Workers' charter planned for World Cup
Qatar, in a bid to fend off a possible move to deprive it of the right to host the 2022 World Cup because of its failure to adopt international standards for foreign workers, is drafting a charter for laborers involved in the construction of infrastructure related to the tournament.
The announcement of the planned charter by the Qatar 2022 Supreme Committee comes amid a rare series of articles in Qatari media depicting workers’ difficulties and a call to offer laborers relief in part through sports.
It further follows a rare news conference in the Qatari capital Doha by Human Rights Watch in which it charged that the Gulf state had failed to live up to its promise to address the fundamental rights of foreign workers who account for about a third of the population in a country in which non-nationals are the majority as well as condemnatory statements by international trade union leaders.
Yep, so if you work for a local company you can get abused as per standard operating procedure
Human Rights Watch produced a report condemning the labor situation in Abu Dhabi for the construction of a series of museums, including a new Guggenheim.
As a result of that report, over 100 artists signed on to boycott the museum, refusing to ever have their works displayed there.
Things got nastier, and nastier.
The project is now "on hold" (Gulf speak for cancelled).
If Qatar doesn't take the Human Rights Watch report seriously, heaven knows what the outcome may be. But FIFA switching venues isn't out of the question.
So this is only for TOURNAMENT RELATED PROJECTS ???? :(
You hit the nail on the head..
Countries like Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Sri-Lanka and Nepal keep quiet because they want the foreign exchnge that comes their way..
Western countries are raising the issue of Asian workers' plight!!! (while their labors are not in such dire conditions, as such)
they deserve a praise for their human right duties, while self-centered Asian nations (enjoying big remittance) are dozing.
A charter, another committee to 'look' into the issue of sponsorship, another declaration, more road safety campaigns, another committee.
Lot's of talk but as usual no enforcement.
Move on, nothing to see here.
Am intrigued by the comment..
"Sports clubs in Qatar and elsewhere in the Gulf have largely targeted local nationals rather than foreigners for fear that identification with a sports club would give them a more permanent sense of belonging. The approach is one reason why stadiums in the region are relatively empty during matches."
does 'senior management' has done in the last one decade ?
Their own stomacks / banks accounts are full !
Looks like international attention and pressure from the World Cup may be working as a force of change for the better.