PARIS (AFP) - Amnesty International has made an urgent plea less than 10 days before the World Cup in Qatar kicks off for FIFA President Gianni Infantino to commit to a compensation package for the migrant workers who built the tournament’s gleaming stadiums.
Amnesty and 24 other groups including Human Rights Watch wrote to Infantino in May urging him to establish a remediation program for “abuses” suffered by workers.
The groups say that many migrant workers -- predominantly from South Asia and South-East Asia and Africa -- have suffered exploitation and widespread labor abuses.
Workers have complained of working conditions that amount to forced labor, lost and unpaid wages, and long hours without days off.
World Cup sponsors including Adidas, Coca-Cola and McDonald’s have backed the initial call and the Australian national team released a video saying the decision to host football’s showcase tournament in Qatar had resulted in some workers suffering harm.
Amnesty International’s Secretary General Agnes Callamard said in an op-ed published in international media on Friday: “Amid this growing clamor, the most crucial voice of all has remained conspicuously silent: Gianni Infantino.
Infantino angered rights groups by calling for the 32 nations competing in Qatar to “focus on the football” in a letter earlier this month.
He also urged the teams to stop “handing out moral lessons”.