FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke met Thursday with
International Trade Union Confederations officials and agreed to raise their
concerns in the Gulf emirate.
"It was agreed that FIFA and ITUC will work jointly
over the next few months to address labor issues with the Qatari
authorities," Valcke said in a statement. "As the world governing
body of the most popular sport we have a responsibility that goes beyond the
development of football and the organization of our competitions."
Valcke
said FIFA will require future World Cup bidders to respect labor issues. The
next bidding contest is likely in 2018 to choose the 2026 host.
Qatar's social and moral traditions, as well as its searing
summer heat, have been scrutinized about their suitability for a World Cup host
since it won a stunning victory in a FIFA vote last December. The gas-rich
nation beat the United States, Australia, South Korea and Japan.
The ITUC, which says it represents 175 million workers in
153 countries, had warned FIFA it would disrupt work in Qatar if rights are not
respected.
ITUC leader Sharan Burrow said ahead of the FIFA
headquarters meeting that migrant laborers in Qatar often work in unsafe
conditions.
"FIFA has the power to make labor rights a requirement
of the Qatari authorities who are hosting a World Cup," Burrow said.
Qatar is building nine stadiums and huge infrastructure
projects costing tens of billions of dollars in the next 10 years.
