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y those workers—including payment of recruitment fees and retention of their passports—fell into that category. Although the company said that it felt the airport project “should be credited for its efforts to achieve positive labor conditions,” it did not address Human Rights Watch’s recommendation that it publicly pledge to adopt various measures to address workers’ rights, including arranging for independent monitoring of workers’ conditions on projects under their supervision and issuing public reports on the findings. Human Rights Watch contacted those companies and entities whose work is specifically addressed in this report, but the issues raised are relevant to a wide set of public and private actors. In light of our research documenting the prevalence of abusive conditions for workers in Qatar’s construction industry, Human Rights Watch strongly encourages all companies in that industry to publicly pledge to respect the rights of all workers associated with their projects and to undertake concrete measures to prevent, mitigate, and address abuses of worker rights. The specific measures we recommend include action by companies involved in construction in Qatar, including contractors and subcontractors involved in the construction of World Cup-related facilities, to abide by Qatari law and international labor standards. Specifically, they should agree to: take 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; and ensure that all workers receive and sign enforceable employment contracts in a language that they understand prior to their migration. They should also agree to ensure on-time payment in full of workers’ wages from the first month of their employment, to be paid into bank accounts on a no-less-than monthly basis; ensure adequate housing facilities for all workers in accordance with domestic and international standards; and provide guarantees that they will respect workers’ rights to freedom of association and collective bargaining and include provisions to this effect in workers’ employment contracts. Finally, they should arrange for independent monitoring of workers’ conditions on their projects or projects under their supervision, and issue public reports on workers’ conditions, including worker injuries and deaths, so as to effectively monitor conditions at World Cup-related sites and ensure that the games do not rest upon worker abuse and exploitation. 13 HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH | JUNE 2012
(above) Massive construction projects are underway at The Pearl, a man-made chain of islands standing on 985 acres of reclaimed land off the coast of northern Doha. The development will include five-star hotels, high-end shops and restaurants, luxury apartments, and residential villas. (right) Migrant construction workers pose for a picture outside of their work site at The Pearl. All photographs © 2011 Sam Tarling 14 Building a better world cup
Page 1 and 2: H U M A N R I G H T S W A T C H Bui
Page 3 and 4: Copyright © 2012 Human Rights Watc
Page 5 and 6: To Construction, Labor-Supply, and
Page 7 and 8: Based on interviews with 73 migrant
Page 9 and 10: employers to ensure potable water,
Page 11 and 12: whether they forfeit their rights i
Page 13 and 14: Necessary Steps Qatar’s Governmen
Page 15 and 16: secretary-general of FIFA, stated t
Page 17: ather than directly by the companie
Page 21 and 22: (above) A migrant construction work
Page 23 and 24: Hallway lights illuminate a worker
Page 25 and 26: 20 Building a better world cup
Page 27 and 28: This Bangladeshi migrant worker tol
Page 29 and 30: Migrant workers housed in Doha’s
Page 31 and 32: 26 Building a better world cup
Page 33 and 34: Methodology Human Rights Watch cond
Page 35 and 36: I. Background Qatar, a Gulf country
Page 37 and 38: Meanwhile, migrant workers’ labor
Page 39 and 40: labor is temporary. Once their job
Page 41 and 42: “mandatory contract language and
Page 43 and 44: of 2004 set a maximum prison term o
Page 45 and 46: However, the lack of official compl
Page 47 and 48: Even on its face, the Labor Law lac
Page 49 and 50: The Sponsorship Law requires reside
Page 51 and 52: Qatar has not ratified conventions
Page 53 and 54: if they occur. 90 Former UN Special
Page 55 and 56: usiness with subcontractors, suppli
Page 57 and 58: or who have learned of job opportun
Page 59 and 60: written agreements into real, effec
Page 61 and 62: offered himself voluntarily.” 114
Page 63 and 64: after their arrival), or penalizes
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Qatar for three years, and that his
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people [have to share] one bathroom
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of 191 Nepali workers from all caus
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matters that the foreigner has to r
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Aspire Zone The Aspire Zone is the
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[an] emergency exit [from the count
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While their response also states th
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Qatar’s labor ministry has taken
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Without available translators or in
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would terminate the employment rela
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Qatar’s Sponsorship Law states th
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etween January 2009 and September 2
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notarized undertakings in workers
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• Ensure that courts reviewing la
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• Finance a public awareness camp
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Acknowledgements This report was re
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Qatar from charging workers fees, b
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interviewed for this report said th
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Qatar, local employers and recruitm
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Request for Information Human Right
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Sponsorship-related problems: • A
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The administration has received no
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Regarding healthcare, it is well kn
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Qatari laws do not permit charging
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Qatar, which require the approval o
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4. Asks the employer or his represe
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Regarding training, Article 99 of t
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Regarding the second question, on t
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HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH 350 Fifth Avenue
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process of writing to relevant comp
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• arrange for independent monitor
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BUILDING A BETTER WORLD CUP 126
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World Cup. We have enclosed a summa
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deception and the disparity between
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CH2M HILL Response to Human Rights
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HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH 350 Fifth Avenue
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We would like to take this opportun
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Aspire Logistics Response to Human
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construction industry as a whole an
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• show that you have taken all po
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show all

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