黑洞社区

Controversy has dogged Qatar鈥檚 preparations for the 2022 World Cup ever since it was awarded the tournament five-and-a-half years ago. Not only was the country鈥檚 bid for the 2022 tournament a focus of the wider Fifa corruption scandal, but also intense scrutiny has fallen on workers鈥� welfare within Qatar鈥檚 booming construction sector. Journalists and human rights groups have brought reports of construction workers suffering and even dying on building projects in the country.

Campaign group Amnesty International鈥檚 most recent report, published in March, claimed there was systematic abuse on a World Cup project, the revamp and extension of Doha鈥檚 Khalifa International Stadium [see overleaf]. Meanwhile, the Guardian published a report last month alleging abuses to subcontracted workers on jobs part-run by UK contractors Interserve and Balfour Beatty, prompting the two firms to launch investigations into the claims and pledge to up their efforts to enforce welfare standards.

What is perhaps under-reported is that the World Cup organisers, Qatari clients, and local and international suppliers alike are taking huge strides to improve workers鈥� welfare. Modern, spacious accommodation with good amenities is springing up for thousands of workers across the country. World Cup organiser the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy, and client bodies like the Qatar Foundation, have also introduced strict welfare charters that set out minimum standards and ban abusive practices, and made compliance with these charters mandatory as part of suppliers鈥� contracts.

But speaking to 黑洞社区, professionals working in Qatar admit the country has some distance still to travel to ensure construction workers are not abused, particularly lower down the supply chain where scrutiny is less intense and enforcement more difficult.

Over the last 18 months, I have visited Qatar twice, building up a picture of how workers are treated. So what鈥檚 really going on on site?

A huge challenge

On my first visit to Qatar in October 2014, I visited labour camps and spoke to migrant workers to get a glimpse of life for construction workers in the country [see overleaf]. On my most recent visit last month I spoke to firms operating in the country to get their take on the challenge and to find out what steps are being taken to improve conditions.

The view from the ground is that conditions are improving but that the scale of the problem is huge and will take time to address. But that is time Qatar doesn鈥檛 appear to have. There is no mistaking this is a crucial time for Qatar 鈥� its construction sector is expected to ramp up over the next two years to start delivering the bulk of the World Cup buildings and related infrastructure work. The workforce on tournament projects alone is expected to rise to around 36,000 by the middle of 2017. And that has fuelled intense focus on the region by rights campaigners.

I have seen things here that I鈥檝e never seen in my life. I have seen accommodation and welfare standards that should not be permitted

Professional working in Qatar

Amnesty has been documenting alleged systemic abuse of construction workers in Qatar for three years. While its reports acknowledge some clients have introduced stringent worker welfare standards, it remains concerned about worker conditions, particularly at the level of the labour-only subcontractors that provide much of the workforce for Qatar鈥檚 construction sites. Amnesty claims worker abuse is still rife, including substandard and overcrowded accommodation, abuse of the 鈥渒afala鈥� sponsorship visa system to deny migrant workers the right to change jobs or leave the country, delayed payment of salaries, deception by recruitment firms that charge workers up to $4,300 (拢2,968) to secure a job, retention of passports and failure to provide or renew residence permits. Some of the accounts of workers Amnesty interviewed on the Khalifa International Stadium project 鈥� and the response of the Supreme Committee to the group鈥檚 findings 鈥� are covered in the box below.

While modern accommodation is being built across Qatar, professionals working in the country 鈥� who declined to be named, citing Qatari client sensitivity 鈥� say you do not have to drive far into the desert in any direction from Doha to find shanty camps used by unscrupulous contractors. 鈥淭here are pockets of horrendous practices,鈥� says one. 鈥淚 have seen things here that I鈥檝e never seen in my life [鈥�] I have seen accommodation and welfare standards that should not be permitted, shocking conditions.鈥� Most professionals working in Qatar believe that worker abuses are more likely to happen on smaller or mid-size projects developed by private clients who place less emphasis on welfare standards. Major clients such as the World Cup鈥檚 Supreme Committee 鈥� so the argument goes 鈥� have stringent welfare standards and an acute awareness of the intense scrutiny they鈥檙e under to get workers鈥� welfare right.

