On International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and ahead of Global Week of Action for Hotel Housekeepers, EFFAT joins the IUF urging FIFA to protect hospitality workers, mostly women, in host hotels during the World Cup 2022.
In a country well known for big infrastructure and wealth, it is common knowledge that rights violations against migrant workers, including sexual harassment, are an ongoing issue and that the tournament underway, is happening at a horrendous human cost. Hospitality, in particular, is sadly renown as carrying a disproportionate risk of gender-based violence compared to other sectors.
Despite some improvements in the labour law, freedom of association and collective bargaining are still very weak if non-existent in Qatar, and the refusal to allow independent trade unions makes it impossible for workers, especially for women, to raise concerns about working conditions and sexual harassment.
EFFAT backs the IUF initiative to approach:
- FIFA: pointing out the alarming rates of sexual harassment in the hospitality sector and demanding that no sexual harassment would be tolerated.
- World Cup hotel chains: demanding to ban guests harassing hotel workers and to send “Stop Sexual Harassment Leaflets
- The other Global Union Federations: asking to support the initiative and address this issue with their member organisations and national football teams.
#IDEVAW
#MakeMyWorkplaceSafe
