International unions set conditions on Qatar World Cup

The International Trade Union Confederation meeting in Berlin will Monday (19th May 2014) call on next month’s FIFA Congress to impose five conditions on Qatar to host the 2022 World Cup.

The ITUC Congress, representing almost 180 million workers worldwide, will demand FIFA’s congress meeting in a fortnight to take decisive action as global outrage over Qatar’s attacks on workers’ rights grows.

More than 1,000 workers have been killed already building the infrastructure that will deliver the World Cup, working under kafala – a form of modern-day slavery.

ITUC General Secretary Sharan Burrow said the time has come for FIFA to act.

“Qatar is a slave state. Workers are dying and if FIFA does not act they share culpability for the thousands of workers trapped in Qatar. They can’t just walk away and leave workers to the mercy of the kafala system.”

“FIFA president Sepp Blatter has finally conceded the decision to award Qatar the World Cup was a mistake. But Qatar’s promises on labour laws have been purely cosmetic and it is time for FIFA to stand up for human rights.

The five conditions the ITUC will impose are:

  • End kafala;
  • Allow freedom of association and collective bargaining;
  • A minimum wage for all workers;
  • Introduce grievance procedures;
  • Work with responsible international recruitment agencies.

On Monday 19th May, Sharan Burrow will be joined by footballers Abdes Ouaddou, Zahir Belounis and journalist Heidi Theimann who will talk about their experiences of working in Qatar at the Congress Live studio, Berlin City Cube

When: 12:35 – 13:00 (Berlin GMT +2) Monday 19th May 2014
Where: Congress Live, Berlin City Cube

The press conference will be streamed live on http://congress2014.ituc-csi.org/
Workers and football fans will join a thunderclap to send a message to FIFA on the morning of the FIFA Congress in Brazil.

https://www.thunderclap.it/projects/11522-fifa-don-t-shame-the-game?locale=en
https://www.thunderclap.it/projects/11641-fifakeine-schande-ber-fu-ball?locale=en

ENDS

For more information contact Gemma Swart +32 479 06 41 63 [email protected]

Watch the ITUC undercover video of life inside Qatar’s labour camps.
http://congress2014.ituc-csi.org/qatar