Posted on 06/14/2012 1:33:49 PM PDT by PRePublic
Migrant workers in Qatar risk forced labour, human rights group says Report highlights range of labour issues amid construction boom for 2022 World Cup AFP Published: 00:00 June 13, 2012
Doha: Human Rights Watch (HRW) warned on Tuesday that migrant construction workers in Qatar, which is preparing to host the 2022 World Cup, risk serious abuse amounting to ‘forced labour’. “The government needs to ensure that the cutting edge, high-tech stadiums it’s planning to build for World Cup fans are not built on the backs of abused and exploited workers,” said HRW Middle East director Sarah Leah Whitson in a statement released at a news conference in Doha. The New York-based watchdog said construction workers, mostly South Asians, “risk serious exploitation and abuse, sometimes amounting to forced labour,” as it released its report: ‘Building a better World Cup: Protecting migrant workers in Qatar ahead of Fifa 2022.’ The 146-page report was based on interviews with 73 migrant construction workers, as well as meetings and correspondence with government officials, employers, contracting companies, recruitment agents, diplomats from labour-sending countries, and worker advocates, HRW said.
It said the problems migrant workers face inculpe “exorbitant recruitment fees, which can take years to pay off, employers’ routine confiscation of worker passports, and Qatar’s restrictive sponsorship system that gives employers inordinate control over their employees”. It added: “Workers reported a range of problems, including unpaid wages, illegal salary deductions, crowded and unsanitary labour camps, and unsafe working conditions.” HRW pointed out that Qatari laws also prohibit migrant workers from unionising or striking, in violation of the International Labour Organisation regulations which identify free association as a core labour right. Qatar last year became the first Arab country to be awarded rights to host the Fifa World Cup in 2022. It announced multi-billion-dollar developments in preparation for the global event, including air-conditioned stadiums to cope with high temperature and humidity in the desert state. HRW said that Qatar may recruit up to one million additional migrant construction workers in the next decade in preparation for the tournament. It said migrant workers already represent 94 per cent of Qatar’s workforce, the world’s highest ratio of migrants to citizens.
“forced labor,” is Arab modern pc language for slavery.
The human rights group should’ve taken a peek into ‘our friends’ the Saudis back in the 80’s at the working conditions among the Philippinos in that country.
Then they should’ve travelled to the Emirates when the building boom started and where almost every week one foreign construction worker took a dive from the 30th floor because life became too burdensome for him.
Yeah, islam!
The middle east has a very long history of slavery and indentured servitude, along with religous beliefs that condone the practice. So why is this news? I highly doubt that their ideals have been brought up to 21st century standards, and won’t be for the forseeable future.
All this “human rights” group is interested in at this point is latching on to an event ten years off to scam funds from a sympathetic public.
You are correct...these human rights groups are just trying to raise funds for their group before a big international event...and have no real intention of doing anything to solve the situation
Most of these groups are liberal globalist already, so they will not upset the liberal money applecart. Also, most of these groups practice and promote “Multiculturalism”...which means everything is OK to do as long as it is not done by Caucasian European peoples.
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