By Paul Nicholson
November 26 – International players union FIFPro is sending a delegation to Qatar on a four-day visit (November 28-31) to hold urgent talks with the country’s football authorities and organisers of the Qatar 2022 World Cup regarding the rights of players and in particular the plight of French footballer Zahar Belounis who has been trapped in the country by the kafala work visa system.
The FIFPro delegation will be led by Danish FIFPro board member Mads Øland who will also travel with representatives of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC).
While FIFPro expresses concern about the human rights issues surrounding the construction of World Cup stadia and infrastructure, the primary objective of their trip is to redirect discussion back to footballers and their conditions via the meetings with the Qatar FA and 2022 organisers.
In a statement from FIFPro, the organisation says it is seeking to lay foundations for:
· Respect for the human rights of footballers including the abolition of the kafala sponsorship system in its application to players;
· The establishment of FIFA standards within the Qatari professional league including minimum contract requirements, dispute resolution (clearly without limiting the application of the FIFA Dispute Resolution Chamber);
· In time, the establishment of an independent players’ association in Qatar.
FIFPro has advised its member around the world to take note of “the present arrangement that foreign players in Qatar can never feel certain their basic rights will be upheld and respected if a dispute, contractual or otherwise, arises with a club.”
Alongside this initiative is the now very public case of Belounis who, according to yesterday’s news exclusively reported in Insideworldfootball (http://www.insideworldfootball.com/world-cup/62-qatar/13676-exclusive-new-hope-that-belounis-could-receive-qatar-exit-visa-in-days) could be released within days.
However, FIFPro says that while they are “cautiously optimistic” this could become the case, they have been in this position before, only to find that Belounis has not been allowed to leave the country. The player’s union says that trust is now wearing thin and they are not sure they can believe all the promises they have been given.
Brendan Schwab, FIFPro Asia Chairman said: “FIFPro recognises what all parties are doing to try and help Zahir Belounis. Some are visible, others continue to work behind the scenes, but FIFPro appreciates all efforts in this difficult yet important matter.”
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