Vietnamese break Qatari laws, jeopardize labor export

Around 600 Vietnamese guest laborers are now jailed in Qatar for fighting, theft, drinking and distilling wine, Vietnamese newspaper Nguoi Lao Dong Friday quoted an official as saying.
Of the 7,000 migrant workers Vietnam has sent to Qatar since late last year, around 400 of them have been expelled by Qatari authorities for crime, said head of the state labor export company Sovilaco’s Middle East department Pham Anh Thang.
Thang said that Vietnamese workers were involved in a slew of fights with their Nepalese colleagues.
Qatari police also caught a group of Vietnamese distilling 60 liters of liquor last April. Drinking is a serious problem for most of Vietnamese laborers, according to Thang.
Additionally, many Vietnamese have also been caught stealing bronze wires and other materials from construction sites.
Though striking is illegal in Qatar, strikes by Vietnamese factory and construction workers have also occurred.
Consequences
Due to the Vietnamese’s legal problems, employers in Qatar are hesitating to receive Vietnamese workers. But the same employers have also admitted that Vietnamese workers post some advantages over laborers from other countries, such as high-level compulsory education, quick wits, and easy adaptability to working conditions.
Last March and April, Qatari firms canceled two 200-man contracts with Sovilaco, said Thang. He predicted that losing the Qatari market would be inevitable if no appropriate measures are taken to tackle the problem.
Qatar is a profitable environment for Vietnamese, as skilled workers are paid salary rates of US$375 - $625 a month and $250 - $375 for normal labor.
Close co-ordination among state agencies, diplomatic missions abroad and labor export companies will be needed to manage the situation. Labor export firms also need to train and consult their workers in line with the new countries’ laws and customs to make for smother transition.
The
Around 600 Vietnamese guest laborers are now jailed in Qatar for fighting, theft, drinking and distilling wine, Vietnamese newspaper Nguoi Lao Dong Friday quoted an official as saying.
Of the 7,000 migrant workers Vietnam has sent to Qatar since late last year, around 400 of them have been expelled by Qatari authorities for crime, said head of the state labor export company Sovilaco’s Middle East department Pham Anh Thang.
Thang said that Vietnamese workers were involved in a slew of fights with their Nepalese colleagues.
Qatari police also caught a group of Vietnamese distilling 60 liters of liquor last April. Drinking is a serious problem for most of Vietnamese laborers, according to Thang.
Additionally, many Vietnamese have also been caught stealing bronze wires and other materials from construction sites.
Though striking is illegal in Qatar, strikes by Vietnamese factory and construction workers have also occurred.
Consequences
Due to the Vietnamese’s legal problems, employers in Qatar are hesitating to receive Vietnamese workers. But the same employers have also admitted that Vietnamese workers post some advantages over laborers from other countries, such as high-level compulsory education, quick wits, and easy adaptability to working conditions.
Last March and April, Qatari firms canceled two 200-man contracts with Sovilaco, said Thang. He predicted that losing the Qatari market would be inevitable if no appropriate measures are taken to tackle the problem.
Qatar is a profitable environment for Vietnamese, as skilled workers are paid salary rates of US$375 - $625 a month and $250 - $375 for normal labor.
Close co-ordination among state agencies, diplomatic missions abroad and labor export companies will be needed to manage the situation. Labor export firms also need to train and consult their workers in line with the new countries’ laws and customs to make for smother transition.
The Vietnam’s Overseas Labor Management Department will compile regulations demanding that labor companies have permanent representatives in destination countries to mediate such matters.
Vietnam is now considering cutting its 50 labor export companies down to 30 for easier management.
Vietnam is now considering cutting its 50 labor export companies down to 30 for easier management