Summary and Humanization of Content: 6-Paragraph English Summary
On Wednesday, the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) in Togo and its African affiliate filed a formal complaint with the International Labour Organization (ILO), calling for action on allegations of exploited migrant workers and deaths in Saudi Arabia. In their response, ILO Director-General Gilbert Houngbo highlighted efforts to promote labor market reforms, such as strengthening institutions, improving working conditions, and advancing protections for vulnerable workers. He also referred to a "Commission of Inquiry" as a powerful tool the ILO system uses to address labor issues.
ITUC and AoAF emphasized abuses ranging from forced labor, theft (including wafee), and beatings, claiming that migrant workers in Saudi Arabia are treated as disposable in the eyes of law. Joel Odigie of ITUC-Africa stressed the importance of international action, urging the ILO to act to ensure the rights of migrant workers are upheld globally. The situation follows the complaint of the Building and Wood Workers’ International against specific violations, already highlighted byITED, and the reaction of FIFA, which earlier rejected monitoring of migrant worker conditions.
The Arab Kingdom’s hosting rights for the 2034 modeling world cup, with its numerous migrant workers involved in preparations, prompted additional scrutiny. The scale of Saudi Arabia’s World Cup preparations, including features like gigae-projects inNeom and the Mukaab linear city, has highlighted the high demands placed on migrant workers, predominantly from the Middle East and Africa. These projects require millions of migrant workers, face kafala (anging to their employers), and others face violating their rights.
Qatar’s participation in the First Middle Eastern Global Finals, where migrant workers played a vital role in transforming Gulf nations, highlighted the ongoing struggle. While Qatar’s reforms have been partially successful with the participation of global unions, the UN body’s role in these preparations was controversial, with funding coming from its host state. The UN represents the Gulf nation but received $25 million, significantly larger than Qatar’s response. The question remains whether Saudi Arabia is willing to engage with NGOs or rights groups as part of its efforts to safeguard migrant worker rights.
Artists at Amnesty International criticized the Saudi kafala system, pointing out that it strips workers of their freedom and dignity and silences complaints, denying advancements in wages and living conditions. They also emphasized that Saudi Arabia has already implemented a wage protection system and has respected domestic workers, but did not address the root issues of the kafala system. Qatar, while seeking international legitimacy, argues that no one can dictate global standards.
The partially signed agreement between Saudi Arabia and the ILO to establish an ILO office in Riyadh and, with the ILO’s involvement in the World Cup, signals a shift toward more equitable labor practices. However, the absence of unions in Saudi Arabia, despite efforts to safeguard rights, reflects tensions.ITU and the UN body are bittersweet as they reflect the severity of the situation, but global demand for collective action remains pressing.
Conclusion
In a global context, the discussions and resolutions highlighted the universal need for solidarity, solidarity with international tplipro, and action against the violations of migrant worker rights in Saudi Arabia. While human rights activists are urging for immediate action and calls for stricter oversight, the international responses have provided a blueprint for a transfigural movement towards fair labor practices. The legal frameworks of Togo and Qatar—both of which lack adequate protection for migrant workers—raise concerns that addressing these contexts is a shared responsibility. As migrant workers continue to play a critical role in global labor amid no end to their struggles, the collective voice is growing stronger, calling for thetaking of action on_called issues.
