Although a company is free to give allowances to its workers based on his or her performance, the spirit of the labour law should be respected and the basic salary of employees doing similar jobs in a firm should at least be the same," lawyer Mohsin Thiyab Al Suwaidi said.
Another lawyer, who didn’t want his name in print, said the basic salary of an employee is based on the contract he signs with his employer.
Trade and industry sources, while agreeing that salary disparities in respect of similar jobs in private companies did exist leaving some employees dejected, said the emoluments of workers largely depended on their qualification, experience and performance.
But a man who identified himself as Aiman Yusuf told Al Sharq he has been working as an accountant with a private firm for several years and drawing a monthly salary of QR3,000. "I am born and brought up here," the 30-year-old said.
He said his company had hired other accountants after him on much higher salaries and perks. "The problem is, I am a local recruit," Yusuf said trying to justify his low salary.
According to Al Suwaidi, employers do differentiate between those being hired locally and those brought from overseas to do similar jobs in terms of allowances.
"But the practice should not be encouraged since a person should be given salary and allowances based on his qualification and experience and personal circumstances," he said.
In most cases, local recruits are not paid return air tickets to travel to their home countries during annual vacation and they are often not given adequate housing allowance. "This is a wrong practice. Allowances should depend on the performance of an employee," Al Suwaidi said.
