US embassy cable - 05DOHA1132

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