Cameron must condemn modern slavery in Qatar, says the TUC

29 Oct 2014 01:26 PM

Ahead of David Cameron’s meeting with the Emir of Qatar, the TUC has yesterday (Tuesday) called on the Prime Minister to ensure that the government of Qatar is committed to ending slavery and abuse of migrant workers.

In an open letter to David Cameron, the TUC said:

“Conditions for foreign workers in Qatar, including those building the infrastructure needed for the 2022 World Cup, continue to be of grave concern. Figures confirmed by Qatar show that 964 workers from India and Nepal alone died between 2012 and 2013, a rate of 40 every month.”

The TUC wants to see the following action from the government of Qatar:

• end the kafala system (the sponsorship system which means that migrant workers are effectively owned by their employers and need their permit before leaving the country)
• allow workers in the country to join unions and be given a collective voice through freedom of association
• employ ethical recruitment companies and pay World Cup workers decent rates of pay

The TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady said:

“Silence from David Cameron will be taken as support for what is effectively slavery in Qatar. Britain must be part of the international campaign to ensure that Qatar improves living and working conditions for migrant workers.

“The World Cup should a symbol of global friendship, not smeared with the blood of those who build its stadiums.”

NOTES TO EDITORS:

- All TUC press releases can be found at www.tuc.org.uk
- Follow the TUC on Twitter: @tucnews
- The letter (available to download below) is part of the TUC’s Playfair Qatar campaign to raise awareness of worker rights and exploitation of migrant workers building infrastructure for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. The TUC have launched a public campaign website, encouraging fans to get involved, at http://playfairqatar.org.uk.

Contacts:

Media enquiries:

Clare Santry   T: 020 7467 1372    M: 07717 531150   E: csantry@tuc.org.uk
Tim Nichols   T: 020 7467 1337   M: 07876 452902  E: tnichols@tuc.org.uk

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Download the TUC's letter to David Cameron

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