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With 19 days to go before the FIFA World Cup in Qatar, non-payment of wages is the main complaint of migrant workers to the Qatari Ministry of Labour. According to two reports from the International Labor Organization (ILO), the number of reports has more than doubled in one year.
Qatar is regularly criticized for its human rights violations, especially those of migrant workers. In the past, international unions and NGOs have denounced the deplorable working conditions and the many deaths of migrant workers on World Cup sites. Added to this today is the non-payment of wages. Between October 2021 and October 2022, 34,425 complaints were filed online on a platform with an anonymous whistleblower channel, according to the ILO.
The UN agency has been in Qatar since 2018 and its mandate runs until 2023. According to its observations, the country has undertaken some reforms to comply with international labor standards, but much remains to be done. And especially, “ mechanisms for workers to file complaints and recover their wages need to be strengthened », believes the organization. “ And the rights of homeworkers must be better protected, including in terms of working time and rest », she adds.
Many NGOs are worried about the possible abandonment of the reforms once the football World Cup is over. But Doha says they are part of the diversification program of the emirate whose economy is mainly based on gas. The International Labor Organization trusts that once implemented, these reforms will prove to be sustainable.
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