ILO decision heralds new era for workers rights in Qatar (gulf-times.com)

The International Labour Organisation’s (ILO) decision to close the complaint against Qatar, following the government’s commitments to dismantle the kafala system , signals a new era for workers’ rights in the country. “Qatar has set a new standard for the Gulf States, and this must be followed by Saudi Arabia and the UAE where millions […]


November 9, 2017

Forced to stay single and facing the sack if they get pregnant, the staggeringly sexist rules for female cabin crew on Gulf airlines (dailymail.co.uk)

Cabin staff working for two major Gulf airlines face losing their jobs for falling pregnant and are even required to get permission before they marry, outraged campaigners claim. According to the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) carriers based in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates are guilty of ‘flagrant abuses of aviation workers’ labour rights’. […]


February 16, 2015

One of the world’s largest airlines makes its flight attendants ask permission before getting married (washingtonpost.com)

Over the last 20 years, Qatar Airways has undergone a remarkable transformation. Backed by tiny Qatar’s government riches, the airline has added routes to every populated continent, soaring from the 90th-largest international carrier to the 10th. Its prices on flights to D.C., New York, Miami and Dallas are cheap enough to pose a major challenge […]


First steps agreed in bid for Gulf aviation basic rights

The session on anti-union Gulf states this morning heard from an ITF panel composed of Sarah Finke, Mahendra Sharma, Stuart Howard, and Gabriel Mocho. They covered the following points: Freedom of association in the Gulf States is a regional matter but also a global one. Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways are global businesses that avoid […]


September 12, 2013