Asserting that Qatar’s refusal to allow workers to unionize is due to a high number of workplace deaths in violation of global standards, international trade unions continue to push the country on its treatment of migrant labor ahead the 2022 World Cup.

On Friday, the International Trade Union Confederation and Woodworkers’ International announced that they had lodged a formal complaint against Qatar with the International Labor Organization.

Some 200 Nepalese workers die annually on the job – and workers from Nepal have the highest incidence of suicide here – but Qatar does not make such statistics publicly available, ITUC said, as reported by Reuters:

“An event like the World Cup should be an opportunity for a wealthy nation like Qatar to modernize its social framework – and we will be putting all pressure we can to ensure that workers’ rights are improved as a result of the event,” ITUC General Secretary Sharan Burrow said in the statement.

Qatar 2022 World Cup organizers have said they will ensure contractors adhere to international labor laws.

Qatar, which has no minimum wage, is already feeling the impact of not paying enough for its skilled and unskilled labor, with recruiters reporting a manpower shortage just as the country embarks on a slew of mega projects, including $20 billion roads and $11 billion on a new airport.

The resulting delays could make finishing development before 2022 difficult, construction firms say.

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Credit: Photo by Omar Chatriwala