Event Details

Roundtable
In 2007 the BWI launched the global Sports Campaign for Decent Work in South Africa as a build up to the 2010 World Cup recognizing the need to address the working conditions of the thousands of construction workers building World Cup facilities. BWI’s campaign in South Africa was replicated in Brazil, the host of the 2014 World Cup and moved to Russia and Qatar, hosts of the 2018 World Cup and 2022 World Cup.

Workers, including migrant workers, find jobs in preparation to World Cups in Russia and Qatar for what they believe will be an opportunity for a better future not only for themselves but for their children as well. Yet, they find themselves working long hours in unsafe and dangerous conditions in an unfamiliar physical climate; living in small confined spaces with many others lacking proper sanitation, cooking facilities, and privacy; receiving very low wages; facing flagrant forms of discrimination; and having limited labour or human rights or in the case of Qatar no rights at all. Although accurate statistics of the number of migrant workers injured or killed working in Qatar is difficult to attain, based on data from the embassies present in Qatar, the figure is at least 1,200. To stop this horrendous inclination BWI says – NO More Deaths in the Name of Sports – and escalates BWI Global Sports Campaign.

The workshop will focus on the following questions:
– What are the goals and strategy of the BWI Global Sports Campaign?
– How did unions around the world support BWI Global Sports Campaign?
– What can people do to support workers and the campaign?

Speakers
Ambet Yuson, BWI
Ruud Baars, FNV