In four years, Qatar would have finished playing hosts to the Middle East’s first-ever FIFA World Cup.

Mammoth efforts are currently being undertaken to ensure that the Arab venture is a grand success.

And one of the most critical areas of focus is the 30,000-strong workforce that is helping build up the stadiums and non-competition venues for the tournament, reported the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy (SC).

The SC has done a great deal to ensure that the workers are treated fairly and with dignity, said Mahmoud Qutub, SC’s Executive Director of Workers’ Welfare Department.

With 2018 almost ending, the SC took stock of areas where it made a significant impact in the life of workers. It also took the opportunity to plan for the next phase of workers’ welfare.

Over the last few years, the SC was successful in improving workers’ accommodation facilities, eradicating passport retention, enhancing health and safety practices through increased training and awareness and introducing comprehensive medical checks for all workers, reported Gulf Times.

The SC also managed to tackle the menace of recruitment fees for labourers. Although Qatar has made the collection of recruitment fees from workers illegal, the reality is that a large number of them had to pay fees in their home countries.

The SC is trying to pay back fees the workers may have paid at home. If an employer is unable to prove they had spent the cost of recruitment, SC collaborated with them to reimburse workers for the fees they may have paid.

Contractors working on SC’s projects have committed to reimbursing workers with QR78.4m over the next three years. QR 44.7m of that will be paid to 14,356 SC workers, while the remaining QR33.7m will go to 16,560 workers not employed on SC projects.

Qutub said this was the legacy of a World Cup in action.

“Though challenges remain, we’re proud of the progress delivered in a short time and will continue to build on it,” he was quoted as saying by Qatar Tribune.

The SC has held over 112 Workers’ Welfare Forums to listen to and redress grievances of workers. The forum covered over 22,000 workers (89% of the workforce). 

The SC has also undertaken measures to keep workers comfortable while working in hot conditions. The SC, in association with UK-based TechNiche, is working on developing a bespoke cooling technology in this regard. 

“In June 2018 we deployed 3,500 cooling vests across SC sites, which showed remarkable results in reducing body temperatures. In 2019, we plan to deploy the next generation of innovation in heat management for 30,000 workers on our sites,” he added.