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• show that you have taken all possible steps to ensure no workers have paid fees
associated with their recruitment and commit to reimbursing workers who have paid
any such fees in contravention of local law, including if the fees were paid to labor
agencies or other intermediaries;
• strictly prohibit the retention of workers’ passports or other identity documents,
including by subcontractors or intermediaries, and ensure that safe storage facilities
where they can access such documents are made available;
• ensure that all workers receive and sign enforceable employment contracts in a
language that they understand prior to their migration; ensure on-time payment in
full of workers’ wages from the first month of their employment, paid into bank
accounts on a no less than monthly basis;
• and, in view of the requirement under Qatari law that employers provide worker
housing, ensure adequate housing facilities for all workers in accordance with
domestic and international standards. We would be very grateful to know if your
company would be willing to make such a pledge.
We would welcome a reply at your earliest convenience, and your willingness to make the
pledges outlined above, in order to reflect Bechtel’s position on these important issues in
our work on the 2022 Qatar World Cup and the current problems faced by migrant
construction workers in Qatar. In order to reflect your position in our upcoming report, we
would ask for a written response by May 29, 2012. Thank you in advance for your attention to
this matter.
Sincerely,
Sarah Leah Whitson, Executive Director
Middle East and North Africa Division
Human Rights Watch
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