This means, in line with its own Human Rights Policy, FIFA should not only ensure the respect of labour rights in the construction of World Cup stadia, but also use its leverage to ensure rights are respected in a broader range of infrastructure projects needed for delivery of the 2022 World Cup. There have also been complaints about the standard of accommodation many workers live in. Since 2019, the Government of Qatar has established 14 Qatar Visa Centres in 6 countries to provide appropriate information to migrants and reduce chances of contract deception. Which language would you like to use this site in? In response to increasing international pressure from civil society, the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA), the World Cup's governing body, promised that issues raised by The Guardian's reporting and civil-society groups will be investigated and action taken. The ILO in Qatar The problem is that it is hard to associate a firm figure with the tournament and to assess how many deaths were preventable given the lack of available information. The debt incurred often puts workers in vulnerable situations, in which they are more prone to exploitation or abuse. The oil-rich country is one of the wealthiest in the world, recording the second largest GDP per capita in 2012. More than 180 migrant workers died in Qatar last year and a significant number are believed to have suffered injuries as a result of unsafe working practices. Available online. Government Communications Office, Council of Ministers, Corniche Street P.O. I dont think Ive committed a crime to be facing these problems.. Migrant workers, including domestic workers, also no longer require an employer-approved exit permit to leave the country. This includes topics such as the organisation of work, ways to increase production and development, workers training programmes, risk prevention tools, and ways to improve the level of adherence to occupational safety and health rules. By using our website, you consent to the use of cookies. The Qatari government appointed the law firm DLA Piper to independently probe claims of exploitation of migrants working in World Cup-related construction projects. Reality Check: The State of Migrant Workers Rights with Four Years to Go Until the Qatar 2022 World Cup. Officials announced the proposed changes at a news conference in the capital Doha on Wednesday. Find out more about our impact, who we are and how we are funded. Labour Disputes Settlement Committee established, The ILO inaugurates its first project office in Qatar, HH the Amir issues Law No. Other construction projects have included major upgrades to public transport and roads, and new skyscrapers, hotels and housing, as well as Lusail, a new city that will host the final. The best of our journalism is gathered on our dedicatedQatar: Beyond the Footballhome page for those who want to go deeper into the issues beyond the pitch. Over the past few years, Qatar has taken steps to improve workers access to justice. Qatar currently provides jobs for almost two million people. Over 350,000 applications to change jobs have been approved in the two years following the introduction of new legislation, with positive outcomes for Qatars economy as a whole. The high profile of the tournament has drawn attention to Qatars dubious human rights record, including its hostility towards LGBT people, and the dangerous and exploitative conditions faced by the vast numbers of migrant workers who have built the infrastructure. His death was classed as heart failure, natural causes. It has also partially reformed the Kafala system without completely abolishing it, ending the exit permit requirement for most workers, meaning those benefiting should now be able to leave the country without their employers permission. In October 2013, for example, The Guardian reported that 44 Nepali workers had died in Qatar in just a two-month period, while Amnesty International reports in 2013 and 2016 documented large scale labour abuse in the construction sector, including forced labour, such as at Dohas Khalifa Stadium. Rules workers Just energy transition principles for human rights in business and investment, Transition minerals and renewable energy in the Andes, Strengthening modern slavery statements: Good practice toolkit for Australian companies, Weekly Update 28 June | Food supply chain: Worker precarity highlighted by cases in US & UK, Operating in conflict-affected contexts: An introduction to good practice, Duty failure: Scant evidence of effective due diligence by companies operating in Russia, How import bans can help tackle forced labour in global supply chains, Respecting human rights: Why the CSDDD needs to go beyond social auditing, Qatar denies violating labour law by blocking migrants from leaving, Migrant workers blocked from leaving Qatar despite labor reforms, Were cheated, first in India, then in Qatar: how World Cup workers are deceived. This means taking adequate measures to prevent, mitigate and where necessary redress human rights abuses connected to their operations. Find out more in our privacy policy. In a separate high-profile case first reported in May 2018, a group of 1,200 workers went unpaid for several months and went weeks without running water or electricity. Qatar Foundation Releases Standards for Migrant Workers. With less than four years until the World Cup kicks off, and more than a year since the ILO agreement was signed, it is essential that the Qatari authorities accelerate their efforts to truly transform the protections available to their migrant worker population. Social dialogue has taken various forms, and new legislation has led to the establishment of joint worker-management committees at the enterprise level. Qatari Diar warns construction companies against violating labor law. South Africas High Court has ruled that the cancellation of special permits for Zimbabwean nationals that gives them the right to live and work in the country is unlawful and unconstitutional. Guardian reporting goes far beyond what happens on the pitch. Now with an office in Qatar, the ILO is working with the authorities on a wide-ranging reform process that includes five strands of work: reform of the sponsorship system, access to justice, worker voice, health and safety, and pay and recruitment. Business & Human Rights Resource Centre Registered Charity in England & Wales no. In August 2018, for example, Qatars World Cup organisers acknowledged that contractors working on one of the stadiums for 2022 had breached a summer working hours ban that prohibits outdoor work