any or all of the above-mentioned violations, or straying from its intended activities and purposes.

Article 120

Workers have the right to strike work in the absence of a peaceful settlement between them and the employer, according to the following:1. Approval of three fourths of the General Committee of the workers in the profession or industry.2. Lapse of a period not less than two weeks to the employer before launching the strike and approval of the Ministry after coordination with the Ministry of Interior concerning the time and place of the strike.3. Not affecting the government's financial interests and individuals' property, safety and security. 4. Strikes are banned in the vital facilities which are: petrol, gas, related industries, electricity, water, ports, airports, communications and hospitals.5. No strike shall be launched unless after the solution between the workers and the employer becomes

difficult after adopting all means of settlement and arbitration, in accordance with the provisions of the law.

Article 121

The Work Association shall set up their basic systems in accordance with the forms issued by Ministerial decisions. These systems should particularly include the following:1. Conditions for membership and its termination. 2. Principles and procedures for nomination and election.3. Sources of financing the association and amount of subscription to be collected from members.4. The means of spending the funds, monitoring financial status, and records to be maintained for this purpose.5. Rules and procedures for dissolving the association and using its funds.

Article 122

The employer is forbidden from forcing or preventing the worker to join or keep from joining any of association or to refuse to implement any of its decisions

Article 123

The Qatar General Union of Workers may join any of the Arab or international organisations working in the field after having approval of the Ministry.

Chapter XIII: Joint committees, collective bargaining and joint agreements

Article 124

Each establishment having 30 workers or more may form a joint committee including representatives of the employers and the workers. The strength of the joint committee shall be four, if the number of workers in the establishment is 200 or less.If the number of workers is more than 200 and less than 500, the joint committee shall have six members. The joint committee shall have eight members if the number of workers is 500 or more. Half of the members of the joint committee shall represent the employer, while the other half the workers.

Article 125

The employer shall select his representatives on the committee from among the workers who represent him legally or those whom he delegates authority for some of the management functions. Selection of workers' representatives on the committee shall be as follows:1. If a workers committee exists in an establishment, then it shall select the workers' representative on the joint committee.2. If there is no workers committee, the workers in the establishment may select their representative through direct election. A Ministerial decision shall organise the conditions and procedures for this election.

Article 126

The joint committee shall study and discuss all issues related to the work in the establishment, particularly the following: 1. Organisation of work.2. Means of increasing productivity and enhancing production.

3. Training programmes for workers. 4. Measures for protection from work-related hazards and improving the level of vocational health and safety rules.5. Develop the general work culture.6. Develop the level of social services in the establishment.7. Examine individual and collective disputes and work towards a peaceful settlement.The committee shall submit its recommendations to the employer for likely implementation.

Article 127

Employers and workers have the right to collective bargaining and signing joint agreements concerning all work-related issues. A Ministerial decision on the organisation of the rules and procedures of the collective bargaining shall be issued. The decision shall also stipulate the means of representation, principles organising joint agreements, its contents, its scope, and rules for entering into such agreements, their duration, explanations, and disputes that may arise on implementation.

Chapter XIV: Collective Disputes

Article 128

The collective work-related disputes are defined as disputes between the employer and all or some workers or between a group of employers and all or some of their workers. Its scope is related to the common interest of all the workers or some of them in an establishment, profession, specific craft or specific vocational sector.

Article 129

In case of any dispute between an employer and some or all workers, the parties involved in the dispute shall find a settlement. If a joint committee exists, the dispute shall be placed before it to examine its settlement.If the attempts of both parties to settle the dispute fail, the following steps shall be followed: 1. The workers shall submit their grievance or request in writing to the employer. At the same time, they shall forward a copy to the Department.2. They employer shall respond in writing to the workers within one week from the date of receiving the complaint or request. He shall, at the same time, forward a copy of his response to the Department.3. If the response of the employer does not lead to a settlement of the dispute, then the Department shall extend its efforts to mediate in the settlement.

Article 130

If the Department's mediation does not lead to a settlement of the dispute within 15 days from the date of the response of the employer to the workers, the dispute shall be referred to a committee for settlement. A Committee of Settlement shall consist of the following:1. Head of the committee to be appointed by the Minister. 2. A member to be selected by the employer.3. A member to represent the workers to be selected according to Item 2 of Article 125 of this law.The committee may seek the opnion of a specialist before taking a decision on the dispute. Its decision on the dispute shall be issued within one week from the date of referring the dispute to it. The decision shall be binding on both parties in the dispute if they both agreed in writing to refer the dispute to it before its meeting. If there was no written agreement in this concern, the dispute shall be referred to an Arbitration Committee within 15 days. The arbitration shall be compulsory for both parties.

