Qatar to step up labour inspections during World Cup: Union

DOHA: Qatar will intensify labour inspections during the football World Cup including extra health and safety checks to protect workers in the Gulf Arab state from exploitation, the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) said on Wednesday (Oct 5).

Rights groups and labour unions have warned that hospitality, transport and security workers are especially vulnerable during the month-long tournament, the first held in a Middle Eastern nation.

"During the World Cup, the Ministry of Labour will implement a dedicated labour inspection campaign, which includes increased health and safety checks," the ITUC said in a statement.

"A directive on working time to protect workers from unscrupulous employers will also be issued," it said following a meeting in Doha on Tuesday with labour ministry officials, union representatives and the International Labour Organization.

Qatar's labour ministry did not respond to a request for comment.

Doha has come under scrutiny and criticism from human rights groups over its treatment of migrant workers in the run-up to the World Cup next month.

It has introduced reforms that include protections against non-payment of wages, a monthly minimum wage of 1,000 riyals (US$275) and allowing workers to change employers more easily.

Qatar's labour law restricts workers to a maximum of 60 hours per week, including overtime which must be paid at a 25 per cent bonus beyond regular salary. Workers are entitled to one day off per week.

Still, pressure on companies to deliver during the tournament, when 1.2 million people are due to visit Qatar, can intensify opportunities for exploitation, said Ruwan Subasinghe, Legal Director of International Transport Workers Federation.

"That there's going to be a targeted