Qatar working 'slaves' to death for World Cup infrastructure project

IvySlayer

Sure didn't Blatter say that footballers are modern day slaves :rolleyes:

Neil3030

It'd be class if some players declared that they were boycotting the tournament. They'd need to be no older than 22 or 23 now though, seeing as it's not for another 9 years.

Think how much FIFA would squirm if a Messi or a C Ronaldo didn't line their pockets with advertising revenues? Though these lads may not be around.

Dempsey

I dont think this revelation will end with Qatar losing the WC in 2022. Human Right/Labour abuses have been going on in that country before the WC, they werent going to stop just because of the WC. Most of the large infrastructure projects were going to happen without a successful WC bid. These abuses probably would have happened and very little media attention by the worldwide football community. What the WC does bring is the spotlight on their failings as a country and maybe improve the conditions for many of the vulnerable in their society in the long term but I wont hold my breath!

Valmont

And add to that the fact that they want have the competition in fecking December and you have to say FIFA are setting themselves up for a major boycott.

Duck Soup

The amazing thing is that anyone's amazed that this is going on. Across various countries in the Middle East, there have been countless stories of immigrant workers having their passports taken from them, working in horrendous conditions and living in worse.

Typically, this is the kind of treatment meted out to immigrant workforces to get new hotels built quickly and cheaply. If some people die in the process, the attitude seems to be "well so be it". It's almost seen as part of the price of doing business.

That they'd do this to get hotels built that are scarcely needed would suggest that it would be an almost foregone conclusion that they'd ramp up the practices and put them on steroids to get such a high profile event in on time and budget.

Pretty much anyone in FIFA with half a clue would have known all this was going on, so why give the tournament to Qatar?

wp_rathead

Duck Soup wrote: »

Pretty much anyone in FIFA with half a clue would have known all this was going on, so why give the tournament to Qatar?

Three reasons:
£££
$$$
€€€

Dempsey

Duck Soup wrote: »

That they'd do this to get hotels built that are scarcely needed would suggest that it would be an almost foregone conclusion that they'd ramp up the practices and put them on steroids to get such a high profile event in on time and budget.

Qatar will a much different place in 10 years time much in the same vein as Dubai. Infrastructure being built now will have a purpose in 10 years.

alchemist33

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

Barca fans don't care. They stick their fingers in the ears and go 'la la la other clubs have done X and Y la la la'.

I bet football fans in general won't care either. If this is still a runner when the qualifying process begins what needs to happen is fans all over the world boycotting WC2022 matches. And refusing to travel to the tournament proper. Will that happen? Will it ****.

Well, I won't go. Not necessarily because of the human rights abuses (although that's a big factor) but it's one of the last places I'd want to spend 2-3 weeks, especially for a once-in-a-lifetime trip. And I especially wouldn't want to being family.

thebaz

GavRedKing wrote: »

Wasnt Platini seen out and about with the Qatari group few months prior to the bid been made or am I thinking of something to do with PSG.

surely not Holyier than though Platini ?

thought he was Mr. Clean cut Soccer , the only one left :rolleyes:

Lennonist

Further detailed investigations should be carried out on this. If the powers that be in Qatar are exposed on failing to reform and implement acceptable work practice standards, pressure should be put on them to clean up their act or the awarding of the tournament should be withdrawn. If FIFA/UEFA fail to act and put the pressure on them, then national associations should then be pressurised into boycotting the tournament. A real opportunity to make a difference to people's lives has presented itself in this case here.

Fr Tod Umptious

Neil3030 wrote: »

It'd be class if some players declared that they were boycotting the tournament. They'd need to be no older than 22 or 23 now though, seeing as it's not for another 9 years.

Think how much FIFA would squirm if a Messi or a C Ronaldo didn't line their pockets with advertising revenues? Though these lads may not be around.

Unfortunately that is unlikely to happen

20 something year old males are not the most politically aware as it is and professional sports people even less

Top level professional soccer players live in a bubble and human rights abuses in a far flung gulf state are way off their radar

A boycott by a major association would be far more likely, and far more effective, but still a long shot.
I'd image if a high profile FA decided to boycott the tournament, starting at the qualifying stage, they would be severely dealt with by FIFA, and lambasted by the media and fans alike for 'denying their players the chance to play on the biggest world stage, and denying the fans that chance to see their team play and possibly travel to a WC'

roanoke

wprathead wrote: »

Three reasons:
£££
$$$
€€€

¥€$ indeed.

Bounty Hunter

Say this story being talked about on the German version of Sky Sports news today. There are more stories to be found like this with regards Qatar so I hope the guardian etc keep the pressure up by highlighting them further.

Cienciano

FIFA couldn't give a rats ass. As long as the stadiums are finished.
Remember someone asked Sepp Blatter how he felt about a country where homosexuality is illegal holding the world cup. He laughed and said "well, don't practice homosexuality over there".
But when Brazil mention they have a law about no alcohol is allowed to be sold inside football stadiums, FIFA sit up and tell them unless that changes, the world cup will be moved somewhere else.
The world cup will carry on in this disgrace of a country, this won't change a thing.

