Why are we accepting migrant worker deaths in Qatar for the sake of entertainment?

[pieami]

I'm disgusted that we have accepted any deaths for the mere purpose of putting on a sporting event - totally unjustifiable. One death is too many. Why could the event not be held in a country with existing infrastructure?

One reports found "50 workers died and more than 500 others were seriously injured in Qatar in 2021 alone".

I have a feeling there is less of an outrage due to the workers being brown.

[RiceRiceBaby16]

And unsurprisingly nobody has even replied to this either! How sad, just awful :(
Completely unnecessary deaths

[bellac11]

Ive always felt this, I saw a documentary many years ago about virtually slave labour in Saudi I think it was.

But thats ok, our politicians chummy up to them

And in this case of course the god football musts be worshipped, there wont be media outrage about this, nor boycotts.

[RiceRiceBaby16]

Dubai - one of the richest cities built by the poorest people...another awful one I remember seeing a documentary about

[Simonjt]

Because their brown and far away.

[Scautish]

Totally agree. Same with Syrian War vs Ukraine war. We’re falling over ourselves to help the poor Ukrainians (which we should) but actively try to prevent Syrian refugees from even getting to our country.

why is this? Happy to help the whites, but not the browns. And then there will be complete denial that there is any racism problem in the UK.

[Branleuse]

I think its more that most people have zero influence or say in what most of these cunts do. If i decided not to accept slavery is still rife, what does that look like?

[Ylvamoon]

Money. It's that simple. Cheap labour that is easily replaced. Simply disgusting.

I never understood why Qatar got it in the first place... other than having paid a massive backhander. I mean who has even heard of the country in relation to football before?

[lightand]

Very few replies.

Yes brown.

And I noticed on a thread talking about Dubai, that people did not hide very well, that if they liked Dubai, then their selfishness of the enjoyment of the place, over ride, well everything else.

[AllyCatTown]

It’s disgusting. It’s so corrupt as well. They obviously bribed their way to get it.

[IsThePopeCatholic]

Totally agree, op. I don’t understand why they have to build new stadia for every World Cup. Just use the ones that are already there. Same with the Olympics. The exploitation and suffering caused by these events is unacceptable .

[Bubblebubblebah]

People don't care about slave labour and their suffering even in here, why would then someone expect them to care about slave labour in other countries...

[Chocbuttonsandredwine]

A link would be helpful

However H&S has never been a priority in the Middle East. It’s on par with the U.K. 100 years ago, only the industries people are working in a far more advanced, and by default dangerous

its shit, horrific, bit it’s the culture and until that changes then lives will always be seen as disposable

[HMSSophia]

Because we are short sighted, selfish animals. Unfortunately

[Olinguita]

I totally agree, it's disgusting. The utter contempt for the safety, wellbeing and basic human dignity of the construction workers in Qatar is mind blowing.

[jetadore]

Yeh, we don’t care. We've been conditioned by decades of advertising to prioritise entertainment/gratification over anything else. Not to mention all the sponsorships and promotions tied into the World Cup, too many people invested in it, too much money to be made, the media will pay lip service but they also know which way their bread is buttered. A mass boycott could be effective but as I say people literally don’t give a shit, as long as they’re getting their entertainment fix. The global economy is based on consumption, almost anything goes if there’s a buck to be made. See also the working conditions in the Far Eastern factories where electronic devices were typing on are made, not to mention the hellish mines where the rare metals for those devices are dug out by hand.

[Ylvamoon]

@jetadore - you forgot to mention that Qatar iproduces crude oil... the key to EVERYTHING in this world. Many countries are turning a blind eye to the atrocious, inhumane working conditions.
We need their oil to function.

[sst1234]

Yes, why have you accepted it, OP?

[TimeFlysWhenYoureHavingRum]

Oil.

[GreenTeaPingPong]

Why don't you post this on a football fan site, instead of a parenting site, at 2.49pm when most people are either working or out at the park with their kids? You might get more replies.

[GirlInACountrySong]

I think it has its place here on mumsnet, we aren't ALL tied up in knots with kids you know!?

[Discovereads]

Construction is an inherently dangerous job. More dangerous in countries with low health and safety standards. Workers even died in the U.K. building the 2012 Olympic village, although the fatality and injury rate was actually far lower than the U.K. average for construction.

So, if one death is too many, countries with existing infrastructure wouldnt meet that bar. There isn’t anything we can really do about countries with worse health and safety regulations. Part of the reason countries do bid on these things like hosting Olympics and so on is because it does get them funding to improve their infrastructure.

[bellac11]

@Discovereads

Construction is an inherently dangerous job. More dangerous in countries with low health and safety standards. Workers even died in the U.K. building the 2012 Olympic village, although the fatality and injury rate was actually far lower than the U.K. average for construction.

So, if one death is too many, countries with existing infrastructure wouldnt meet that bar. There isn’t anything we can really do about countries with worse health and safety regulations. Part of the reason countries do bid on these things like hosting Olympics and so on is because it does get them funding to improve their infrastructure.

Funding to improve their infrastructure?

Not sure Qatar needs to be holding out the begging bowl?

[Discovereads]

The reports counting migrant workers deaths don’t usually look at cause of death. So the numbers seem high, but there’s no way of knowing whether they died due to the workplace or at work or from other causes. For example:
”The article published by The Guardian and an annual report of Workers Welfare by Qatar confirm that 34 stadium workers have died in six years.

According to an official report titled Workers Welfare Progress Report, compiled by the supreme committee organising the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, nine migrant labourers, who were helping build football stadiums, died in 2019. The report further states that all 9 deaths were non-work related, meaning they were not caused due to accidents in the workplace. Four workers died due to natural causes, three died in a company bus accident, and the other two* died due to sudden and unexplained cardiac or respiratory failure.

According to an article by The Guardian, in the last 6 years, a total of 34 migrants have died in Qatar who were involved in building the football stadiums.”
www.logically.ai/factchecks/all/ea92b2c6

*Amnesty International is rightly questioning whether working in the heat/humidity on the stadium caused the sudden cardiac/respiratory failure.


However, in U.K., we are better at data collection and look into worker deaths closely so we know the exact #deaths caused by the workplace in construction:

There were 39 fatal injuries to workers in 2020/21. 61,000 non-fatal injuries to workers each year averaged over the three-year period 2018/19-2020/21
www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/industry/construction.pdf

[Discovereads]

@bellac11

Funding to improve their infrastructure?

Not sure Qatar needs to be holding out the begging bowl?

What’s a “begging bowl” got to do with anything? Neither did the U.K., Germany, China, Japan, Canada and so on need a “begging bowl”. But they still bid to host games because they want to boost jobs and infrastructure in an area within their country. There’s also the tourism income and prestige.

[IncessantNameChanger]

I remember only hearing about this on newsnight months ago. Young Nepalese dad. Like many other things it never makes the mainstream news. Seeing his elderly dad crying was very moving and not the sort that gets often upset about the news.

I bet most people dont even know about this.