Every day workers risk their lives and health when they are forced to work under wretched conditions to realise major sporting events. They build everything from hotels to arenas. They manufacture clothes, equipment and souvenirs for players or fans under slave-like conditions. Time after time the international sports movement fails to take its share of responsibility for the rights that have been violated and the lives lost.
This can be seen not least when the global power-holders in sport designate countries as host to major sports competitions. Countries that often do not even ratify agreements on or respect fundamental human rights. This is particularly evident when the Winter Olympic Games are being held in Beijing and the World Cup in Qatar next year.
In 2016, LO and several national unions signed a framework agreement with Swedish sports on Fair play and decent conditions. Since then, the sports movement, in collaboration with the trade union movement in Sweden, has worked to ensure that the various actors and organisers in sport implement human rights in their by-laws, policies and regulations.
The 29th Congress of the Swedish Trade Union Confederation demands:
- That the international sports federations, their leaders and various organisers must fully respect human rights, including trade union rights.
- That the international sports federations immediately adopt concrete policies and regulations in line with this, and require host countries and partners and suppliers to do the same.
- That FIFA and Qatar commit themselves to setting up and supporting a migrant workers’ centre in Qatar to continue to realise fundamental human rights after the World Cup, to improve conditions for and strengthen the voice of migrant workers.