On February 23, 2021, according to relevant data, since Qatar won the right to host the World Cup, more than 6,500 workers from five South Asian countries including India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have lost their lives, which is equivalent to an average weekly Twelve foreign workers died. Qatar did not deny this figure, but said the death toll is proportional to the number of foreign workers.

The number of foreign workers may be more dead

According to data from India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka, between 2011 and 2020, there were 5,927 labor deaths in these four countries; data provided by the Pakistani Embassy in Qatar showed that between 2010 and 2020, 824 Pakistani workers Qatar died. The total death toll is much higher because there are a large number of citizens working in Qatar in other countries such as the Philippines and Kenya, which are not included in the above statistics, and the death toll in the last few months of 2020 is not included.

According to reports, Qatar has carried out an unprecedented construction plan in the past ten years, mainly to welcome the arrival of the World Cup. In addition to the seven new stadiums, dozens of major projects have been completed or are under construction. Nick McKeehan, head of the "Fair Plaza Project", an organization that specializes in labor rights in the Gulf region, said that although the death records of laborers are not classified by occupation or work location, it is likely that many of the dead are employed by these World Cup infrastructures. Project: "A considerable part of the foreign workers who have died since 2011 stayed in Qatar because Qatar won the right to host the World Cup."

37 foreign workers died directly in the construction of the World Cup stadium, but the organizing committee of the event listed the deaths of 34 of them as “not related to work”. Qatar officials listed the following causes of death of foreign workers: falling from a high place caused multiple blunt injuries, hanging suffocation, decayed corpse and unknown cause of death... But so far, the most common cause is "natural death", and often It is acute heart or respiratory failure.

According to data, 69% of workers in India, Nepal, and Bangladesh report “natural deaths”. Among the Indian workers who died in Qatar, the proportion of "natural deaths" reached 80%. The intense summer heat in Qatar may be an important factor in the deaths of many foreign workers. The research commissioned by the International Labour Organization can also support this conclusion. The research shows that for at least four months of the year, workers face a serious risk of heat stroke when working outdoors in Qatar.

Qatar rebuts: the death toll is proportional to the number of foreign workers

The Qatari government has no objection to the death toll of foreign workers, but said that this is proportional to the country's huge number of foreign workers, and this number is not all construction project workers, but also includes white-collar workers who died naturally after living in Qatar for many years.

According to the official website of the Qatar World Cup, as of January 2020, the Qatar World Cup Delivery and Inheritance Committee (SC) site, which is responsible for the preparation of the tournament, has an accident rate of 0.03 accidents per 10,000 people, while in the United Kingdom, such an accident rate It is 0.07 per 10,000 people.

In recent years, Qatar has made some efforts to protect the rights and interests of migrant workers. A spokesman for the Qatar government said that both nationals and foreign citizens in Qatar can enjoy free first-class medical services. In the past ten years, due to health and safety reforms in the labor system, the death rate of foreign workers has dropped significantly.

The Qatar reform abolished the "Kafala" (Arabic meaning "guarantee" or "care") foreign labor employment management system, allowing foreign workers to decide to change jobs before the expiration of the labor contract, without the need for the current employer's consent. The International Labor Organization affirmed this new employment regulation. In addition, Qatar has also set the minimum monthly wage for all employees at Qatari Rial 1,000 (approximately RMB 1,880), which is 25% higher than the original rate, and requires employers to provide food and lodging for employees. An allowance of 800 riyals (1504 yuan) will be issued. The new minimum wage regulations will take effect about half a year after the official announcement.

Qatar is the first country to implement an undifferentiated minimum wage standard for all industries in the Gulf countries where there are many foreign workers. Editor/He Yuting