International media attention on construction workers from South Asia has heightened with Qatar preparing for the 2022 World Cup, the completion of the New York University (NYU) Abu Dhabi campus, and the Louvre and Guggenheim museums being built.

The impetus for change is largely external, international criticism and widespread scrutiny is creating pressure for change from the governments involved. On 20 July, Qatar announced plans to improve labour laws with tighter regulations and a ban on working under excessive temperatures and increased fines for employers who confiscate workers’ passports, and a new system of electronic payments directly to employees’ bank accounts.

Amendments were also proposed to the current kafala system, where workers are tied to their employer and can neither change jobs nor leave the country without permission. However, no time frame was given for the implementation of these reforms.

In June, with the completion of NYU Abu Dhabi’s controversial new campus on Sadiyaat Island, an email was sent by the university’s Vice Chancellor in New York to the student body announcing an investigation into allegations of labour standard violations.

Before construction of the campus began, NYU had announced a Statement of Labour Values regarding wages, conditions and working hours and were assured the contractors were upholding the standards, but violations were exposed by The New York Times shortly before completion of the campus. The international investigation firm Nardello & Co is heading the inquiry but has not yet published its findings.

In Nepal, the Department of Foreign Employment has promised to tighten the regulation of recruiting agencies in the coming months. It hopes to impede fraudulent agencies by making it compulsory for all contracts between migrant workers and agencies to be signed in the presence of a government official. At the moment, the provision would only apply to those going to Oman, but plans are underway to expand it to other Gulf countries as well.

Such reforms, both from nations sending and receiving workers, is just the beginning. And the world is watching because high-profile football tournaments, famous universities and museums are involved. But more importantly, workers’ rights need to be respected by both the home and host countries.

Published on: 15 August 2014 | Nepali Times