On the eve of FIFA 73rd Congress in Rwanda, the undersigned Global Union Federations express serious concerns on the decent work legacy of the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup and the sustainability of labour reforms in Qatar. As the Tournament has left town, so have the hopes of migrant workers to have a say in their lives and in their futures. In the run up to the recent FIFA World Cup, rather than accelerating reforms and preparing for the future, progress on implementing labour law changes slowed down, employer lawlessness increased, and dialogue on cooperation with some Global Union Federations and migrant workers came to an abrupt halt. The lack of further progress to protect human rights, including the fundamental rights of workers to associate and bargain collectively, shows that, to date, there is not a tangible or lasting legacy of the FIFA 2022 World Cup of which Qatar, FIFA, and the world could be proud.
MARIANA SUAREZ/AFP
Reports on the ground in Qatar, reveal continuous breaches of the new labour legislation by rogue employers emboldened by an absence of enforcement and growing confidence that rights violations will go unpunished. The threats, arrests, and sudden halt of meaningful cooperation with the Global Union Federations, such as the Building and Wood Workers’ International (BWI) and the International Domestic Workers Federation (IDWF) further confirm a deteriorating environment and reticence to build on progress achieved through dialogue and cooperation. Positive change has ceased not only because of the lack of political will or active opposition by many abusive employers, but also because of the lack of progress on International Labour Organisations’ (ILO) Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, especially the refusal to permit the exercise of Freedom of Association.
As stated in the ILO’s Declaration of Philadelphia, “freedom of expression and of association are essential to sustained progress.” That was the approach of the ILO Governing Body during its consideration of a Commission of Inquiry on forced labour. The ILO Governing Body understood that a narrow focus on forced labour was not enough. They sought and received assurances from the Qatari Government on fundamental workers’ human rights. The November 2016 decision by the Governing Body, in closing the complaint, “recognized progress made by Qatar, and welcomed its commitment to ensuring fundamental principles and rights at work for all workers and the resulting breakthrough to end the kafala sponsorship system.” Fundamental rights were also an important part of the mandate of the ILO Technical Cooperation Office set up in Qatar. Continued progress and further improvements of labour rights is essential but, equally, it is imperative that the numerous structural and governmental obstacles are addressed if there is to be sustained change that leaves no worker behind.
Workers and their trade unions around the world are united in standing with migrant workers, consistently and coherently, in the firm conviction that no attempts to silence voices, through limited protections and precarious conditions, arrests, deportations, or attempts to purchase support will delay or weaken workers’ solidarity. Therefore, the undersigned Global Union Federations:
Ambet Yuson
General Secretary – Building and Wood Workers International (BWI)
David Edwards
General Secretary – Education International (EI)
Atle Høie
General Secretary – IndustriAll
Anthony Bellanger
General Secretary – International Federation of Journalists (IFJ)
Sue Longley
General Secretary – International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers’ Associations (IUF)
Rosa Pavanelli
General Secretary – Public Services International (PSI)
Benoît Machuel
General Secretary – International Arts and Entertainment Alliance (IAEA)
Christy Hoffman
General Secretary – UNI Global Union
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