Progress in Qatar could spark change across the Middle East
QATAR has made “tremendous progress” in reforming workers’ rights ahead of the World Cup and should be praised, not criticised, for its efforts, watchdogs say.
Radical changes to employment laws have been raced through in half the anticipated time thanks to the World Cup spotlight, with the scale and timeframe of reform described as “unprecedented”.
While the regime has attracted much criticism, the “trailblazing” state should “be praised and supported for its efforts”, said one visiting observer.
They added: “If it is attacked for being transparent and trying to do the right thing, there is a danger others will not follow its example.”
The infrastructure is already well on its way as the country seeks to make good its “DELIVER AMAZING” slogan for 2022.
Extraordinary stadiums have been built for the ultimate football competition, there are pristine streets and air coolers on pavements – and a growing forest of skyscrapers in the capital Doha.
But all of these status symbols are not the greatest legacy for the first Middle Eastern nation to host this huge event.
The most astonishing achievement is the transformation in employment rights in a few years, which has seen a society with a labour system akin to serfdom taking huge strides towards western democratic values.
A fortnight ago, Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani appointed a new Minister of Labour, ali bin Samikh Al Marri. He was moved from his role as head of the National Human Rights Council where he was the leading campaigner demanding reform.
“They said you have been talking about it so much you better come and actually do it,” he told the Sunday Express and a UK delegation led by the independent sports think-tank Fifa Ethics and Regulation Watch (FERW).
“Let me be frank with you. We have made big changes but there is still a lot more to do,” he admitted.
“When I was appointed, the head of the Qatari chamber of commerce said I was his worst nightmare. But I told him I wanted to work with him. There will be many more reforms.”
The decision by Fifa to award Qatar the 2022 World Cup in 2010 was hugely controversial and brought the Gulf state under intense international scrutiny.
The allegation was that the rapidly constructed stadiums, skyscrapers and infrastructure was coming at a terrible human cost, through the kafala labour system used in most Arab states.
This prevents workers from leaving the country without the permission of employees or being allowed to swap jobs. This is a major issue in a country that has a population of 300,000 but a migrant workforce of more than two million, mostly made up of men from countries such as India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Nepal.
There have been recent allegations in parts of the British media – fiercely denied in Qatar – that 6,500 workers have died in a decade from work-related causes.
But Qatar believes it has a far more positive story to tell.
After a few years of difficult negotiations, the United Nations’ International Labour Organisation was allowed to open an office in Doha in 2018 and help the country begin a rapid process of reform.
In the past three years the worst elements of kafala have ended, with workers free to leave the country or change jobs.
Rigorous safety standards have been enforced and the government has started blacklisting companies that break the rules.
In addition, a minimum wage of
‘Let me be frank with you. We have made big changes but there is still a lot more to do...’
ALI BIN SAMIKH AL MARRI
around £230 a month – on top of free accommodation, healthcare, food and entertainment – has been brought in.
Al Marri pointed out that the process of change began in 2008, with a programme aimed to conclude in 2030. He acknowledged that the awarding of the World Cup was a major incentive to accelerate and deliver those plans.
He said: “What might have taken more than 10 years has taken less than five years.”
It is a picture that the International Labour Organisation largely endorses. Max Tunon, head of project for the ILO in Qatar, said: “For the most part, we have seen tremendous progress in the past three and a half years.
“While the trajectory is very positive, there is certainly still work to be done.
“The World Cup has certainly put the spotlight on Qatar and accelerated these reforms. Adopting such an ambitious and comprehensive agenda in just a few years may be unprecedented.”
But he warned that there were still many problems, particularly with retaliation by employers against workers who change jobs.
The ILO has set two immediate priorities of ending the last vestiges of kafala and tackling the problem of unpaid wages – issues the ministry agree need resolving.
Qatar already has physical signs of progress, not least the migrant cities set up to house the workers from abroad.
The delegation was taken to Asia City, which covers one million square metres and houses 70,000 people. Each block holds washing facilities, cinemas, gyms and cafeterias. All the costs are met by employers.
Tunisian Maiin Jarboui, the group projects manager, said: “The biggest complaint is food. It is hard to cater for everyone’s different tastes. they all want food like they have at home.”
The promise to improve work conditions and rights was part of the Qatar bid in 2010 and is one of the four legacy priorities set by the organisers in Qatar. South African Stephan Van Dyk, the senior health and safety manager for the Supreme Committee of Delivery & Legacy for the competition, said that throughout the building process, which began in 2014, they have insisted on higher standards than those in Qatari law.
And he queried the claims of 6,500 work-related deaths linked to the World Cup, a figure many in Qatar suspect has been manufactured by regional rivals.
Mr Van Dyk said just three people had died as a result of accidents working on World Cup projects. In a report next week the ILO is expected to estimate 50 work-related deaths nationwide in 2020.
Robert Oulds, who wrote a report for FERW based on independent research that found 60 per cent of workers believe conditions have improved, said his findings had been supported by what the delegation had seen. “Qatar is a model other countries should be made to follow. Sport can change the world,” he insisted.
The changes have led other regional rivals to begin to follow suit, with Saudi Arabia also beginning to dismantle kafala.
Former Conservative MP Stewart Jackson, who was also an independent observer, added: “There is clearly still much to do in Qatar but the progress is remarkable and it should be praised and supported for its efforts.
“Qatar is a trailblazer for this region and if it is attacked for being transparent and trying to do the right thing there is a danger others won’t follow its example.”