March 12 – The Building and Wood Workers’ International (BWI) has accused FIFA of blocking a labour inspection at Mexico City’s Azteca Stadium, a venue for the 2026 World Cup.
On Monday, BWI, one of the world’s leading unions, said they were denied access to the iconic venue in the Mexican capital for a planned visit and inspection of labour conditions. The Union also detailed that FIFA withdrew from an agreement to stage joint inspections in Mexico, Canada and the United States, the three co-hosts of next year’s 48-team global finals.
BWI argues that “there is virtually no scrutiny of labour rights at Mexico’s World Cup sites because FIFA refuses to act.”
“FIFA keeps promising the world a spectacle while dodging its responsibility to the very workers making it possible,” said BWI’s Ambet Yuson in a statement.
“FIFA’s president, Gianni Infantino, has no problem appearing in photo ops with the US president, yet FIFA can’t even guarantee basic protections for workers building its own World Cup show.
“They learned nothing from Qatar and Russia. No more excuses. No more delays. FIFA must act now, or North America 2026 FIFA World Cup will be another case of broken promises and neglected workers.”
BWI was involved in the past four World Cups to ensure proper labour conditions. In the United States, all 11 World Cup venues were pretty much competition ready when the hosting was awarded. BWI said it will send an inspection team to Vancouver in July.
As one of three Mexican venues for the 2026 World Cup, the Azecta Stadium, which hosted the World Cup final in 1970 and 1986, is undergoing a reported $1 billion renovation. In Mexico, workers in the construction industry, often from Central American countries, are vulnerable with just seven per cent represented by unions.
At a news conference, Yuson said that BWI will keep the pressure on FIFA. He explained: “We were informed that Mexico is creating a committee or a task force inviting the different agencies involved in the World Cup preparation. It is important that the union should have a seat in this meeting. This is also a model we have taken from the Paris Olympics. They created a social charter, signed by the government, trade unions and employers – that they would ensure social and labour rights be implemented in the preparation for the Paris Olympics.”
The Azteca Stadium will host the opening match the 2026 World Cup on June 11.
FIFA has been contacted for comment.
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