Concerned about the rights of migrant laborers in the run-up to the 2022 World Cup, the International Trade Union Confederation is pushing FIFA to ensure that Qatar respects its workforce.
ITUC representatives are to present FIFA president Sepp Blatter with a letter today informing him of a “No World Cup in Qatar without labor rights” campaign that will move for a venue change if conditions for laborers here do not improve.
Reuters reports:
FIFA agreed to meet the unions after a trade union report on migrant workers in Qatar and United Arab Emirates criticised “inhuman” conditions this year, the ITUC said in a statement.
The ITUC said unions were “continuing to receive reports of unsafe working conditions and abuse of workers’ rights as Qatar sets out to build nine stadiums in 10 years using mostly migrant labour.”
…Labour organisations “would mobilise workers and football fans to target each of FIFA’s football associations and the international body to stop the World Cup in Qatar if labour rights are not respected,” the ITUC added.
“With 308 national trade union centres in 153 countries, the international trade union movement has the members, the power and the mandate to take action to stop the Qatar World Cup.”
Yikes! Wonder how Blatter will handle that campaign – and Qatar, for that matter.