No major issues were identified during the second audit of QDVC (a Qatari company owned by Qatari Diar and Vinci Construction Grands Projets) operations, sites and workers’ accommodation in Qatar, said a statement.

 

The audit, conducted by BWI (Building and Wood Workers' International) and the trade union representatives of Vinci on October 26 and 27, 2021, confirms the commitment made by QDVC and Vinci Group to ensure workers’ rights during follow-up audit in Qatar, said the Vinci statement.

 

The audit comes as a follow-up to the first audit conducted in 2019, as part of the implementation of the agreement signed in 2017 on workers’ rights between BWI, Vinci and QDVC, it said.

 

Notable highlights of the audit included:

* Closing out of areas of improvement identified during the 2019 audit.

* Integration of health & safety policies across QDVC’s operations, leading to remarkable safety records: a frequency rate of 0.6 and a gravity rate of 0.010 based on 321 million hours worked between 2009 and 2021, including all employees on site (241,000 persons).

* Initiatives taken to support workers facing hardship as a result of the pandemic, including continuing to pay full wages and providing free psycho-social assistance.

* Continuous assessment and monitoring of manpower providers and subcontractors, raising the overall rights of workers and welfare standards across QDVC’s supply chain.

* QDVC was mentioned for its pioneering role in setting up an efficient Workers’ Welfare Committee in Qatar (third cycle of elections organised in 2021 with a participation rate of 93%) enabling workers to develop trust in the dialogue process and towards the company management. This was backed by a consistent track record of demands and grievances being resolved.

 

BWI and the French unions involved in the audit made a series of recommendations, such as:

* Enhancing the roles and responsibilities of worker representatives in addressing collective grievances regarding employment conditions, improved transparency in relation to salary grids, promotions and rises, and a protected status.

* Monitoring and tracking psychosocial risks, which are a serious health concern.

* Continuing CSR due diligence with subcontractors, especially the smallest ones.

* Continuing to prevent deceptive recruitment practices in collaboration with BWI, focusing on target communities where foreign workers come from. 

 

It is worth mentioning that the pilot PPP (Public-Private Partnership) between the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Project Office in Qatar and QDVC on fair recruitment of workers has enabled workers to be recruited fairly, not burdened with debts, and informed about their rights and working conditions prior to their departure, the statement said. - TradeArabia News Service