Qatar to allow trade union to inspect World Cup sites for a year
One of Qatar’s loudest critics has signed on to participate in inspections of stadiums and labor camps ahead of the 2022 World Cup. Starting in January, members of Building and Wood Workers International (BWI) will accompany Qatar tournament organizers during these visits. The international trade union for construction workers signed a one-year memorandum of understanding with the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy (SCDL) yesterday.
In the coming year, the number of construction workers on Qatar’s World Cup sites is expected to more than triple from 10,000 to 36,000 people. For years, BWI has called on Qatar to improve living and working conditions for blue-collar expats, as well as offer freedom of movement and fair grievance procedures. Speaking to Doha News, Ambet Yuson, general secretary of BWI, described the agreement as “a major breakthrough” in ensuring the safety of employees on World Cup projects in Qatar.
For his part, SCDL Secretary General Hassan Al Thawadi said the agreement comes at a “crucial stage” in World Cup preparations. “We have always said we will work with anyone who can help us on this journey. This is testament to that promise,” he said in a statement.
‘Unbelievably bad’ It is illegal for non-Qataris to join trade unions in Qatar, but delegations from labor rights’ groups do periodically visit camps and sites in the country. In 2013, a BWI delegation came to Qatar and inspected numerous sites over three days.
Following the visit, BWI officials said they saw overcrowding and “unbelievably bad” conditions. These included flooded bathrooms, dilapidated kitchens and workers sharing beds and/or sleeping on the floor in their accommodation. Though some sites did provide adequate health and safety provisions, BWI officials said they observed “disturbing evidence of wrong practices.”
Additionally, a general “climate of fear” among migrant workers has kept many from coming forward with complaints of mistreatment, they said. At the time, officials did not reveal the locations they visited, but the trip came before construction got underway on the World Cup stadiums. During her first official visit to Doha last week, FIFA’s secretary general Fatma Samoura said she wanted Qatar to have better relations with trade unions and workers’ rights groups, such as the BWI.
One of Qatar’s loudest critics has signed on to participate in inspections of stadiums and labor camps ahead of the 2022 World Cup. Starting in January, members of Building and Wood Workers International (BWI) will accompany Qatar tournament organizers during these visits. The international trade union for construction workers signed a one-year memorandum of understanding with the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy (SCDL) yesterday.
In the coming year, the number of construction workers on Qatar’s World Cup sites is expected to more than triple from 10,000 to 36,000 people. For years, BWI has called on Qatar to improve living and working conditions for blue-collar expats, as well as offer freedom of movement and fair grievance procedures. Speaking to Doha News, Ambet Yuson, general secretary of BWI, described the agreement as “a major breakthrough” in ensuring the safety of employees on World Cup projects in Qatar.
For his part, SCDL Secretary General Hassan Al Thawadi said the agreement comes at a “crucial stage” in World Cup preparations. “We have always said we will work with anyone who can help us on this journey. This is testament to that promise,” he said in a statement.
‘Unbelievably bad’ It is illegal for non-Qataris to join trade unions in Qatar, but delegations from labor rights’ groups do periodically visit camps and sites in the country. In 2013, a BWI delegation came to Qatar and inspected numerous sites over three days.
Following the visit, BWI officials said they saw overcrowding and “unbelievably bad” conditions. These included flooded bathrooms, dilapidated kitchens and workers sharing beds and/or sleeping on the floor in their accommodation. Though some sites did provide adequate health and safety provisions, BWI officials said they observed “disturbing evidence of wrong practices.”
Additionally, a general “climate of fear” among migrant workers has kept many from coming forward with complaints of mistreatment, they said. At the time, officials did not reveal the locations they visited, but the trip came before construction got underway on the World Cup stadiums. During her first official visit to Doha last week, FIFA’s secretary general Fatma Samoura said she wanted Qatar to have better relations with trade unions and workers’ rights groups, such as the BWI.
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