Holding Qatar to a UN convention it signed that bans discrimination, the International Labour Organization (ILO) has called on the country’s national carrier to scrap several working stipulations for its female employees.
Specifically, Qatar Airways must do away with its policy of dismissing flight attendants who become pregnant and banning them from accepting rides from male friends to and from their home, the ILO said.
The UN agency highlighted its conclusions in a report released this week that investigated complaints filed by two labor advocacy groups, the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) and the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITWF).
The latter group has been a long-standing critic of Qatar Airways, accusing it of “flagrant abuses” and discrimination against women, who comprise 80 percent of the airline’s 9,000 cabin crew employees.
Investigation results
Though the ILO urged the carrier to change some of its policies, the body did not agree with all of the allegations made by the trade groups.
For example, ITUC and ITWF have also accused Qatar’s state-owned airline of discriminating against its female employees by mandating a 12-hour rest period before starting a shift, and by maintaining security surveillance of employee accommodation.
However, the ILO concluded that there was insufficient evidence to suggest that either measure has a disproportionately harsh impact on women.
The agency also found that Qatar Airways has removed an employment contract clause that previously required cabin crew to obtain the airline’s permission before marrying.
A revised contract was introduced in December 2014 for new employees, and the carrier told the ILO that it’s in the process of similarly amending employment agreements of all its existing staff.
Labor activists have said their campaign was the driving factor behind the airline’s decision to revise its contract.
“Qatar Airways has been shamed into action – and more must come,” stated ITUC general secretary Sharan Burrow, who also advocates on behalf of construction workers in Qatar and wants the Gulf state stripped of the 2022 World Cup unless it introduces drastic reforms.
“We … will not rest until it addresses what many of those workers call the ‘climate of fear’ at (Qatar Airways).”
A spokesperson for the airline was not immediately available to respond to the ILO report.
However, Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker reportedly dismissed its findings while speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the Paris Air Show yesterday.
“I don’t give a damn about the ILO – I am there to run a successful airline. This is evidence of a vendetta they have against Qatar Airways and my country,” Reuters quoted Al Baker as saying.
Flying while pregnant
In its response to the complaint, the Qatar government told ILO investigators that the country’s civil aviation rules effectively prohibit cabin crew from flying while pregnant. This means that these flight attendant would be unable to meet their contractual obligations.
However, the government noted that the women are free to apply to other jobs within Qatar Airways that don’t involve flying, such as working in an airport lounge.
The ILO countered that argument by saying being forced to apply for an alternative job is a burden on pregnant women and creates inequality in the workplace. The bottom line, it added, is that a woman should not lose her job solely because she becomes pregnant.
Instead, the the airline should change its policy and temporarily transfer pregnant employees who cannot fly to another position within the company, the agency said.
However, Al Baker has previously called that practice impractical.
Qatar Airways only has a limited number of ground roles it can offer pregnant cabin crew members who cannot fly, he said in March 2014:
“We are not in the business where we can guarantee ground jobs or let people stay away … and don’t do anything for the airline,” he said.
‘Cultural norm’
The government also stood by the airline’s prohibition on female employees entering or leaving company premises with a man who is not their father, brother or husband. Such measures, the government said, are needed to comply with “a particular cultural norm in Qatar.”
The ILO countered that since this requirement does not apply to men, it amounts to discrimination based on sex. The agency called for the rule to be scrapped.
The broader issue of employee surveillance and monitoring was also investigated by the ILO.
The government said that security cameras at the entrances of staff accommodation buildings are standard in Qatar, and investigators said there was insufficient evidence to conclude that such measures disproportionately affect female employees.
However, the ILO noted that there were indications that management’s surveillance practices had specifically targeted several women employees.
While it did not provide any specific examples, one incident picked up by international media earlier this year involved a photo taken from security camera footage showing a female Qatar Airways staffer passed out in the doorway of her accommodation.
The picture was emailed throughout the company by an airline executive to remind staff to respect Qatar’s customs, a spokesperson previously said.
But some critics took offense at the suggestion that the long-time employee was drunk, and some observers suggested that she could even have been drugged. Others asked why security personnel, who apparently spotted the woman, did not help her.
