But a report by the International Trade Union Confederation said there “is little sign” so far that Qatar’s leaders are willing to change rules to allow trade unions to address other issues that activists claim can leave workers open to exploitation.
“Conditions for migrant workers in the Middle East are unacceptable,” said Sharan Burrow, general secretary of the Vienna-based union confederation. “The World Cup is a time when the eyes of the world will be on Qatar and the other nations in the region.” Hundreds of thousands of migrant workers — mostly from South Asia — work in construction and other projects across the Gulf, but enjoy few rights and are often burdened by debts to labor recruitment agencies back home. Some governments, including Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, have boosted efforts to improve work conditions in recent years.
The union group’s report, however, cited other long-standing complaints such as bans on trade unions, substandard “barrack-like housing” for laborers and sponsorship rules under which workers cannot easily change jobs or resign.
The report expressed concern that Asian workers and others could “fall victim to agencies seeking to make quick money from the World Cup recruitment boom.” The group said it would press FIFA, the sport’s governing body, to ensure that companies and World Cup suppliers are “actually respectful of workers’ rights.”
Qatar — with super wealth from oil and gas — plans tens of billions of dollars in transportation improvements and stadium construction for the tournament. The construction bonanza will add to a growth rate that is already among the fastest in the world.
The country’s ruling family, however, also is not accustomed to outside pressure for reforms and will likely face increased scrutiny linked to the World Cup.
Other places around the Gulf have come under similar calls to enhance labor rights.
In March, more than 130 international artists and writers vowed to boycott a branch of the Guggenheim Museum under construction in Abu Dhabi unless authorities do more to protect the rights of workers on the site. The petition cited an unsafe working environment, movement restrictions and withholding workers’ travel documents among the violations.
The Abu Dhabi-based authority in charge of the Guggenheim construction and other projects said Tuesday that it appointed the international auditing firm PricewaterhouseCoopers to monitor “worker welfare.”
The statement said the oversight will include living conditions and whether any violations occur such as withholding workers’ personal documents or illegal recruitment fees. About 10,000 workers are assigned to Abu Dhabi’s Saadiyat island project, which includes the Guggenheim and planned branches of the Louvre museum and New York University. The work force is expected to rise to 20,000 by the end of next year.
