Ahead of the draw, worldwide players’ union FIFPro and global trade union federation Building and Wood Workers’ International (BWI) issued an open letter asking Qatar to create a Migrant Workers Center.
Human rights issues in the host country have been a continuous point of interest in the run-up to the World Cup, with migrant workers conditions a notable subject.
The Guardian reported last year that 6,500 migrant workers have died in the country since Qatar won its bid to host the tournament in 2010, most of whom were involved in low-wage, dangerous labor, often undertaken in extreme heat.
The report — “categorically” denied by tournament organizer chief executive Nasser Al Khater — did not connect all 6,500 deaths with World Cup infrastructure projects and has not been independently verified by CNN.
Though acknowledging “encouraging signs of progress”, the unions’ letter stated that the build-up to the tournament “has been filled with human rights scandals and poor worker conditions.”
“Workers continue to be subjected to abusive practices,” the statement from FIFPro and BWI general secretaries Jonas Baer-Hoffman and Ambet Yuson read.
“Unscrupulous employers oppose the reforms and are not being held to account. Workers in the most vulnerable positions from countries such as India, Bangladesh, Nepal, the Philippines, Pakistan and some African countries still fear retaliation if they denounce exploitation of unpaid wages and long working hours.
In order to prevent progress from being halted once the “spotlight” on the World Cup has dimmed, the statement called for the creation of a Qatari Migrant Workers Centre to operate as a self-governed “safe space” for expatriate workers.
The center would allow workers to “develop skills, learn and get advice about their employment rights … and allow them to effectively co-operate with Qatari authorities on pressing issues.”
Qatar and FIFA have not yet responded to CNN’s request for comment.
“Remember, we owe the migrant workers,” the statement concluded, “it was they who toiled in scorching heat to build the infrastructure and stadiums.
“They endured cramped and inhospitable accommodation. Sometimes, they risked their lives to send money home to their families. Some of them lost their lives.
“They are the ones who made this tournament happen … let’s make sure that we do not forget them.”