Filing complaints
The ILO said its investigation also has raised wider questions about how Qatar Airways deals with allegations of harassment. While the government said there are various dispute settlement mechanisms in place, the ILO noted that no details were provided on how these procedures can be or have been used by cabin crew employees.
“Access to such procedures and remedies by cabin crew members who are migrant workers may be difficult because of the fear of victimization or reprisals, including dismissal and deportation from the country, which may prevent the employees from seeking to obtain redress in case of violation of their rights,” the agency said.
The ILO recommended that Qatar Airways establish a system that allows employees to file a complaint without being sanctioned, and that the government hire more female labor inspectors to monitor discrimination and equality issues at the airline.
Here’s a copy of the full report:
Thoughts?
couldn’t help it 😉
I think the ILO should focus on more pressing issues regarding labor rights. Say for example mining companies in Africa and production factories for large businesses in China, Vietnam, Indonesia etc.
To these groups of laborers Qatar Airways employees are living in the 7th heaven!
The ILO has a lot of active campaigns globally. Visit their website and you will see they are dealing with mining in Africa. And only last week they released an update on their campaign fighting for the rights of the Rana Plaza accident in Bangladesh.
http://www.ilo.org/global/about-the-ilo/newsroom/news/WCMS_374239/lang–en/index.htm
ILO has to focus on all groups-cannot overlook unfairness and abuses in one area/company just because certain other benefits of that same area/company might be better than somewhere else.
this is interesting ,someone is pushing for it ( Though the ILO urged the carrier to change some of its policies, the body did not agree with all of the allegations made by the trade groups. ) AKA the three ( US AIRLINES ) CARTALE
Yup
This should be something comfortable though, I mean, Qatar very much enjoys the benefits of membership in a cartel. Why shouldn’t others?
This couldn’t be right. It doesn’t make sense. Many will eventually become pregnant. What will you do? Fire all?
If they work for Etihad or Emirates they get paid maternity leave.
thats why u should only us that airlines , never QA , if you have moral & what so, practice what you preach . 🙂
Well, if you live in Qatar, the country definitely gives priority to its national airlines. Pretty hard to avoid using it at least once.
its easy, my bank balance doesn’t do QA flights and the seats are too small
I am in the process of switching all my business travel to Emirates but that’s mainly because of all the lousy service I’ve always had with Qatar Airways. This plonker and his primitive views makes it a lot easier though.
I am soon to be an ex-Gold QA flyer (I have avoided QA since 1.5 years), and I am very proud to say that I became a gold Emirates Skywards. All other travel goes via Lufthansa.
As those airlines recognize women as women. Otherwise get men to start carrying babies
Why sign up for such a contract in the first place? and then nag about it for your whole life.
Why can’t QA have such rules of their own? Only People who agree with them shall work for QA or else they can work with Etihad, Emirates or any other airline in the world.
Why does the world needs to cry about this alllll the time? ( I am not talking about the abuse of the blue collar labours)
And the difference between women who willingly sign employment contracts that enable them to be terminated for falling pregnant (and then complain about it) and laborers who willingly take out loans of thousands of dollars to get poorly paid jobs in Qatar where they will work in the hot weather for minimal pay and no overtime(and then complain about it) is?
There’s no difference in them, but there IS a difference between getting what there was, as it was in the contract when you first signed it and being “fooled” into forced labour.
I’m specifically talking about blue collar workers who also get exactly what they were told. They willingly took loans. They willingly took jobs as builders. They were never promised overtime payment.
People here know that they need NOCs. They know there is a 2 year ban. They know they need exit permits. I guess people should stop complaining about it too, and the government shouldn’t waste anymore time on kafala reform.
Firstly, the last time I checked the whole world said these labours are being fooled into forced labour.
Secondly, there is a difference between these labours of whom the majority are extremely poor and uneducated, therefore cant possible understand the implications of their contracts even if they were told about all the hardships they will face once here and the educated cabin crew or other educated work force who can fully understand what they are getting into.
Thirdly, Kafala has nothing to do with QA policy of not getting pregnant while working for them.
So in answer your first two points, you are saying that “the whole world” agrees that laborers with grievances were all tricked. And those that weren’t tricked were just simply too stupid to know what they were agreeing to. We’ll have to agree to disagree on that issue.
