Qatar Inappropriately Investigating Worker Deaths, ILO Says Ahead Of 2022 World Cup

(CNN) – At least 50 of the workers in the Qatar World Cup sites died in 2020 and the International Labor Organization (ILO) assured that there are gaps in the collection of data by the country’s institutions, for the ILO to present a categorical figure about the number of fatal occupational injuries.

The report said Qatar improperly investigates and reports worker deaths and called for “better quality and more accurate data collection, with more efforts to investigate injuries and deaths that may be work-related, but currently do not. they are classified as such “.

The small Gulf country has been the subject of reports from NGOs alleging mistreatment and abuse towards migrant workers involved in infrastructure projects in the run-up to the Copa of the world football, which begins in November 2022.

Data from medical institutions providing acute care to injured workers in Qatar showed that 50 workers died in 2020 and more than 500 suffered serious injuries, according to the ILO’s comprehensive report on work-related deaths and injuries in the country.

According to the report, 37,600 workers suffered minor to moderate injuries in 2020.

“Most suffered from migrant workers from Bangladesh, India and Nepal, mainly in the construction industry,” the ILO said in a statement on the report.

Migrant workers make up 95 percent of Qatar’s workforce, according to the ILO.

DOHA, QATAR – Lusail Stadium during its construction in December 2019. (Photo Francois Nel / Getty Images)

“Falls from height and traffic accidents were the leading causes of serious injuries, followed by falling objects at workplaces,” the ILO said.

The report called for a review of the “approach taken to investigate the deaths of apparently healthy young workers from ‘natural causes’, to be able to determine whether they are in fact work related and to ensure a more precise identification of the cause.”

“There is concern about whether a large number of worker deaths are caused by heat stress and are not being properly identified as work-related,” he added.

Qatar’s response

The Qatari Labor Ministry said in a statement that “the figures reported in the media on the deaths of migrant workers have been tremendously misleading.”

“The government has been transparent about the health of our foreign population and, in reality, mortality levels in Qatar are on par with the broader demographics globally. Still, improving the health and well-being of foreign workers it remains a priority, “the ministry said.

Qatar has introduced reforms to its labor structure, dismantling Kafala’s controversial sponsorship system and enforcing a minimum wage of US $ 275 per month that applies to both migrant workers and internal workers, which it claims is the first of its kind in the region.

The ILO noted that there has been a “significant decrease” in the rate of occupational injuries between 2008 and 2016, which, according to the ministry, demonstrates “strong labor reform legislation.”

“Labor reform is a complex task, and Qatar believes that solutions are best found through dialogue and compromise,” the statement added.

“For this reason, Qatar will continue to work constructively with a variety of labor experts and professionals, including the ILO, trade unions and international NGOs, to build on the progress that has been made.”