Soccer/Football

oldironside

(1,248 posts) Sat Jan 25, 2014, 02:10 AM Jan 2014

Qatar World Cup: 185 Nepalese died in 2013 – official records

The extent of the risks faced by migrant construction workers building the infrastructure for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar has been laid bare by official documents revealing that 185 Nepalese men died last year alone.

The 2013 death toll, which is expected to rise as new cases come to light, is likely to spark fresh concern over the treatment of migrant workers in Qatar and increase the pressure on Fifa to force meaningful change. According to the documents the total number of verified deaths among workers from Nepal – just one of several countries that supply hundreds of thousands of migrant workers to the gas-rich state – is now at least 382 in two years alone. At least 36 of those deaths were registered in the weeks following the global outcry after the Guardian's original revelations in September.

The revelations forced Fifa's president, Sepp Blatter, to promise that football would not turn a blind eye to the issue following a stormy executive committee meeting. Qatar's ministry of labour hired law firm DLA Piper to conduct an urgent review and Hassan al-Thawadi, chief executive of the World Cup organising committee, said the findings would be treated with the utmost seriousness, vowing that the tournament would not be built "on the blood of innocents". The DLA Piper report is expected to be published in the coming weeks.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jan/24/qatar-2022-world-cup-185-nepalese-workers-died-2013

Much as I love the beautiful game, the World Cup is not worth the bones of a single Nepalese migrant worker. Mr Blatter? You've got blood on your hands.

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Qatar World Cup: 185 Nepalese died in 2013 – official records (Original Post) oldironside Jan 2014 OP

Blatter and every corrupt, bribe-taking member of FIFA's board. Codeine Jan 2014 #1

I agree wholeheartedly... truebrit71 Feb 2014 #4

I think we're up to 500 now... Ron Obvious Feb 2014 #2

It really can't go on like this. oldironside Feb 2014 #3

in my opinion rehabanderson Feb 2014 #5

welcome to DU gopiscrap Feb 2014 #6

Message auto-removed Name removed Feb 2014 #7

And more reasons to strip them of the world's greatest sporting tournament. oldironside Feb 2014 #8

Codeine

(25,586 posts)

1. Blatter and every corrupt, bribe-taking member of FIFA's board.

Reply to oldironside (Original post)

Sat Jan 25, 2014, 10:05 AM

Jan 2014

Putting the WC in Qatar was the most blatantly perfidious sporting decision I've ever seen.

truebrit71

(20,805 posts)

4. I agree wholeheartedly...

Reply to Codeine (Reply #1)

Wed Feb 19, 2014, 02:57 PM

Feb 2014

...there was no reason for the WC to be awarded except for shiploads of $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Ron Obvious

(6,261 posts)

2. I think we're up to 500 now...

Reply to oldironside (Original post)

Tue Feb 18, 2014, 08:15 PM

Feb 2014

400 in yesterday's Guardian, 500 this morning.

No words.

oldironside

(1,248 posts)

3. It really can't go on like this.

Reply to Ron Obvious (Reply #2)

Wed Feb 19, 2014, 10:47 AM

Feb 2014

There was a story in Der Welt am Sonntag last weekend that an unnamed FIFA official had said they were seriously considering taking the World Cup away from Qatar.

http://www.welt.de/sport/fussball/article124882782/Katar-die-WM-wegzunehmen-ist-ernsthafte-Option.html

I haven't seen it reported anywhere else, and it would open some serious cans of worms. For example, I can see the Qataris saying something along the lines of: "We paid some world class bribes for this, and we want them back." That would seriously break Sepp Blatter's heart.

On the other hand, there are at least four European nations that could take it over at a moment's (much less eight years) notice: Germany, England, Italy, and France already have the stadia in place.

It wouldn't solve the long term problem of migrant workers being treated like slaves, but it would deny them the fig leaf of respectablity they so desperately crave, along with the West's tacit approval.

rehabanderson

(25 posts)

5. in my opinion

Reply to oldironside (Original post)

Mon Feb 24, 2014, 12:00 PM

Feb 2014

qatar should not organize the world cup in 2022

gopiscrap

(24,219 posts)

6. welcome to DU

Reply to rehabanderson (Reply #5)

Mon Feb 24, 2014, 09:36 PM

Feb 2014

Response to oldironside (Original post)

Name removed Message auto-removed

oldironside

(1,248 posts)

8. And more reasons to strip them of the world's greatest sporting tournament.

Reply to oldironside (Original post)

Wed Feb 26, 2014, 03:46 PM

Feb 2014

Foreign maids, cleaners and other domestic workers are being subjected to slave-like labour conditions in Qatar, with many complaining they have been deprived of passports, wages, days off, holidays and freedom to move jobs, a Guardian investigation can reveal.

Hundreds of Filipino maids have fled to their embassy in recent months because conditions are so harsh. Many complain of physical and sexual abuse, harassment, long periods without pay and the confiscation of mobile phones.

The exploitation raises further concerns about labour practices in Qatar in advance of the World Cup, after Guardian reports about the treatment of construction workers. The maids are not directly connected to Qatar's preparations for the football tournament, but domestic workers will play a big role in staffing the hotels, stadiums and other infrastructure that will underpin the 2022 tournament.

Our investigation reveals:

• The Philippine Overseas Labour Office (POLO) sheltered more than 600 runaway maids in the first six months of 2013 alone.

• Some workers say they have not been paid for months.

• Many housemaids do not get days off.

• Some contracts and job descriptions are changed once the workers arrive in Qatar.

• Women who report a sexual assault can be charged with illicit relations.

http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2014/feb/26/qatar-foreign-workers-slave-conditions

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