I raise the kafala issue because people in Qatar, and NGOs outside Qatar, are always trying to impose pressure on the government to reduce the kafala restrictions. But by your logic anyone living in Qatar complaining that he has lost his job and is unable to transfer to a new employer because he has no NOC should just stop complaining because he ought to have known that this is the legal system in the country.
No one in Qatar has any right to make any complaints about kafala because we all knew that this is the legal framework for the country.
Yes, if you yourself agreed to be chained to your desk here, why complain and force your employer or host country to change the way they work just because now it is’t in your favour?
and this includes every one who willingly agrees to such a contract, or else why have a contract? instead we can go by the employees ever changing wishes and demands.
Because life gets in the way! It would be great if life was so cut and paste, but stuff happens! Our company wanted employees to sign 5 year contracts, I said no, impossible, life changes! A QA hostess finds the man of dreams after decades of searching, she asks for Lord Baker permission, he duly lowers his sword on her shoulder and gives his blessing, they marry, they honeymoon and low and behold 9 months later, the joyous occasion of a little baby. Great story right!! What a wonderful world. Except at 6 months she was fired. Most modern companies know it’s far cheaper to give her 12 months off than train up new recruits. Both parties are happy and QA isn’t constantly fighting the rest of the world and goes about its job of flying people from A-B.
As I said earlier, make a choice. Even if something happens go work with some other airline after your fired. Plus now she has experience too.
The QA hostess does not gets fired, an year goes by she has another baby, her responsibilities increase, this effects her work and her children both! Now the airline has to accommodate all of this in order for her to keep working. In this story the airline isnt happy.
Air hostesses without children are much easier to manage for the airline as its easier for the air hostess them selves too to work in such a demanding profession which different shifts and every day travels abroad. Its good for the airline’s business, the main purpose they hired her for.
Perhaps women should just know their place, Guest. Why waste money even teaching them in the first place, they will just end up having babies and being drain on their employer. It must be incredibly difficult for an employer to have to manage the children along with the staff, good job men don’t have any parental responsibilities other wise we wouldn’t be able to fly as there would be no crew. God forbid any women ever manage to actually learn to fly, where would that get us, with them having babies every 12 months. Best they should just know their place……………….
Awwwww so touchy,
Perhaps women who want to have babies can take some other profession, or perhaps some other airline if they really want to be an air hostess. Why accept a contract that states you cant get pregnant while working for the company.
Secondly this “know your place ………” argument is very lame. No one said this. Women have all the right to have babies, as many as they want and work too, but they do not have the right to force their employer to change its policy in their favour once they have accepted it.
Luckily in other countries they do. Its called equality
oh I see, what happens when they can’t be a hypocrite and stab their employer in the back? Do they keep nagging?
There is a lot of difference. The lady knows very well whats in the contract. She is educated and can read, write and speak English (the language in which the contract is). The labourer on the other hand sings an agreement in either in English or Arabic, both languages most labourers do not know to read. They just sign the contract on the basis of what they are told by the recruitment agencies assuming what is being said to them is on the contract. The labourer has a genuine complaint, the air hostess not at all.
Because they are taking advantage of desperation. Women globally, from poor backgrounds do desperate things to put food on the table. Things they don’t want to do. Have a look at the countries they do their recruitment drives. Just because you can take advantage, doesn’t mean you should and doesn’t make it right.
No no, apparently only Asian men and laborers are too stupid to understand their employment contracts. Women are smart enough to know what they are getting themselves into, unlike men.
So you mean these educated women are actually not capable of understanding a clause in their contract that clearly states you cant get pregnant while working as a cabin crew?
and I never said that women are smart and men are not, I have a feeling you would love to drag this conversation into men vs women.
Not allowing them to get pregnant while working for QA is taking advantage of their desperation?
You cant make the whole world make rules and regulations in complete favor of you. You want a good job you have to come to an agreement with you employer. Some rules might favor you some wont. Make a choice.
In this case go work with Eitihad or Emirates and get pregnant as many times you wish. On the bright side if QA starts loosing employees they might just change their policy in order to compete with other Airlines.
Perhaps QA should not be an international airline (they can fly to Dukhan) and recruit international staff if they don’t approve of the spotlight of normality being shone on them by the international community.
QA is an international airline, so perhaps, women should stop working for them if they don’t approve of their policy.