Article 131

The Arbitration Committee shall be headed by a judge and have the following as members:1. A representative of the Minister to be selected by him.2. A representative of the Qatar Chamber of Commerce and Industry to be selected by its chairman.3. A representative of the workers to be selected by the Qatar General Union of Workers.

Article 132

The Arbitration Committee shall issue the final decisions in the collective work-related disputes. Its decisions shall be issued by a majority of votes. In the case of a tie, the chairman will have a casting vote. For pursuing its objectives the committee shall examine the papers, documents and all evidences and demand proof from the claimants, enter the establishments for conducting the relevant investigation and take whatever decision it deems necessary for the settlement of the dispute.

Article 133

The employer has no right to close the workplace, declare a lock-out, or refuse continuation of employment to any worker because of any dispute before the settlement of the dispute. This shall be done with the knowledge of the settlement committee or through arbitration.

Article 134

The Minister shall issue decisions organising the work of the Settlement Committee and the Arbitration Committee.

Chapter XV: Inspection of work

Article 135

A body named Work Inspection Agency shall be established at the Department. It shall aim at monitoring the implementation of legislation related to protection of workers rights. It shall have branches in different parts of the country.The agency will have an adequate number of employees to be determined by the Minister. The staff will be designated 'Work Inspectors.' Individuals having experience in different specializations may be appointed whenever necessary.

Article 136

The Work Inspectors, before assuming their duties, shall take an oath before the Minister pledging to respect the law and to perform their work with honesty and loyalty and not to disclose any confidential matter pertaining to industrial innovations or other secrets they may be gain knowledge of, even after leaving their posts.

Article 137

The Work Inspectors who are secunded by a decision of the Attorney General, after an agreement with the Minister, shall have judicial powers concerning the implementation of this law and the Decisions implementing it. They shall have identity cards indicating their posts which they should show to the employers when inspecting an establishment.

Article 138

The Work Inspectors shall have the following powers:1. Entering a workplace during the day or night without prior notice for examining records, files, or any document related to the workers to ensure their compliance with the applicable legislations and record acts of violation. 2. Obtaining samples of used and circulated materials in the establishment, inspecting machinery and equipment to ensure the availability of adequate and effective means and measures protecting workers from vocational health hazards. They shall notify the employer or his representative about any sample or material they take for this purpose.3. Conducting surprise visits at the workers' accommodations to ensure their compliance with the prescribed health and safety conditions.4. Questioning the employer, his representative or any of the workers either privately or in the presence of witnesses on any matter related to the implementation of this law.

Article 139

The employer or his representative shall facilitate the assignment of the Work Inspectors, provide accurate data and details related to their work and respond to the summons whenever issued.

Article 140

The Work Inspectors shall or may take any of the following measures:1. Giving advise and guidance to the employer or his representative on how to remove a violation2. Issue warning letters to the employers to stop violations. The letter shall include the type of violation and grace period offered for correction.3. Issue a report on the violation and submit it to the Department to take the necessary steps.

Article 141

The Ministry shall prepare an annual report on the Work Inspection in the country. It shall include all issues related to the Ministry's control or monitoring on the implementation of this law, particularly the following:1. Description of provisions organising the inspection2. Description of the number of Work Inspectors3. Statistics on establishments subjected to inspections, number of workers in these establishments, number of inspection visits conducted, violations detected, penalties imposed, and work-related injuries. The Ministry shall publish the report by means that it believes suitable.

Article 142

The Minister shall issue a decision organising the inspection work and procedures. The Department shall prepare forms of inspection visits reports, violation reports, warning and inspection records.

Chapter XVI: Penalties

Article 143

Without prejudice to any severe violation stipulated in another law, penalties stipulated in the following Articles shall be imposed on the violations stipulated in each. The financial penalties shall multiply in accordance with the number of workers whose rights have been violated.

Article 144

A penalty of note less than QR 2,000 and not exceeding QR 5,000 shall be imposed on those violating the provisions of Articles 7, 12, 19, 21, 22, 23, 27, 28, 35, 39 (Item 2), 46, 47, 48, 57, 58, 73, 74, 75, 77, 91, 92, 95, 97, 99, 106, 115, and 139 of this law.

Article 145

Imprisonment of not exceding than one month and fine not less than QR 2,000 and not exceeding QR 6,000 or one of these two penalties shall be imposed on those violating provisions of Articles 29, 33, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 93, 94, 103, 104, 105, 108, 122, and 133 of this law.The court may, in violations related to bringing workers from abroad for a third party, give punishment in addition to the penalties stated in the previous Article by closing down the office and canceling the permit.

Article 146

A fine not less than QR 5,000 and not exceeding QR 10,000 shall be imposed on those refusing to implement decisions of the Settlement Committee and Arbitration Committee.

This is the unofficial translation of the Provisions of the Law, a copy of which was obtained from Qatar News Agency, in Arabic yesterday