Minimum wage of OFWs in Qatar expected to increase

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine and Qatar governments are currently working on increasing the minimum monthly wage of overseas Filipino workers (OFW) in the Mideastern state, an online site said on Thursday. Labor Attaché Vivo Vidal, head of the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) in Doha, Qatar told The Peninsula that they are waiting for the guidelines on the bilateral labor agreement that will formally increase the minimum wage of OFWs in Qatar from 1,000 Qatari riyals or about P13,500 to QR1,400 or about P19,000. He said that the probable pay increase will apply to all work categories in Qatar. Vidal said the proposed salary increase is part of the agreement between Labor Secretary Marianito Roque and his Qatari counterpart that was settled during Roque’s visit to Doha early this week. The report also said that both the country’s labor officials have already agreed that a standard contract scheme will be used for all Filipinod working in Qatar. - Kimberly Jane T. Tan, GMANews.TV