FIFA urge Qatar 2022 to speed up labour reform process at second Organising Committee meeting

Acting FIFA secretary general Markus Kattner has urged the Qatari Government to accelerate the labour reform process ©Getty Images

The welfare of migrants working on construction sites for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar was one of the key topics at the second meeting of the tournament’s Organising Committee, with acting FIFA secretary general Markus Kattner urging the Qatari Government to “accelerate the labour reform process”.

The issue has been one of the key concerns in the build-up to the competition, along with allegations of corruption surrounding the bid process, particularly after the publication of high death toll figures among migrant workers.

It has been claimed around 1,200 people working in the construction industry have died in Qatar since 2010.

The issue prompted human rights group Amnesty International to accuse Qatar 2022 and FIFA of doing too little to address "rampant migrant labour abuse" on the eve of the five year anniversary of the gulf nation being controversially awarded the hosting rights to the tournament.

World football’s governing body has also been criticised for supposedly turning a blind eye to "appalling" living and working conditions facing migrant workers in Qatar.

Workers are allegedly expected to live in squalid housing with limited toilet facilities and poor cooking amenities, and it is claimed they are often not paid their full amount and are forced to hand over their passports on arrival so they cannot leave the country.

Qatar has recently attempted to combat the problem by signing the first contracts on an accommodation project which will house up to 180,000 migrant workers.

They will stay in seven specially-built “cities”, which are being constructed in addition to the 700,000-capacity Labour City area on the outskirts of capital city Doha.

As well as the meeting of the Organising Committee, a FIFA delegation led by Kattner, currently serving as interim secretary general after Jérôme Valcke was placed on indefinite leave following accusations he was involved in a scheme to sell World Cup tickets above face value, was given a tour of the Qatar 2022 venues.

The Organising Committee for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar have held their second meeting ©FIFA

“We are encouraged by the Supreme Committee’s Workers’ Welfare Standards related to the FIFA World Cup stadia, which meet international norms for working conditions, accommodation and wages,” Kattner said.

“FIFA will continue working closely with the Supreme Committee to ensure that contractors comply with these standards throughout the entire construction cycle.

“We also strongly urge the Qatari Government to accelerate the labour reform process on a national level to ensure that such labour standards become legally required for all construction companies active in Qatar.”

Hassan Al Thawadi, chief executive of the Organising Committee, claimed the meeting was “testament to the progress we are making ahead of 2022” where they were able to highlight progress they have made despite the corruption cloud that hangs over the tournament, which also had to be moved to winter in order to avoid the searing Qatari temperatures in the summer.

“Since our first Board meeting in February we have strived to deliver on our promises to FIFA as we prepare for the first World Cup in the Middle East," he said.

“In seven years’ time we will be immersed in the excitement and passion of the tournament.

"However, it is the work we do today which ensures that experience is unlike anything the world of football has previously witnessed.

"FIFA are well aware of our commitment towards using the World Cup as a catalyst for social progress, but this was yet another opportunity to underline our commitment to workers’ welfare."