By Kathryn Maureen Ryan
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

DOHA, Qatar – The Gulf State of Qatar, which will host the 2022 World Cup, has announced plans to reform its labor law after months of criticism from the international community that followed reports of human rights abuses of mirgrant works at construction sites ahead of the World Cup. The proposed changes are based on the recommendations made by the international law firm DLA Piper which Qatar hired last year to review workers’ conditions; however, the Gulf State has not set a timeline for the implementation.

Only about 10% of the country’s population actually have Qatari citizenship. The state’s economy depends on migrant workers. About 1.4 million migrant workers are now living in Qatar, the majority of whom are concentrated in the construction and services sectors. Qatar has been criticized for its failure to protect migrant workers and for the gross disparities that exist between Qatar’s native and migrant populations In a report issued by Amnesty International law November the organizations found that migrant works in Qatar “face a range of abuses at the hands of their employers”, some of which “amount to forced labor and human trafficking.

According to Amnesty International the labor law system used in Qatar and other gulf states known as the kefala, creates an “excessively unequal power relationship” between employers and workers, who are not allowed to change jobs or leave the country without their employers’ permission. DLA Piper’s report said the Qatar’s old policies could “result in a situation where migrant workers are ‘trapped’ in Qatar, with an abusive employer, and without means of exit or the ability to legally transfer to another employer for months.” The new laws will abolish this aspect of the kefala system.

The Fédération Internationale de Football Association said it welcomes Qatar’s plans to improve labor conditions in the country. FIFA President Joseph Blatter said “this announcement is a significant step in the right direction for sustainable change in the workers’ welfare standards in Qatar. We look forward to seeing the implementation of these concrete actions over the next months. We will continue our close cooperation with Qatari authorities as well as dialogue with all key stakeholders.”

However, other organizations have criticized the government’s announcement saying that its propsed reforms do not go far enough to address labor rights in the country. The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) called the proposals “cosmetic” and said that in Qatar “There is no freedom of association, no minimum wage, and no effective labour compliance system.” The organization also said “modern slavery will still exist in Qatar.”

For more information please see:

Al Jazeera – Qatar Announces Changes to Labour Law 15 May 2014

CNN International – FIFA Welcomes Workers’ Welfare Measures Announced Today By the State of Qatar – 15 May 2014

BBC News – Qatar: Foreign Worker Restrictions ‘To Be Eased’ – 14 May 2014

FIFA – FIFA Welcomes Workers’ Welfare Measures Announced Today By the State Of Qatar – 14 May 2014

The Guardian – Laws after Outcry over ‘World Cup Slaves’ – 14 May 2014