Qatar: Occupational safety on World Cup construction sites to be improved
The working conditions of thousands of employees on the construction sites for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar are to be improved. The global union federation Building and Woodworkers International (BHI) has achieved that working conditions will be checked by inspectors in the future.
The BHI has agreed to cooperate with the Qatar Planning Board for joint labor inspections after about six months of negotiations. The inspectors will have access to the construction sites and workers' accommodation. This is intended to improve safety on construction sites in the future. This is reported by the Unia trade union, which is a member of the BHI.
Trade unions control with
BHI will train Qatari inspectors and assess compliance with mandatory standard working conditions at construction sites. This is to guarantee the health and safety of workers. "The agreement is an important step forward because the unions are now directly involved. This means we can stand up for workers' rights on the ground," says Rita Schiavi, who is responsible for the Qatar campaign at Unia.
International pressure has worked
The positive development is the result of increasing pressure on FIFA and the host countries to take the health and safety of workers seriously. Unia and BHI have repeatedly denounced the inhumane conditions on Qatari World Cup construction sites.
Source: Unia