at times when dangerously high summer temperatures pose a very serious risk to workers health. The country has introduced labor law reforms in the past five years, though critics charge that these do not go far enough to protect workers and that enforcement is patchy. When negotiating the reforms with the Government of Qatar, worker representation and social dialogue were among the ILOs top priorities. Female domestic workers are the most vulnerable group of foreign workers in the Gulf. For now, she is too scared to go out of the house, fearing arrest and deportation. An ILO study is exploring the feasibility of making joint committees mandatory for companies of a certain size. WebMoving Working Accommodation Schools Cities Purchase the complete Expat Arrivals Qatar Guide (PDF) Most expats find that relocating to Qatar for work is a surprisingly smooth Having time off is not only important for rest, but also for lodging any potential grievances with the relevant authorities. The minimum wage was decided following extensive consultations with a specialised national committee composed of relevant authorities in Qatar. Though the tournament was moved from summer to winter for the safety and comfort of players, officials and fans, workers are at risk of accidents, heat-related illnesses and other ailments related to the physical and mental strains of working long hours in extreme heat. Qatar has made significant achievements in terms of workers rights and work conditions in coordination with the International Labour Organization.His Highness the Amir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, September 2019. The International Labour Organization (ILO) found that in 2020, 50 people suffered work-related deaths, 500 were seriously injured, and 37,600 sustained mild to moderate injuries. Coming from some of the worlds poorest countries, and working in sectors including construction, hospitality and domestic service, migrant workers make up 95% of the countrys labour force. QF Mandatory Standards of Migrant Workers' Welfare for Contractors and Sub-Contractors. Its sponsorship system remains a serious stain on Qatar's international reputation. Qatar 15 of 2017, which regulates the relationship between domestic workers and their employers. In early November, the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights sent Francois Crepeau, the UN special rapporteur on human rights, on an eight-day mission to Qatar to evaluate the situation of migrant workers. Strengthen protection of domestic workers: bring the domestic workers law in line with international standards, for example in relation to working hours; reinforce enforcement mechanisms and provide protection to victims; hold abusive employers to account, including through criminal prosecution. * Workers names have been changed to protect identities. The ILO report One is too many found that at least 50 workers had lost their lives in 2020 and just over 500 were severely injured. Qatar Between 2021 and 2022, the number of workers complaints to Qatars Ministry of Labour Teams such as Denmark and the Netherlands have been far more vocal in their criticism of working conditions and human rights than Fifa, which has banned players from wearing OneLove rainbow armbands. Given its vast financial resources and highly developed governmental institutions, the Qatari government is more than capable of initiating and sustaining the comprehensive reforms needed to effect real change. In 2015, the State of Qatar issued Law No. In 2021, the Ministry of Labour adopted a revised standard employment contract for domestic workers to align their rights with those of other private sector employees in terms of overtime payment, termination of employment and sick leave entitlements. All of this serves to harass workers and discourage others from changing jobs.. Despite nascent reforms, such labour abuse continues on a significant scale today. Lack of information about labour mobility is also an important obstacle to changing jobs. 2013. Employers are obliged to transfer employees wages through Qatari banks, allowing the Ministry of Labour to monitor the transfers and reduce wage abuses. Some of my friends are now sitting in their country after the sponsor cancelled their visa and sent them back home because they wanted to switch jobs. Despite improvements to the law and awareness raising efforts, domestic workers still struggle to exercise their rights, including those pertaining to working time and the right to at least a day off per week. Recent pronouncements from key actors within Qatar, especially those with government links, suggest room for cautious optimism, nonetheless. Building and Wood Workers' International. Crepeau's full report will be presented to the UN Human Rights Council in April 2014. Fundamentally reform the kafala system: allow all migrant workers to change jobs without their employers permission, decriminalise the charge of absconding, extend the abolition of the exit permit to all workers, and enforce the ban on passport confiscation. The population of Qatar is about three million, roughly 88% of whom are foreign citizens. In April 2019, His Excellency Mr Yousuf Mohamed Al Othman Fakhroo, the Minister of Administrative Development Labour and Social Affairs signed a decree regulating the conditions and procedures for the election of worker representatives in Joint Committees. With less than four years until the 2022 FIFA World Cup kicks off in front of 86,000 fans at the Lusail Stadium, and billions watching across the world, Qatars record on migrant workers rights remain firmly in the spotlight. The official count among workers on World Cup sites is 37 non-work related deaths and only three from work-related accidents but many believe that is a vast undercount. The Lusail Stadium is one of the arenas constructed by migrant workers for the Qatar World Cup. Workers in Qatar previously required permission from their employers to change jobs one of the most problematic elements of the kafala system that made workers overly dependent on their employers and created situations of labour exploitation. For the ILO, this will be the most enduring legacy of the World Cup. How many substitutes in World Cup 2022? 2023 BBC. With the support of the ILO, it is assessing the existing system for licensing and monitoring private recruitment agencies. Using a newly developed methodology, the ILO worked with the Government and other key institutions in Qatar to publish a report presenting the most comprehensive data available on the issue.
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