USA: Filipino workers who helped build 2022 World Cup stadiums sue US construction firm Jacobs Solutions over rights violations; FIFA did not respond
Shutterstock
In October 2023, 38 Filipino construction workers filed a complaint against the US company Jacobs Solutions and its subsidiary, CH2M, for managing construction projects that used trafficking and forced labour.
The workers allegedly constructed stadiums for the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar; Jacobs Solutions and its subsidiary CH2M managed and oversaw the projects, including ‘managing, auditing, and awarding’ the work of stadiums and related infrastructure.
The workers allege they were subjected to several human rights violations, including poor living conditions; misrepresented terms of employment; wage theft; passport confiscation; and ‘inhumane’ hours.
On the day the suit was filed, Jacobs Solutions responded to the journalists request for comment, saying it had not yet been served the lawsuit or had chance to review the allegations, but that it was committed to respecting the human rights of all those in its operations.
In October 2023, the Business and Human Rights Resource Centre invited FIFA to respond to the news of the lawsuit, and the claims contained therein. FIFA did not respond to the Resource Centre's request for comment.
The allegations brought against Jacobs Solutions Inc. by dozens of our fellow Filipino workers are deeply disturbing and must be urgently addressed. 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.Gabriel Aranzamendez, Confederation of Filipino Workers