Yes they do take advantage of their of these women’s desperation, otherwise they would just hire men to do the job who have a 0% chance of getting pregnant. But they don’t do they.
They hire women because of the same reason the other airlines hire them, in return they pay them a Salary plus other benefits. Now these women have to agree to some the terms which favor their employer. If they don’t agree and believe the terms are against their rights or do not favor them then they simply can opt to not accept the contract and work with some other airline.
Just because the airline does not allow them to get pregnant does not mean they are taking advantage of them, but again if this is the case Why work with such an airline specially when you DO have other options?
They recruit in countries specifically where women have few other options. A young lady in Macedonia whose always dreamed of being a hostess, OMG QA is in town recruiting wow! It’s so easy to get in too! There’s free snacks! You don’t see Qantas, BA, Air America recruiting in these far flung places do you? And you don’t see QA recruiting in Australia, America etc. If QA was offering a good deal for women, you would see, heaven forbid, Qatari women wanting to apply. But you don’t do you?
It still is a good deal for her, isnt it? but if she still wants the best deal she can work for some other airline like Emirates? or is it only QA hiring in Macedonia?
But I guess QA gives Better free snacks, so they make their choice.
Majority of the Qatari women simply do not want to work as an airhostess, they dont have to either. But where ever they do work, they have to follow their company’s policy.
Prostitutes work as prostitutes because it’s a good deal for them, too. Your logic sucks.
Can they get pregnant in this profession?
Your comparison sucks.
I would guess their pimp wouldn’t like it. Same as the little man. If you think that it is ok to treat people to a lesser standard because it’s better than what they were getting before, and it seems as though you believe this, I feel bad for the people that have to deal with you.
Yes its “ok” , if they themselves have agreed to be treated as such 😉
I personally would like to treat people as they deserve, if there is a conflict of interests between us I would see how much I can compromise. If my employees like it they stay or else they leave.
If you think it is ok to nag, moan and make a fuss about the policies of your employer that you have agreed to well in advance, and it seems as though you believe this, I feel bad for the organization you work for, you would be such a pain in their a**.
I guess it’s because I come from a country where the law applies to everyone equally, regardless of what they “agree” to accept. What Al Baker does would have had QA shut down a long time ago in the US. It’s a shame we still let them fly here. Not to mention they have second officers flying with less time in the seat than you had on the toilet seat last year, but that’s another story.
Ahan, So why exactly did you come out of that country?
Luckily QA is not in the US, or else people like you would have made it into what American Airlines is today.
Can you please calculate my time on the toilet seat for this year aswell, I would like to be a Captain in American Airlines.
Qatar paints a pretty picture…. and then you get there. As you say ” if you don’t like it then leave” well, I hated it so I left.
Good for you. I like that.
But now I wonder, why do you #commentlikeanexpatinqatar ?
I flew for QA for over 3 years. When my contract was up a little over a year ago I left. I feel like I know more than the avg commentator about what goes on there so I like to put in my two cents.
I think what he’s trying to say is if you ‘hated’ the place so much why are you still reading the Doha news, or is the US news so bad you you can’t bear to read about all of the shootings, deaths due to faulty buildings, etc. etc. Stones and glass houses my friend ……
Do you hear me say, “why the “flip” do you guys come to my country?”
Bless tourism, keep the money flowing 😉 And also bring your car with you, you spend more, I earn more.
Deleting for attack.
Thank you Shabina for deleting many unpleasant and attacking posts from Guests.
You talk about deals, OK, I will explain it in your language so that it goes through your thick skull.
Remember the days when you grandfather was a fisherman and he didn’t have a penny on his name? And you guys will gather inside your tent when your camel grunted outside? You remember? OK good.
Then Shell came and found some black liquid gold in your land. So far so good. And they made a deal. They will do all the work, from drilling to extraction to refinement to shipping to sales and they will give your grand-daddy 80% of the profit and they will keep the rest for themselves. What did your granpa do? He swooped in and took the deal and immidiately exchanged the camel for a land cruiser. I know you loved the camel, but your pop-pop the poor basta*d, what else would have he done?
Now I agree, Qatar had a great deal from the beginning. I also know, there have been some internal grumblings about the 20% profit giveaway. Now that Qatar is rich, some key people think they should take over everything and not let the foreign companies take a chunk of the profit *chuckles* (as if thats gonna happen, EVER).
