Infantino: perceptible development regarding labour rights ahead of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar
"Qatar has demonstrated tangible positive change in addition to a sustainable legacy," the FIFA president said after the passing of a new labour law.
FIFA has praised the significant progress made by Qatar in the field of labor rights, following the proclamation of a new law enshrining the independence of foreign workers who no longer need to obtain permission from their employers to move from one job to another. The new legislation, Law 18.2020, has also set in place a non-discriminatory minimum wage for non-Qatari workers.
Meanwhile, the International Labour Organization, which plays a central role in Qatari reforms in this sphere, confirmed that the new legislation has effectively dismantled the sponsorship system (kafala), ushering in a new era in the Qatari internal employment sector.
Speaking about these reforms, FIFA president Gianni Infantino said: “We congratulate the state of Qatar for this significant advance. Since being awarded the status of host nation to organize the 2022 World Cup, Qatar has made a large-scale collective effort on the part of the national authorities and the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, the project management oversight organization for the 2022 World Cup, in conjunction with all of our partners in Qatar, and we are all grateful for Qatar achieving these developments in the area of labour rights.”
Infantino: Qatar has demonstrated tangible positive change
Infantino added: "By achieving this progress before the 2022 World Cup, Qatar has demonstrated tangible positive change in addition to a sustainable legacy, and while it is true that there are other fields where further evolutions are there to be achieved, we continue to work closely with our partners to promote our progressive labour development plan, which provides sustainable benefits for all workers in Qatar, regardless of whether or not they are directly involved in the preparations for the 2022 World Cup ”.
Qatar’s labour reforms, allowing workers to move without the prerequisite for permission from their current employer as well as the establishment of the non-discriminatory minimum wage - which is a historical advance - was praised by International Human Rights Organizations, workers' unions, Amnesty International, and the Center for Sports and Human Rights.