Changing of the guard

By MOBIN PANDIT

DOHA • Long-time non-Qatari government employees, mostly in clerical and administrative jobs, may soon face the axe.

These jobs may likely go to young and educated nationals as well as better qualified foreign workforce.

“They
have benefited immensely from their jobs and it's time they moved on
and gave an opportunity to young citizens as well as foreigners,” a
spokesman from the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs said of
old-timers in unspecialised state jobs.

Old-time
resident employees of the government sector are indeed a target in the
current job nationalisation drive, he admitted in remarks to The
Peninsula yesterday.

But
the positions falling vacant in the process might not be necessarily
filled in by unemployed nationals alone. “It would be better to bring
over young and educated foreigners to work in these positions as well,”
the spokesman said.

Some
ministries and government departments are expected to begin retrenching
non-Qatari employees (in clerical and administrative positions) as
early as May 1, while others may follow suit in July.

Some
ministries and state agencies have already told their senior foreign
administrative and clerical staff to be ready to leave by March next
year.

Putting
the figure of unemployed citizens at 3,000, the spokesman said the
focus of the current job nationalization drive was, however, the
private sector.

“This
is a small number and a few big private companies can absorb them…If a
company has a thousand workers, for instance, all we are saying is,
accommodate 200 citizens. This is not asking for too much,” the
official said.

Private
companies were earlier reluctant to take many citizens on their rolls
but they have been reacting positively after the Ministry asked them to
reserve 20 percent jobs for citizens.

“They
know we are serious and they know the repercussions of ignoring the
Cabinet directive,” the spokesman said. They could face problems in
getting work visas.

Banks, according to the official, have taken a lead in providing jobs to nationals.

Private
companies argue that citizens do not have the required qualifications
to work with them. “This is just an excuse. What we tell them is train
educated citizens so they can work with you.”

“Qatarization
should not be misunderstood. It does not mean removing residents from
jobs. Citizens cannot substitute the foreign workforce due to sheer
demographic considerations.”

“In fact, we would need foreign workers over the next 25 years at least,” said the spokesman.

Source ::: The Peninsula

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