But a source close to the contractor bidding process for World Cup stadiums alleges the Supreme Committee鈥檚 cut-throat approach to costs threatens to undermine its stated welfare ambitions. 鈥淸The Supreme Committee] still procures on lowest cost,鈥� this source claims. 鈥淭hey get 10 prices in [from contractors], then they鈥檒l pick the bottom four and ask these for their best and final price. Then if you come up with any ideas they鈥檒l share them with the other three. Until people drop out. Normally speaking you鈥檇 submit your best price at the outset. So nine out of 10 contractors will cut corners [to win].鈥�

The source alleges this approach forces contractors to contemplate cutting welfare standards. The source claims the 鈥渂ulk of the price鈥� and 鈥渕ain variable鈥� on jobs in Qatar is labour costs, particularly as materials are frequently specified by the client. 鈥淭hey squeeze and squeeze on price and the consequences are far more dramatic than people think. If you squeeze that price, something鈥檚 got to go. The contractor has to cover the cost of PPE (safety gear), accommodation, three meals a day, medical cover, a visa, flights back home once every two years. But in the final negotiations you may end up cutting the flights, cutting the meals, or the quality of the food, or saying 鈥業鈥檒l go stick him in some slum area鈥�. That鈥檚 where some contractors will cut corners. [The Supreme Committee鈥檚] procurement practices are favouring some unscrupulous contractors, although I don鈥檛 think they see it like that.鈥� The source puts the Supreme Committee鈥檚 allegedly aggressive tendering down to inexperience, rather than conscious neglect.

Most professionals acknowledge there is a tension in Qatar between clients鈥� tendency to ruthlessly pursue lowest cost and delivering good welfare standards. One market source argues Qatari clients鈥� aggressive approach on cost 鈥渃ould well鈥� impact on welfare standards and ironically also may prove more costly in the long run. This source points to Doha鈥檚 experience delivering the impressive 鈥� but four years late 鈥� Hamad International Airport: 鈥渋t鈥檚 a prime example 鈥� they had to bring in other contractors to rectify the mistakes. I keep hoping they鈥檒l learn lessons from these incidents. If you pay cheap you get cheap and in the long run it actually ends up more expensive.鈥�

Other professionals familiar with the World Cup stadiums bidding process disagreed with our critical source: 鈥淟owest cost has always been a big driver in a less mature construction industry [鈥�] Yes, it costs to maintain standards, but the Supreme Committee is very aware of that and deliberately put these standards in place. They know the scrutiny will be on them and that they鈥檝e got to [get welfare] right.鈥�

The Supreme Committee told 黑洞社区: 鈥淭he SC is committed to protecting the health, safety and well-being of the workers building the stadiums for the 2022 Fifa World Cup. We will never compromise this based on budgets.

鈥淎ll contractors tendering for an SC project are screened for compliance with the SC鈥檚 Workers鈥� Welfare Standards (WWS) before their technical and commercial proposals are even considered.

鈥淭o date, 120 inspections have been conducted as part of the SC鈥檚 Workers鈥� Welfare tender inspection audit process. Twenty-four companies failed to meet the SC鈥檚 Workers鈥� Welfare requirements and were disqualified from the tender process. Inspections do not stop at the project tendering stage, however, and contractors who are appointed to work on World Cup projects are subject to ad-hoc inspections against our WWS for the duration of their contracts.鈥�

The long road to improvement

For all the problems, there is no denying the Qatari government and major clients alike have responded with some positive actions in the face of intense international scrutiny. The Supreme Committee launched its workers鈥� welfare charter in February 2014 鈥� a 50-page document setting out detailed standards on payment of wages, accommodation and welfare 鈥� which all its suppliers are contractually obliged to abide by. Meanwhile, a Qatari law came into force last November mandating that all workers are paid through direct bank transfers to try to clamp down on late and non-payment of wages. Separately, the government has hired nearly 300 housing inspectors to inspect worker accommodation, with a further 100 planned by the end of this year.

