Qatar's labor reform promises

Next year, as 80,000 spectators fill the huge bowl-shaped arena to watch the World Cup final in Qatar, they will rely on thousands of private security guards for the smooth running of the event.

Migrant guards in Qatar, however, are still under paid ahead of World Cup. Promises of better working conditions ring hollow for tens of thousands of security guards, who say they still work long hours for low pay.

Qatar recently boasted of introducing “comprehensive and long-lasting” labour reforms, including a new minimum wage, in response to widespread criticism of the state’s treatment of its vast low-wage workforce.

Security guards have yet to see the benefits. They are paid below the minimum wage, which is only £1 an hour plus food and board.

Qatar’s labour reforms mean migrant workers are now able to change jobs without their employer’s permission, which they needed under the traditional kafala system, but in reality it does not appear to be that easy.

As demand for security guards in Qatar has grown, with more than 40,000 private security guards and 74 private security companies already operating in the Gulf state, more east and west African migrant workers have been recruited with the promise of secure jobs and lucrative salaries.

Most hand over large fees to recruitment agents in their home countries to secure the jobs. Once in Qatar, they say, the lie is exposed. They often find themselves housed in cramped and squalid dorms, working long shifts with few days off and having to stand for hours in searing temperatures.

In recent weeks, guards from two security companies have staged protests over their pay and conditions. The Qatari authorities say they stepped in to resolve the disputes, but the incidents have exposed the gap between the promises of reform and the experience of some workers.