So think about this, when you already have a great deal, you guys are still trying to push to get some more, and you think those foreign oil companies are discriminating against you and stealing you blind. Now think again, what if they offered you a crap deal in the first place?
An American flight attendant, male or female, along with Australian, UK, etc would never work for so little and under such conditions. They live in strong democratic economies where equality and legal protection of women against workplace discrimination are the norm. Unlike Qatar, where workplace discrimination is the way of working. Things like paying people wages based on where they are from or their last name. It is one of the worst parts about Qatar. Will it ever change, not likely. No amount of pressure from the rest of the world can push the racist and sexist brain cells out of Al Baker’s brain.
You are exactly right, I do not understand why anybody chooses QA as employer.
There you go, Exactly! why should one choose an employer they can’t work for?
I, my self once opted not to work for QA for similar reasons.
Oops, a bit critical when it comes to QA?
Because it is a “rule” that discriminates against someone because of their gender. That is morally wrong. Should I have rules in my home country that says people from Qatar can’t do “X” because of who they are? Like the Qatari woman who is making a huge deal of not being allowed to wear a veil in public, I can guess where you side on that one. So should the same rule not apply here, that its a discriminatory practice?
Hi!,
You are late to the party, but welcome any way.
To make it short and simple, you have got it wrong. Re read my comments please.
Regarding this Qatari Women’s Veil issue, I do have a point of view on that, trust me its not what you can guess, but I will save it for some other time as I am sure you will raise it again.
PS: Consider this to be a reply to both your comments directed at me.
You can say I am wrong, but it doesn’t change my perspective, or the simple facts. Discrimination against people because of their gender is morally wrong, 80% of the civilized world agrees, including the United Nations. So your’s is the minority opinion, as is Al Bakers. Additionally, my other comments are based on facts – as in actual policies, laws, and regulations that prevent companies in other countries from having polices of discrimination, like airlines. That is what this is, plain and simple. To tell your staff that they are not allowed to have a relationship, even with their spouse, at risk of losing their job – seriously – how do you defend something so incredibly wrong? Perhaps your employer should do the same to you and see how you feel? My comments also pointed to a fact of what the average salary for this same job is outside of Qatar. Sometimes the comments like your’s remind me that our society is 1 step away from falling back into the stone age.
Ohhhh My God. phew, relax its Ramadan.
You do not have to change your perspective, I have stated my perspective in my previous comments kindly read them again. You might just add me to your “civilized” 80% standard.
LOL, you have no idea, do you? You see people working in your country and think these people couldn’t wait to come to your country. Haha, the truth is, the recruiting companies lied to the majority of these people back home.
You need them more than they need you. The money is nice though, but remember, these people don’t starve back in their home countries. Yes, they might not have great food, but they didn’t starve. These people stop working for you, you die. No food. Nothing.
You think money buys everything? Think twice. No Lulu, no carrefour, no Bakalas, no Petra, no Turkish Marmarish, no khaddamas, no drivers to go to the bakalas, no shipping containers bringing Australian cows. You’re f8cked, mate, totally f8cked.
You QA should stop firing pregnant flight attendants. However QA has been doing for years. Probably since began. If the UN was really concerned they would have said something before hand.
The timing these statements is fishy.
It would be timed with the “best” airline announcement for maximum impact.
In all the flying I have done over the years, I don’t recall ever seeing a flight attendant that was visibly pregnant. So out of curiosity, how do other airlines deal with the pregnancies of flight attendants? I hate to say it, but from a business standpoint it makes perfect sense that if you can’t perform the job you were hired for and there are no alternate positions that are vacant, that I can’t hold your job for you throughout the duration of an entire pregnancy AND for a period of time after the baby is born.
Etihad:
Furthermore, contrary to counter claims, Etihad fully supports its cabin crew during and after their pregnancy. When a cabin crew member informs Etihad of a pregnancy, she is provided with appropriate ground duties for the duration of their pregnancy. During this time, she remains fully compensated and fully engaged on the ground. Cabin crew are also entitled to paid maternity leave if they have completed more than one year’s service. Our cabin crew are then able to return to their flying role at the end of their maternity leave period. The health and safety of our cabin crew remains paramount. Therefore, we follow the GCAA requirement that crew do not continue to fly while pregnant.
