The Irish Congress of Trade Unions has called on the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) to ensure respect for the rights of workers in Qatar is guaranteed by football's governing body, FIFA, in the run up to the Qatar 2022 Word Cup.
Following revelations on the abuse of workers engaged in building the stadiums and infrastructure for Qatar 2022 World Cup, Congress General Secretary David Begg has written to FAI head John Delaney, requesting the FAI raise these concerns at the next meeting of the FIFA Executive Committee, on October 3-4.
Mr Begg has specifically asked the FAI, as a member of FIFA, to:
"Revisit the bid conditions of the Qatar 2022 World Cup to ensure respect for human rights of migrant workers in Qatar in line with the International Labour Organisation's Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work."
The FIFA Executive Meeting is scheduled to discuss the impact of Qatar's extreme summer temperatures on players participating in the 2022 World Cup.
In the letter, Mr Begg said: "We would like to remind FIFA that the 1.2 million migrant workers in Qatar are forced to work in these conditions....extreme temperatures and lack of protection ... cause an average of at least one death in the construction sector every day.
"A record number of (migrant) Nepalese workers – 32 - died in the searing heat of July this year....many were young men in their twenties.
"People should not have to pay with their lives for the World Cup to be a sporting and commercial success....Despite more than two years of dialogue with and entreaty to the Qatar authorities, no substantive steps have been taken by them to guarantee the fundamental rights enshrined in international law," he continued.
"FIFA needs to send a very strong and clear message to Qatar that it will not allow the World Cup to be delivered on the back of the system of modern slavery that is the reality for hundreds of thousands of migrant workers there today. We hope that the recent changes at the top levels of Qatar's government will enable progress to be made, but to date there has been no indication of this," Mr Begg said.
Congress also requested the FAI raise the case of French/Moroccan footballer Mr Zahir Belounis, who has been trapped in Qatar for two years, because his club has refused to sign his exit visa until he drops a claim for payment of 23 months of wage arrears.
