It has called for European parliament subcommittee on human rights to state that if Qatar does not change laws that deny workers their fundamental rights then FIFA should show the red card for 2022.
Workers building the venues for the 2022 World Cup must also be allowed proper representation said the union.
The subcommittee hearing on migrant workers in Qatar takes place in Brussels tomorrow (13 February). The GMB said that the Qatar welfare charter, made public yesterday, is totally inadequate and falls far short of what is required.
Qatar鈥檚 committee responsible for delivering the 聽2022 World Cup will present the welfare charter to FIFA today as a blueprint for the improvement of working conditions in Qatar. FIFA will the discuss the charter at the European hearing tomorrow. 聽Sharan Burrow, general secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation, who led a delegation to Qatar that included GMB, is also speaking at the hearing.
GMB is in contact with Balfour Beatty, Carillion, Laing O鈥橰ourke, Interserve, Kier Group, Vinci, Galliford Try (Qatar), ISG Middle East, Amey, Mace, Bouygues UK, BAM and Costain to seek their support for improving working conditions in Qatar.
Burrow said: 鈥淨atar鈥檚 new World Cup worker welfare standards do not deliver fundamental rights for workers聽 and merely reinforce the discredited kafala system of employer control over workers. Forced labour continues in Qatar today with no workers鈥� rights. No migrant worker can be protected by any safety standard unless they have the right to collectively speak out about wages and conditions at work.鈥�
The kafala visa sponsorship system ties workers to their employers, as they cannot leave the country or move to another employer without permission.
Not a single change has been made or recommended to the Qatars laws that deny workers their fundamental rights, according to the unions. A worker welfare officer appointed by the employer is no substitute for a duly nominated worker representative, they said, adding that the promise to provide freedom of movement for workers is a sham, as Qatar enforces segregation of workers on a racial basis.
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