Several human rights organizations on Tuesday called on the sponsors of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar to compensate workers who worked on World Cup sites, citing abuses and difficult working conditions.
To discover
Relive the 2022 World Cup draw
The complete 2022 World Cup match schedule
NGOs regularly criticize the working conditions of workers mobilized for years on the various construction sites of the competition planned in this rich gas emirate in the Gulf from November 20.
Ten of the 14 corporate partners of Fifa (world football's governing body), have not made a public promise of compensation, nor responded to requests for discussion on
"tournament-related abuse"
, deplore Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and FairSquare in a joint statement.
“With just two months to go, sponsors should use their considerable influence to pressure FIFA and Qatar to meet their human rights responsibilities to these workers
,” urges Minky Worden, Director of Global Initiatives at Human Rights Watch.
Only four partner companies of the World Cup, Adidas, Coca-Cola, McDonald's and AB InBev, have committed to financial compensation, specify the three NGOs.
Read alsoStadium, air conditioning, alcohol and cigarettes ... How Qatar passed a first life-size test 72 days before the World Cup
Visa, Hyundai-Kia, Qatar Energy, Qatar Airways, Vivo, Hisense, Mengniu, Wanda Group, Crypto and Byju's are the partners and sponsors who did not respond to NGO requests, the latter claim.
Qatar is accused of minimizing the number of work-related deaths and accidents.
NGOs, which welcome certain social reforms, also criticize shortcomings in the protection of workers, as well as a recurring problem of unpaid wages.
The government of Qatar welcomes its own reforms, including the introduction of a minimum wage, the relaxation of workers' dependence on their employers and the imposition of stricter protective rules during very hot summers.
Like Qatar, the wealthy Gulf Arab states rely heavily on cheap labor from Asia, Africa and the Middle East.
According to a recent YouGov poll, commissioned by Amnesty International, 73% of the 17,000 respondents are
"totally in favor"
or
"somewhat in favor"
of Fifa compensating migrant workers for violations of their rights.