SantryRed

Cienciano wrote: »

FIFA couldn't give a rats ass. As long as the stadiums are finished.
Remember someone asked Sepp Blatter how he felt about a country where homosexuality is illegal holding the world cup. He laughed and said "well, don't practice homosexuality over there".
But when Brazil mention they have a law about no alcohol is allowed to be sold inside football stadiums, FIFA sit up and tell them unless that changes, the world cup will be moved somewhere else.
The world cup will carry on in this disgrace of a country, this won't change a thing.

Alcohol wasn't sold in the stadium at the Euro 2012 so I don't know why FIFA would have a completely different standpoint on that?

Mitch Connor

SantryRed wrote: »

Alcohol wasn't sold in the stadium at the Euro 2012 so I don't know why FIFA would have a completely different standpoint on that?

Uefa run the euros.

SantryRed

Mitch Connor wrote: »

Uefa run the euros.

I know, but they tend to have the same viewpoint on most things?

Big Pussy Bonpensiero

Seaneh wrote: »

Lets see how the Barca PR machine spins this. By wearing that logo in their shirts they are condoning this sort of crap from the Qatari "government" (aka royalty).

"more than a club" my hoop.

Bit rich coming from a Milan fan no?

Rayne Wooney

Seaneh wrote: »

Lets see how the Barca PR machine spins this. By wearing that logo in their shirts they are condoning this sort of crap from the Qatari "government" (aka royalty).

"more than a club" my hoop.

There's also another logo on their shirts, aren't Nike also reportedly into the slave labour stuff?

Lumbo

Rayne Wooney wrote: »

There's also another logo on their shirts, aren't Nike also reportedly into the slave labour stuff?

Bit rich coming from a United fan no?

Rayne Wooney

Lumbo wrote: »

Bit rich coming from a United fan no?

That's my point though, is one slave labour organisation badder than another?

Football is rife with slave labour through the merchandise it generates

Oat23

THFC wrote: »

Bit rich coming from a Milan fan no?

Lumbo wrote: »

Bit rich coming from a United fan no?

This could go on for a while! I doubt there's a professional football team anywhere who has every piece of merchandise made by folks earning a decent salary with benefits.

A friend who used to live in Thailand told me that although the people working in these factories don't earn much officially, they make a sizeable amount by making extra jerseys with left over material and selling them on the black market. I like to think that is where the fakes I buy are coming from.

Support the people everyone! Buy fake jerseys!

Seaneh

THFC wrote: »

Bit rich coming from a Milan fan no?

Don't see how. Milan don't sell themselves as some bastion of moral authority that represents resistance to oppression. Barca's entire pr machine is built off being the club that cares about equality. Their little UNICEF stunt etc.

Milan, Chelsea, City, PSG, etc, don't claim to be anything other than football clubs.

Big Pussy Bonpensiero

Seaneh wrote: »

Don't see how. Milan don't sell themselves as some bastion of moral authority that represents resistance to oppression. Barca's entire pr machine is built off being the club that cares about equality. Their little UNICEF stunt etc.

Milan, Chelsea, City, PSG, etc, don't claim to be anything other than football clubs.

It's nothing more than marketing tbh, and I find your hatred of Barca quite amusing. Even in a thread talking about slave labour you're the man to find a way to relate it back to Barcelona after a few posts.

FWIW Barca did hold a hugely significant relevance to the people of Catalunya during the civil war, and indeed, even one of their presidents was murdered during that time.

Pro. F

Mitch Connor wrote: »

People will continue to ignore it.

People currently banging on about it cause of the WC. Any real comments over their links with barca, Malaga or PSG? Anyone giving out about the city owners and their equally disposable human rights records? Nope.

Some PR spin and some notable football results and people will move on. As long as they are able to watch their footie.

Actually, yep. We have commented on Qatar's links to Barca, in a pretty lengthy thread, here.

This particular person won't be moving on no matter what the PR spin and notable football results. Will you?

There are a lot of posters who rush to tell us how quickly these issues will all be forgotten about by the zombies in the general population of football watchers, and yet these posters have very little to say about what they themselves think of the situation. Why bother? We all know that most people don't think very much and care even less. That's no reason to stop discussing the issues here.

mikeym

FIFA are classed as a charity so they dont pay tax and they awarded the world cup to Qatar who hire agencies to recruit vunerable migrant workers from Nepal.

These workers are treated like slaves.


Does FIFA know the definition of slavery?

http://in.news.yahoo.com/indian-workers-among-those-slave-driven-2022-qatar-065440183.html

bonescap

German filmmaker imprisoned for exposing dire Qatar World Cup worker conditions.

http://rt.com/news/qatar-german-cup-workers-265/