Blatter says Qatar needs to do more to protect workers

FIFA president Sepp Blatter visited Qatar's emir on Sunday and said that while progress has been made in improving workers' rights in the 2022 World Cup host nation, more still needed to be done.

"It is encouraging to hear the emir's personal commitment to workers' welfare and to get a sense of the improvements planned for all workers in Qatar," Blatter said in a FIFA statement after meeting Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.

"As various human-rights groups have recently noted, progress has been made already, especially with regard to the standards introduced by the Supreme (local World Cup organising) Committee relating to 2022 construction sites.

"But more must be done in Qatar to ensure uniformly fair working conditions for all.

"This will only be possible through the collective effort of all stakeholders -- from the construction companies to the authorities.

"It is clear that Qatar takes its responsibility as host seriously and sees the FIFA World Cup as a catalyst for positive social change."

Qatar has been widely criticised for the treatment of migrant workers, mainly from Nepal and India, employed in the construction industry.

The country announced labour reforms last May, although organisations such as the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) and Amnesty International said at the time that they did not go far enough.

Soccer's governing body has also been criticised for not doing enough to ensure that workers involved in construction projects related to the World Cup are protected.

FIFA's executive committee will discuss Qatar working conditions when they meet in Zurich on Thursday and Friday.

Image: FIFA chief Sepp Blatter

Photograph: Arnd Wiegmann/Reuters