Emirates:
“It costs nearly Dh100,000 to recruit and train each member of cabin crew. In the first three years the cabin crew start working in economy to gain experience. That’s why we say ok for the first three years you cannot be pregnant because you cannot be out of service and you cannot be working in the air if you are pregnant. We don’t have much work to give them on the ground.”
Cabin crew who have been employed by Emirates for more than three years have the option of taking paid maternity leave.
Yes it would seem the rest of the modern world can cope with pregnant women in the work force
They could have fired them even without it being in the contract. Then what would have been the gripe?
Yep, and yet Qatar (of which QA is COMPLETELY independent, the CEO keeps telling us) intends to be ‘an advanced nation’ in 15 years time.
When you see stories and remarks like this, you’ve got to think that they have some considerable way to go.
Is anyone comfortable with such outright and blatant female discrimination? It’s just goes to prove women are second class citizens in Qatar.
Well if by any chance men got pregnant even they would be fired. Its a company policy, you dont agree with it dont sign the contract to become a “second class citizen”
Lol. I guess women should know their place and shouldn’t get stupid notions like getting a job. They should stay at home and pump out babies
If that is what they want to do. They are free to choose.
You disgust me. Please die.
No company policy should disriminate against someone who is pregnant. Procreating is kinda important in the scheme of things…wouldn’t you say?
Procreating while working with the airline is not in its favor, so how about opt not to work for such an airline and then keep on procreating?
Well do you think all this negative publicity is in it’s favour? Are you an HR Manager by any chance?
Since when did you got concerned about what is in its favour?
How on earth then is it possible that all the other airlines around the world are able to fly planes! Most even have, cover your eyes, women that fly the plane! The average salary for a US based flight crew is roughly 145,634 QR….yet they are able to provide maternity leave and pay benefits and run an airline. Many of these women and men also have contracts. So your argument and Al Baker’s are simply wrong. Maybe if he understood how to run a successful business without having to rely on repressing people and government interventions and subsidies his tune would change. It will, one day, when the gas is gone, the oil dried up, and Qatar goes back to being what it was in 1908. That day is likely sooner than most people think, perhaps within a generation.
Well, haha, yeah, likely within a generation. I hope the alternative energy sources make its way sooner, even before the oil and gas dry up.
LOL, are you retarded?
i wouldnt say so…flying while pregnant is illegal…so if you get pregnant then technically you have to quit.
and this second class citizen thing is starting to really boring argument, i get paid exactly the same as my colleague, she gets away with more including dress code for work, queue cutting at things such as the airport, free entry to bars and clubs while i have to pay…
Flying while pregnant is illegal? For who, cabin crew?…..Certainly not the public. Anyway, no one should get fired or have to quit. After the mandatory maternity leave it should be unpaid leave until you’re able to return.
Flying if pregnant is not medically advisable. If 80% of the people you hireare able bbiologically to perhaps become pregnant then maybe start hiring 80% male flight crew if you are unable to provide ground based employment during the pregnancy period.
problem solved
For cabin crew and pilots there is aviation regulation in EU that says they must not fly when pregnant. Qatar Civil Aviation is based on EU aviation law hence same applies. It is to protect the foetus from harm caused by solar radiation. Not an issue for the odd flight but if you fly every day…etc.
sorry was meant to be a reply to Pete
These women are not even citizens, second class or otherwise, nor can they ever be.
If the educated and experienced QA crew are treated in such a abusive and stoneage age manner then I shudder to think how they treat other women who work in lesser jobs or who are locked up away in their sponsors private houses. The local laws actually encourage the abuse and harassment of workers out there
I don’t think MIMH is referring to citizenship, rather citizens of humanity. In this he is correct.
“I don’t give a damn about the ILO – I am there to run a successful airline.
What a thoughtful and respectful response to a highly regarded international organization seeking to support thousands of QA employees. Mr. Al Baker must have many offers in front of him for Professor of PR and HR.
Indeed, and you’ve got to think that he is already working away behind the scenes, influencing Qatar’s worldwide PR efforts – his style is cleary very successful.
