By Paul Nicholson
December 23 – Human rights abuses in Qatar have made the Gulf state the whipping boy of the western media. If there was no World Cup planned for 2022 in Qatar then probably the rest of the world might not be so interested – perhaps a comment on the west as much as the Qataris. But the World Cup will be in Qatar and the world has been drawn into the story.
Insideworldfootball columnist Mihir Bose was in Qatar for the Goals conference and took time to take an uninterrupted and unpoliced tour of the construction workers’ accommodation on the numbered streets where they are billeted.
Bose’s column this week is primarily anecdotal, his pictures are taken with his phone camera. They show neither extreme poverty or affluence, though it is obvious that this is not luxury living.
His report and pictures are an interesting snapshot of what he encountered.
For their part the Qataris are clear that they are making changes and that this will happen within Qatari law. They have also said that if the changes require the law itself to be changed then they will work to do so. How far those changes go will be a matter for their own governing authorities. But there is no doubt that they have an appetite to address the issues.
The Qataris are now talking to Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International and they have in turn acknowledged that Qatar is making the right noises and starting to back the talk up with action.
A small but significant sign of this was the action taken against Lee Trading and Contracting (LTC) which had failed to pay 80 workers for a year. Because LTC had not arranged residence permits for the workers they were unable to take alternative paid employment and were subsequently low on food.
Hassan Al Thawadi, leader of the Qatar 2022 Supreme Committee, told Robert Siegel of US radio news network NPR: “It’s very, very, very important and crucial for the world to understand that the practices that have been documented, these practices are illegal under Qatari law. It’s as simple as that.”
Much of the construction within Qatar is being undertaken by foreign companies, who have taken advantage of the local situation (and the lack of policing) to abuse workers for their own profit. Many of these companies are from the west and include many of the world’s biggest builders.
These companies should now be feeling the heat as the Qatari authorities crackdown on living standards and worker safety. Site foreman are generally non-Qatari nationals (predominantly from India, Lebanon and Jordan) and have been in the first line of attack. But the generals in the construction companies behind them will also need paying attention to. And perhaps this is where the deeper story of the origins of the workforce abuses lies.
One thing is certain, there will be a seemingly endless supply of cheap labour from Asian countries like India, Bangladesh and Nepal.
I have received emails from three different addresses in the past six weeks offering me Bangladeshi labour. Below is the text from an email I received 6 December. There were 117 other addresses on this email. All look to be construction and building companies across a broad range of specialisms.
The email details the labour available and the rates of pay and conditions required. There was also a Qatari mobile number on the email.
Text of email sent 6 December 2013:
Dear honearble sir/madam
We are looking fowling order for supply workers and worker uniform from Bangladesh,we have plan supply fowling workers ,so looking job order,if you like use import Bangladeshi workers pls issue demand letter,pls see the fowling ready workers details,
Supply uniform for medical,office,construction, cleaner,labour ,also skill un skill workers from Bangladesh,
A] un skill labour,like helper,have ready 1200 cvs,age 22 to 35,salary qr 650 and food purposeqr 200 total need qr 850 per month.need free accommodation,duty 8 hours,after 8 hours need over time as per Qatar law,need per year benefit as per your company law,
B] cleaner,agriculture workers,have ready 750 cvs toughter,salary basic qr 600 and food purposeqr 200 total qr 800 free need accommodation, duty 8 houers,after 8 hours need overtime Qatar law,need benefit fasalaties as per you system per year,
C] shataring carpenter,block mason,plaster mason,painter,still fixer need salary qr 800 and food purpose qr200 total need qr 1000 per month,free need accommodation,fasalaties need as per your system,have ready 500 cvs toughter,
D] electrician,plumber,tilesmason, alumunium glass fitting workers,furniture a class carpenter,gypsum carpenter,polisher,have ready 300 cvs, need salary qr 1000 basic,food purpose need qr 200 permonth, free need accommodation,also need fasalaties as per your company system,also all category welders,
E] havy driver,excavator,crane operator,still fabricator,gcc exp, need salary as per discation, yes possible gulf exp workers as per your requers, but need good salary,
F] office boy,tea boy,house kepper possible supply,so if you need pls conf me,
G] security guard,educated and exp people have ready 1000 cvs,need salary minimum qr 800 and food purpose need 200 need free accommodation,fasalaties as per your company system.
Read Mihir Bose’s column at http://www.insideworldfootball.com/mihir-bose/13835-mihir-bose-the-street-with-no-names-but-only-numbers-that-show-the-other-qatar
Contact the writer of this story at moc.l1734796043labto1734796043ofdlr1734796043owedi1734796043sni@n1734796043osloh1734796043cin.l1734796043uap1734796043