By Andrew Warshaw
July 31 – Organisers of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar have been quick to respond to the latest wave of criticism over the mistreatment of construction workers saying they are “actively looking into” the latest reports and are “heavily dismayed” at some of the claims.
Earlier this week, the UK’s Guardian newspaper, one of the first publications to highlight to plight of migrant workers in the Gulf state – prompting FIFA to intervene and express its concern – reported that some workers had not been paid for a year and that those building the first stadium for 2022 at al-Wakrah have been paid considerably less than the stipulated amount by contractor Amana. The paper added that passports are still being withheld under the kafala system in another apparent breach of recently introduced government welfare standards.
The Guardian’s report came only days after FIFA President Sepp Blatter met the Emir of Qatar partly to discuss progress on workers’ rights.
In a detailed statement that addressed the latest reports head on and did not attempt to make any excuses, the 2022 Supreme Committee insisted it took allegations of labour violations “very seriously”
“Since we first bid to host the FIFA World Cup we have worked tirelessly to ensure and improve the welfare of workers on 2022 FIFA World Cup projects and to be a catalyst for sustainable social progress,” said the statement.
“There are challenges with calculation of overtime pay and hours and we are working with the contractor to rectify any noncompliance. We take accusations of passport confiscations very seriously. Any involuntary confiscation of a passport … is expressly forbidden and will be investigated.”
Organisers also denounced reported mistreatment of workers involved in building 2022’s own headquarters by a company called Lee Trading and Construction.
“We were heavily dismayed to learn of the behaviour of Lee Trading with regard to the timely payment to its workers,” the statement said. “We strongly disapprove of the behaviour of Lee Trading and its treatment of workers and will continue to press for a speedy and fair conclusion of all cases.”
The full Supreme Committee statement reads as follows:
The Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC) takes allegations of labour regulation violations very seriously. The SC is actively looking into the matters raised by the Guardian concerning the contractor Amana. Since we first bid to host the FIFA World Cup we have worked tirelessly to ensure and improve the welfare of workers on 2022 FIFA World Cup projects and to be a catalyst for sustainable social progress. While the complex challenges of a globalized labour market cannot be solved overnight, we are making significant progress building and strengthening the necessary systems for monitoring and enforcement.
In the first stage of our audits, we began by addressing the most pressing matters that guarantee each worker lives and works in a safe and healthy environment. The elevated conditions we have achieved for all workers on SC projects, including those of Amana, are a testament to the progress being made. In addition to improved accommodations, our contractors have implemented numerous welfare improvements, including free catering, laundry services, on-site medical facilities and WiFi access, among others.
In further audits with matters related to employment practices, Amana has worked with us to improve conditions. SC audits have verified that all workers are paid on time by electronic transfer once per month. However, as has been identified, there are challenges with calculation of overtime pay and hours and we are working with the contractor to rectify any noncompliance.
It is important to note that Amana, as one of our first contractors, was contracted to provide services prior to the introduction of our current standards. Nonetheless, Amana has worked proactively to upgrade and ensure that its standards meet the SC’s stringent requirements.
We take accusations of passport confiscations very seriously. Since the establishment of the Workers’ Welfare Standards, the SC expressly forbids any contractor to confiscate the passports of its workers. In the Amana contract, which was under an earlier version of the standards, workers were provided the option of voluntarily, and only with signed consent, handing over their passports to the contractor for safekeeping, and with full access to their passports at any time. Any involuntary confiscation of a passport, whether at Amana or any other contractor, is expressly forbidden and will be investigated.
The SC welcomes and appreciates third party information which leads to the further improvement of the welfare of all of our workers. We are continuously striving to ensure every worker has the welfare, protection and dignity they deserve.
Response to Guardian Questions on Al Bidda
We appreciate the opportunity to respond to issues raised by The Guardian and Amnesty International regarding the issue of Lee Trading.
As previously stated, Lee Trading was never commissioned by, nor ever worked for the Supreme Committee on any of its projects. The Supreme Committee is a tenant at the Al Bidda Tower, occupying space on 11 floors. We are not the tenant of floors 38 and 39. However, we have been granted use of temporary offices on those floors while we await new office space.
The SC is responsible for overall building security via our security contractors. This may explain why a qatar2022.qa email address could have appeared in a building access request to Lee Trading. However, we categorically reject any direct connection with this firm.
The Supreme Committee does, however, take very seriously the matter of worker welfare in Qatar. We were heavily dismayed to learn of the behavior of Lee Trading with regard to the timely payment of its workers. When Amnesty International initially raised these issues, we immediately relayed these concerns to the relevant authorities. We understand that the majority of cases have already been settled with employees either repatriated home or, if they chose to remain in Qatar, work for other employers.
We strongly disapprove of the behavior of Lee Trading and its treatment of workers and will continue to press for a speedy and fair conclusion to all cases.
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