He loves the limelight “any PR is good PR”. I frequently see him dining out, he loves the handshakes and nods from strangers.
And blond stewardesses…..
How to make friends and influence people….
It seems most countries have a Donald Trump.
Donald Trump is a self made Billionaire who turned the dollar into a million. Al Baker? Is this guy even educated? His policies say the most about who he is as a person and his denial to reality is laughable but expected.
The guy does not give a damn about anybody but he would do well to remember that nobody outside Qatar takes much notice of what this guy mumbles. He is just an extension of the abusive practices against the workers that his country is famous for
Bargaining stage now? 🙂
Is it UN or ILO? When did ILO become UN?
The ILO is part of the UN.
that still doesnt need the dramatic headline
The interesting thing here as that there have been no sanctions or fines imposed on Qatar Airways. This is just another example of the International Community shining the spotlight on Qatar and the country coming up short. Al Baker doesn’t have to do anything, he has already made his comment and was very clear that he is not interested. This “poor me” and acting the victim is getting very old, its about time Qatar stood up and made some drastic changes, show the world that they are not the boogie man, that this country does have a heart and not just oil coursing through its veins.
And show that it intends to achieve its goal of being ‘an advanced nation’ in 15 years time.
By buying it…?
How can you show you are not the boogie man when you actually are the boogie man? Think about it, its deep. Hmmph!
Wouldn’t it be interesting if a Qatari Lady was working as cabin crew, then fell pregnant and was fired. That might get some attention from a few people.
As far as I am aware, Qataris are barred from working on Qatar Airways in a cabin crew position.
I can only guess that this would put Qataris in a position of having to be told what to do, and wait upon people, and this would be beneath their dignity.
If there is another reason, I would be interested to hear what it is.
Yeah, I would like to know too. Why can’t Qataris be Cabin Crews?
does Qatar Airways want us to clap at this decision? It is a disgrace they have fired those pregnant before.
Since when was it a cultural norm for women to be banned from leaving their place of work with a man to whom they are not related?? Next thing they will be banned from taxis, or socializing in public laces where there may be men. Come on Qatar Airways what are you doing??
The UN is racist and jealous of Qatar Airways great profitability, independence, and success.
Correct, as are all those who say unpleasant things about Kafala, the World Cup, lack of health and safety, an impenetrable legal system, etc, etc, etc. What other reasons could there possibly be???
deluded, or just living life with your head so far in the sand it all looks black ?
You do know I was being sarcastic?
*chuckle*
He was meaning the opposite of what he wrote: by the very way he wrote it!
Everyone is a Racist. Qatar best country, Qatar Number “Wahed” “One” “Uno”.
Damn! These people sound like North Koreans (:
Not just QA, the countrys labour practices in general towards the workers stink and helps contribute to the abuse of workers and specially household workers who are locked up like birds in a cage and abused and treated like slaves.
But they’re still Skytrax Airline of the year.
For once i have to agree with Ali, all he is doing is trying to run a successful state supported airline ( one that does not report costs or profits but manages to purchase new planes every few months ).
For the UN & International labor organisations to point out QA’s policy of discrimination against women ( not the men, they of course never misbehave as they have penis’s ) is yet more examples of the blatant bias the UN & other human rights organisations have against Qatar’s abuse of workers..i mean policies against equality..i mean..privacy & freedom.
It is obvious that this is a world wide conspiracy against Qatar..other airlines treat their female cabin crew exactly the same, ( except for they don’t terminate their employment when the get pregnant and don’t monitor their movements with security cameras and don’t bus them around hidden from the world etc ) and the Un never criticises those other airlines.
This is evidence of a vendetta they have against Qatar Airways and my country,” Reuters quoted Al Baker as saying.
There is a huge difference between Ali & people like Donald Trump; while Trump is a tool at least he has made his own fortune with out the help of what seems to be a limitless supply of state cash. Ali is the man who managed to turn a $6 billion airport development into a $16 billion overdue blown out airport developement..
“I don’t give a damn about the ILO – I am there to run a successful airline”
Big Daddy’s in the house and in control…. and he cares a damn about pesky insignificant little worm-like things like the ILO or the UN.
Al Baker and his mouth diarrhea. Nothing new here.
It amuses me that Qataris think that the world population has a vendetta against them *chuckle*
Second that!