Filipino workers sue US firm for labor abuses at Qatar World Cup

Dozens of Filipino workers who built stadiums for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar have filed a lawsuit against a U.S. construction firm for allegedly exposing them to inhumane and dangerous conditions. 

The lawsuit filed Thursday in a United States federal court in Denver, Colo., named two U.S. companies – Jacobs Solutions, and another firm, CH2M Hill, which had initially secured the building contract and was acquired by Jacobs in 2017. 

“This lawsuit is the result of a significant international investigation into labor abuses during construction for the World Cup in Qatar,” said Eli J. Kay-Oliphant, a partner at Sparacino PLLC, a U.S. law firm representing the workers, in a statement.

“These workers … we allege were brought to Qatar on false pretenses, trapped there, and forced to work under unbearable living and working conditions, so that Qatar could host the 2022 World Cup. We look forward to securing justice for our clients,” said Sean Grimsley, of another law firm, Olson Grimsley, which is working with Sparacino.

In the 91-page lawsuit, the workers claimed they were subjected to “human trafficking” and forced to live in cramped, dirty barracks while working 72-hour shifts in the extreme heat.

They also claimed their employers confiscated their passports, which is a violation of U.S. human trafficking laws.

The plaintiffs are seeking an unspecified amount in damages under the U.S. Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act, which targets perpetrators of abuse and perpetrators of trafficking.

The Dallas-based Jacobs said it had “not yet been served with the lawsuit or had the opportunity to thoroughly review the allegations,” in an email response to a BenarNews request for comment.

“As a purpose-led company, we are committed to respecting the human rights and dignity of those within our operations and where we do business,” the company said.

“In all projects across the 40-plus countries in which we operate, we have prioritized health, safety and well-being, partnering with clients and suppliers to develop innovative approaches that improve the lives of workers and other stakeholders.”

Qatar’s embassy in Manila did not immediately respond to a BenarNews request for comment.

The Philippines relies on its nearly 10 million overseas workers to prop up the economy, making the Filipino diaspora one of the largest in Asia.

Most work in countries where labor protection laws are lacking. About 3.5 million Filipinos are believed to be spread out in the Middle East.

During the build-up to football’s 2022 World Cup, human rights groups criticized Qatar over its treatment of migrant workers in the lead up to the World Cup over concerns that workers were killed or injured as the oil-rich state rushed construction of facilities. The groups alleged that workers were often underpaid or forced to work in hazardous situations.

Following an investigation, The Guardian newspaper in early 2021 alleged more than 6,500 workers from India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka had died in Qatar in the decade since that nation won the right to host the 2022 World Cup. 

The Guardian alleged more than 1,000 from Bangladesh and more than 2,700 from India were killed beginning in 2011 through late 2020.

Bangladesh officials have not confirmed the deaths.

‘Hospitalized multiple times’

In the court document filed by the Filipinos who helped build facilities for the Qatar FIFA World Cup, one worker named plaintiff “F.C.” said employers confiscated his passport but he sought its return before the end of his contract citing a family emergency at home.

“This request was refused, and he was not allowed to leave,” according to the complaint. “He was forced to work through exhaustion, sometimes as many as 36 hours straight, and he was denied compensation for overtime work.”

Another plaintiff, “A.B.,” was regularly “forced to work” 72 hours straight.

“He was hospitalized multiple times due to fatigue and dehydration. He was lied to about his pay. He also, at times, received less pay than he was promised and had earned,” the complaint alleges.

“He was not allowed to go home at the end of one of his contracts but instead was forced to stay in Qatar and continue working,” the complaint said.

The Confederation of Filipino Workers said it was committed to working with all stakeholders to ensure justice was served to these workers who filed the lawsuit.

The conditions described in the lawsuit point to gross human rights violations that should not be ignored, said Gabriel Aranzamendez, the organization’s president.

“The allegations brought against Jacobs Solutions Inc. by dozens of our fellow Filipino workers are deeply disturbing and must be urgently addressed,” he told BenarNews.

“It is a black mark not only on the company but on the very institutions that allowed this to happen, despite years of scrutiny and alarm bells from human rights organizations,” he said.

The plight of these workers highlighted the systemic flaws that endanger lives and human dignity on a global scale, he said. 

“We call on other organizations and the public to support the call for justice in this case,” Aranzamendez said.

“We cannot let such egregious acts go unaddressed – to do so would be to betray the fundamental principles that we as a society claim to uphold.”