Employment: A team from the labour ministry will leave for Qatar to discuss the issue of the unpaid Bhutanese employees on June 5.
The team will visit Qatar not only to address the issue of unpaid Bhutanese workers, but also to establish contact with the companies that have employed Bhutanese youth.
An official from the Royal Bhutan Embassy (RBE) in Kuwait will also join the investigation team.
According to labour officials, the mission will enable the ministry to understand ground realities overseas and also in dealing directly with the companies if similar issues come about in the future.
RBE in Kuwait recommended the ministry not to rush in sending officials from Bhutan as proper groundwork was needed, including verification of information received from some of the Bhutanese youth working in Qatar.
Labour officials said that there were conflicting reports from Bhutanese employees in Qatar.
The ministry has learned that the human resource officer of the Quality Hyper Market in Qatar, who was on leave when the problem was reported to the Bhutanese media, had assured the local agents in Bhutan that he would look into the matter upon his return.
The ministry, therefore, decided to not to send the investigation team immediately.
Officials said that the ministry is following up with Bhutanese employees in Qatar and two local agents – Global Recruitment Overseas Employment Agent and Employ Bhutan Overseas Employment Agent.
Meanwhile, the ministry is also compiling details of the Bhutanese workers sent to work in different places in Qatar. The terms and conditions of the contracts signed between the agents, company and employees are also being reviewed.
Currently, there are around 77 Bhutanese working in nine different companies in Qatar.
Younten Tshedup