After a busy world cup month, life is fast getting back into a normal mode with regular controversies and debates and when it comes to debates, how can anyone forget discussing about the Qatar – the host of 2022 world cup. It has been more than one year this upcoming host has been in the news either for its hot climate conditions, or for repeated attempts to shift the scheduled world cup timing to winter, and most recent controversy is its Kafala system wherein migrated workers are treated like slaves according to various news agencies. Last week, UK’s Guardian newspaper issued a story that again burned the issue whereon they said that most of the migrated workers being employed on the construction sites are not paid for more than one year and even those who are paid, got much lesser amount to what is actually stipulated in the contract agreement. It asks the governing body to intervene over the matter and pressurize the contractors and organizers to follow all the conditions specified in their agreements.
This is not the first time these allegations are being put in front of the world media, there had been countless debates over the issue and how it can be solved, but situation is as it was one year back. The report’s latest exposes are significant since they came into the notice just few days after FIFA President Sepp Blatter met the Emir of Qatar partly to discuss all the burning issues about the first ever world cup in an Arab State.
Qatar organizers also explained their side in an immediate statement where they explained what has been done to eradicate these things out of the world cup preparations. It said, “Since we first bid to host the FIFA World Cup we have worked tirelessly to ensure and improve the welfare of workers on 2022 FIFA World Cup projects and to be a catalyst for sustainable social progress.
“There are challenges with calculation of overtime pay and hours and we are working with the contractor to rectify any noncompliance. We take accusations of passport confiscations very seriously. Any involuntary confiscation of a passport … is expressly forbidden and will be investigated.”
It further condemned the reports that workers of Lee Trading and Construction are being paid much lesser than what is mentioned in their work contracts, and said, “We were heavily dismayed to learn of the behaviour of Lee Trading with regard to the timely payment to its workers. We strongly disapprove of the behaviour of Lee Trading and its treatment of workers and will continue to press for a speedy and fair conclusion of all cases.”