Trade unions from 36 countries have filed a major complaint with the International Labour Organization (ILO) over the poor treatment of migrant workers in Saudi Arabia. The unions are asking for a full investigation into the country’s labour practices, calling it a serious human rights issue. This action comes as Saudi Arabia prepares to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup, raising concerns about worker safety during rapid development.
Luc Triangle, the secretary-general of the International Trade Union Confederation, said this complaint is a call for urgent and honest reform. He stressed that more migrant workers should not have to die or suffer abuse. He urged the world not to stay silent while construction and domestic workers in Saudi Arabia face abuse and neglect.
The complaint highlights problems like forced labour, wage theft, sexual abuse, and even human trafficking. Workers from countries including the UK, Japan, Canada, Australia, and 13 African nations supported the complaint. Omar Osman from the Somali Trade Unions said many Africans go to Saudi Arabia for work but return in coffins.
Despite a recent agreement between Saudi Arabia and the ILO to improve labour laws, many union leaders believe the reforms don’t go far enough. The agreement, signed in Geneva, includes plans to introduce fair job recruitment, a minimum wage, better injury compensation, and allow workers to join committees. But the unions argue that real change is still missing.
A recent report by Human Rights Watch (HRW) found that many migrant workers died from horrible workplace accidents. These included falls, electric shocks, and even decapitations. Families of victims, mostly from Bangladesh, India, and Nepal, often didn’t receive clear explanations or proper compensation for their loved ones’ deaths.
In many cases, deaths were falsely reported as natural causes, even when the workers died in unsafe job conditions. One Bangladeshi family had to borrow over $4,000 just to bring home the body of a relative who died from electrocution. The employer only offered money if the family agreed to bury him in Saudi Arabia.
Most of these workers arrive under the kafala system, which ties their visas to their employers. Even though there have been some changes to allow job transfers, many workers still face abuse, unpaid wages, and threats. Women from Kenya and Uganda, often hired as domestic workers, report being beaten, starved, or sexually assaulted.
A report by the New York Times in March found that at least 274 Kenyan migrants, mostly young women in domestic jobs, died in Saudi Arabia over the last five years. Many Ugandans also died during that time. In several of these deaths, autopsies revealed signs of abuse like burns or electric shocks, yet Saudi authorities still claimed the causes were natural.