The Qatar government has even tried to reform its much-maligned sponsorship system, commonly referred to as 鈥渒afala鈥�. A law passed last autumn, which comes into force this November, introduces an appeal system for workers refused exit permits and also enables expats who finish fixed contracts to take up new jobs without requiring their employer鈥檚 permission. But the law has been roundly criticised by human rights groups such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch for not going far enough. They argue the kafala system should simply be abolished, and that the planned appeal system simply introduces another barrier for migrant workers wanting to leave the country. One market source agrees axing kafala would be desirable, but says the main reason it is unlikely to happen is that it would likely drive up wages.

There鈥檚 a lot more focus on workers鈥� welfare and everyone鈥檚 involved. But we can鈥檛 go from where we are to the best possible way straight away. It takes time

Consultant in Qatar

鈥淚f we leave kafala there will be competition for who will pay the most,鈥� the source says. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 what鈥檚 going to happen. Once it鈥檚 permissible for people to move, workers will move for [as little as] 10 riyals (拢1.50). It will cost companies.鈥�

A Dubai-based professional says Qatar lags behind some of its Gulf neighbours in terms of opening up its visa system. The UAE has already abolished exit permits, while Saudi Arabia only last month announced plans to introduce a more liberal visa system similar to the green card in the US. Professional expats in Qatar are subject to the same stringent kafala rules as labourers. 鈥淎ll employers would prefer much easier rules when it comes to entry and exit in Qatar,鈥� this source says, adding that UAE clients are also ahead of their Qatari counterparts in terms of welfare standards. 鈥淭here are commercial incentives in Dubai. The crown prince there gives priority to firms that comply with a welfare rating system. If you don鈥檛 comply, you can鈥檛 bid for public projects.鈥�

A number of professionals 黑洞社区 spoke to had suggestions for how Qatar could further improve workers鈥� welfare. One source said the government should simply set a minimum accommodation standard and outlaw all sub-standard camps. 鈥淵ou wouldn鈥檛 enter a competition with a wooden leg,鈥� this source says. 鈥淚f you outlawed these dodgy firms, everyone would then adapt and price jobs on a level playing field.鈥� The current emphasis on auditing accommodation by the government, clients and tier one suppliers alike may not actually solve the problem, this source warns: 鈥淪ome labour subcontractors may have just one camp that looks half decent. When presented for audit they鈥檒l show that. But then they could easily shift workers to sub-standard accommodation. If you鈥檝e got 1,000 workers on a construction site, do you follow everyone back to where they live? How do you police it? It鈥檚 always going to be open to abuse.鈥�

Yet all the professionals 黑洞社区 spoke to said worker welfare standards were improving. Indeed, many expressed frustration at what they deemed as the unfair kicking Qatar gets around the world for its welfare standards, particularly in the UK. 鈥淭here鈥檚 an appetite to improve workers鈥� welfare among government clients and professional clients. You hear about it all the time and I鈥檝e seen first hand the efforts being made,鈥� says one consultant. 鈥淔rom a Western perspective there鈥檚 a huge gap in the standards, but you have to have a sense of reality. You can鈥檛 write a report and six months down the line everything will be fine.鈥� Another concurs: 鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot more focus on workers鈥� welfare and everyone鈥檚 involved. But we can鈥檛 go from where we are to the best possible way straight away, it takes time.鈥�

The problem for Qatar is that it doesn鈥檛 have the luxury of time. It needs to start ramping up construction to deliver the stadiums and infrastructure needed for the 2022 World Cup. Even for a country as ambitious and fast-moving as Qatar, delivering a World Cup while simultaneously raising workers鈥� welfare standards to stave off the spectre of an unacceptable human cost is going to be its toughest challenge yet.