Qatar will become the first Arab and Middle Eastern country to host the FIFA World Cup in November 2022. The international sporting event is inspiring people of different cultures together. As the country tries to celebrate global diversity they plan to bring major changes in the labor reforms too. The best thing is that these changes in the reforms will go beyond the World Cup.
There are around two million migrant workers in Qatar. They belong to East Africa, South Asia, and South-East Asia. In the past, they were going through serious problems but things are getting better. Qatar can hold the real legacy of the FIFA World Cup with their efforts to improve the situation for their workers.
Allegations Made Against Qatar Without Any Concrete Proofs
Business & Human Rights Resource Centre is making allegations against Qatar without any concrete proof. It is their way to put down the efforts that this country is trying to make. The sponsors and companies who are in power will influence a lot of positivity.
Some allegations include claims that many workers have died of health and safety failure. However, this is not true as the new labor reforms have reduced the working hours for these workers. They don’t have to work in extreme heat and keep their health in a good condition.
Workers have the option to leave the job if they wish to. The migrant workers are happy to receive their payments on time. Contrary to the allegations there are no cases of modern slavery or racial discrimination too. It seems that the Western world is not happy with Qatar leading the FIFA World Cup 2022.
If this isn’t enough Qatar is making efforts to improve civil and political rights. Freedom of expression and women's rights are the first thing that Qatar is concentrating on. Some reports claim that Qatar is doing this out of pressure. However, it’s been a long time since the abolishing of Kafala system.
Qatar Introduces Various Labor Reforms To Protect The Rights of Workers
As of now, there are no abuses against migrant workers. Contrary to the claims made by the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre no evidence proves any abuse. The information that is coming from various media reports and NGOs holds no concrete evidence either.
With the new labor reforms, migrant workers can visit their country whenever they want. They don’t have to work in extreme heat and will get their wages on time. The changes in the labor reforms are an extension of human rights. It will impact the business and sports interests in a lot of ways.
The allegations made by various sources include that many workers have died due to ill health. However, this is not true and someone is exaggerating it to unexplainable lengths. Some of the organizations that are making these claims have political motives behind. The charge of eye-watering recruitment fee and non-payment of wages are lies that hold no value at all.
Qatari Minister of Labour Ali bin Samikh Al Marri said earlier that Qatar has achieved major changes to its labour systems. He added that Qatar is now fully compliant with ILO and FIFA requirements. He asserted that many local companies involved in any type of migrant workers violations are “punished” and are added to the backlist.
Ali bin Samikh Al Marri also said, “In fact, Qatar has been proactive in modernizing legislation and laws on employment, regulating the labour market and developing mechanisms to implement them to ensure the preservation of the rights of employers and workers alike, which has made Qatar achieve qualitative achievements in this field.”
