Thursday 17 November 2011
Unions tell FIFA of international campaign to stop football world cup in Qatar
The International Trade Union Confederation , Building Workers International and the Swiss Union
UNIA will today deliver a letter to FIFA President Sepp Blatter, at FIFA headquarters, warning of an
international union campaign to stop the 2022 world cup in Qatar, unless the football governing
body imposes conditions on the Qatar hosts to uphold workers’ rights.
Sharan Burrow, General Secretary ITUC said unions are continuing to receive reports of unsafe
working conditions and abuse of workers’ rights in Qatar as the country sets out to build nine
stadiums in ten years, using mostly migrant labour.
“FIFA has the power to make labour rights a requirement of the Qatari authorities who are hosting a
world cup, ” said Sharan Burrow, General Secretary ITUC
The meeting with unions at the FIFA headquarters in Zurich was agreed to after ‘inhuman’
conditions were exposed in a trade union report on migrant workers in Qatar and UAE earlier this
year.
It comes as pressure mounts within FIFA for a review of the controversial decision to award the
event to Qatar.
The international campaign ‘No World Cup in Qatar without labour rights’ would mobilise workers
and football fans to target each of FIFA’s 207 football associations and the international body to stop
the World Cup in Qatar if labour rights are not respected.
With 308 national trade union centres, in 153 countries the international trade union movement has
the members, the power and the mandate to take action to stop the Qatar World Cup.
“Support from countries with decent labour rights, will be used to pressure the Qatari authorities
and FIFA to protect workers rights or re-open the selection process for another country to have the
right to host the World Cup,” said Ambet Yuson, General Secretary, BWI
Qatar beat the USA, Australia, South Korea and Japan to win the bid to host 2012 football World
Cup.
“FIFA has already bowed to international pressure to introduce labour rights guarantees for all
footballs bearing its logo. The people who build the World Cup football stadiums should be given the
same protections.” said Vasco Pedrina, UNIA and Vice President Europe BWI
Media Opportunity:
Where: The entrance to FIFA Headquarters, Zurich Switzerland
When: 10:30 am Thursday 17 November 2011
What: The international union movement, including Swiss workers, are delivering a message from
migrant workers in Qatar to FIFA President Sepp Blatter at FIFA Headquarters in Zurich.
Spokespersons: Sharan Burrow, General Secretary, International Trade Union Confederation ,Ambet
Yuson, General Secretary, BWI, Vasco Pedrina, UNIA and Vice President Europe BWI
ENDS
Genevieve Kalina BWI + 41
Mathiue Debroux ITUC Press Officer (English, French, Spanish) + 32 476 62 10 18