In Qatar, more than a million workers work in the construction sector. They come mainly from Bangladesh, Nepal, India. Have their working conditions, pointed out by several NGOs, improved since the awarding of the World Cup to the country?
Last week, we featured Qatar in This article and the stadiums in which the Red Devils were going to play. This Sunday, place for workers, at the center of media attention. A lot of different information and figures are circulating, we conducted the investigation on the spot.
We are at nightfall and work will soon begin for some workers we meet. The team considers itself lucky: it won’t have to work under a scorching sun. Saud Widia is 22 years old. He arrived in Doha 7 months ago. “I work on the Corniche, by the sea”. It’s not too difficult? “No, the work is not hard, it’s easy. We work at night, so it’s not hot.”
Anil Iado acknowledges that the climatic conditions are extreme. But this Indian worker needs this job. Anil sends the money earned to his wife and three children. “My family and my children are in India, we had problems. Yes, this climate is hot, but it does not bother me. I am alone here, but my family is very happy”.
Anile (©RTLINFO)
Salary: 260€ / month
Since 2020, Qatar has implemented a mandatory minimum wage. It amounts to 1000 rials per month, that is to say regarding 260€. This is little compared to the cost of living in the capital made up of skyscrapers. But that’s 3X what a worker can expect to earn in India. Of course, he misses his family. “In my contract, the company asks me to work for two years… Then I can go back to India.”
In Qatar, there are 250,000 Qatari citizens, but 2,000,000 expatriates. There are therefore many more foreigners than locals in the peninsula, including 650,000 Indian nationals and 500,000 Nepalese. And it is these thousands of foreign workers who build the towers, the infrastructure. They therefore work outdoors, with very high temperatures for a good part of the year.
How do they work?
Direction the construction sites, for many, the return to the country is not planned for several years. Our dashboard shows 47 degrees at midday. Not everyone has the opportunity to work at night.
On this same Corniche, the next day, we meet workers in full sun. Scarf or balaclava covering the face as much as possible, and water, of course. But often no place in the shade to recover. These workers take their break on a pile of bricks.
Since the World Cup was awarded to Qatar in December 2010, NGOs and international media have denounced forced labour, unpaid wages and numerous heat-related deaths!
What does the organizing committee say?
We decide to confront the World Cup Organizing Committee with these accusations…
It is Fatma Al Nuaimi who receives us. “These accusations are false. All companies that work for the Mondial must respect our standards concerning the rights of workers. Everyone is involved. In case of violation of the rules, these companies receive a warning, then they lose the contract if nothing is arranged“.
What regarding the number of deaths on these World Cup sites? “Unfortunately, we count 3 dead. 1 death is already too many“It’s very difficult working conditions outside.”Yes, but we have innovative solutions, such as the cooling jacket or the cooling uniform. They allow workers to regulate their body temperature despite the heat. Here is the equipment described by our interlocutor. With these pockets and cuffs to place in the water“.
Fatma al Nuaimi also tells us regarding all the laws that have changed in favor of workers, in particular the end of authorizations to leave the territory or to change jobs.
What does a Besix manager say on site?
We meet with the human resources director of Besix in the Middle East, to check whether this applies in the field. The Belgian company took care of two stadiums. “On the construction sites we take care of, there we have hard installations with air conditioning. Real places to rest away from the heat“, told us Vincent Gondouin, Besix human resources director in the Middle East. Besix also talks to us regarding “three fatal workplace accidents“just on his two construction sites.”Our construction industry remains a physical trade, with dangers, especially on such sites.“.
A novelty in this country where unions are prohibited: appointed staff representatives. Ray, 32, is the chief technician in charge of air conditioning. He talks to us in front of his boss. “The only issues my colleagues have brought up are related to the food…sometimes it’s not salty enough, or the masala isn’t good. But that’s all ! I came for the money. You know, without money, we can’t do anything“.
Amnesty International: “The exact number of deaths due to working conditions is unknown”
In a few years, the situation of the workers seems to have improved. To verify this, we decide to call Amnesty International. Their members regularly travel back and forth between London and Doha. The NGO does not have an office in Qatar. May Romanos, spokesperson for Amnesty International in the Gulf, said she feared physical and telephone surveillance by the authorities. “Not for us, but for the workers“that we might meet.
Regarding the number of deaths indicated by certain media, May Romanos affirms that one must be careful. “Everyone is on fire with these numbers, all the media. The problem is that the exact number of deaths due to working conditions is unknown. The reason ? There is no investigation on this subject. So we can’t say the exact number“.
Amnesty International especially fears that the fate of workers will no longer be at the heart of media attention following the 2022 World Cup.
South Asian workers live away from the capital. In the industrial zone or in specifically built worker housing estates. At nightfall, these workers have finished their work and return to their camp, far from downtown Doha.
