“Security Guards Jailed in Qatar After World Cup Wage Dispute: British Government Demands Release”

newspaper reported GuardianThe British government announced that three people who worked as guards in Qatar during the World Cup matches are still being held for protesting the non-payment of wages by the authorities after the early termination of their work contracts.

The three are in a prison in Qatar, more than four months after their arrest.

Two workers from Pakistan, Shakirullah and Zafar Iqbal, were sentenced, in addition to their colleague from India, to six months in prison and a fine of about $2,800.

The three men were among hundreds of security guards employed by Stark Security Services, a local private security company, who posted them on key sites throughout the World Cup but were released in the days following the final, with months remaining on their contracts.

Mostafa Qadri, director of the human rights organization “Ekidem”, called for the immediate release of the three men, saying that they were punished simply for claiming their rights and the rights of hundreds of their colleagues after their contracts were terminated early.

“This is the real cost of FIFA’s disregard for the rights of the people who help them make huge profits,” he said.

Hundreds of former Stark Security workers also face the same situation after a row over early termination of their contracts.

Jacob and Patrick, two workers from Kenya, faced the same problem, and they spent most of the tournament working as security guards at Stadium 974, which hosted big matches for Argentina, Brazil, France and Portugal and embraced stars such as Messi, Mbappe and Ronaldo.

shock

Jacob and his friend say the letter that told them they had been laid off came as a shock, because their contracts still had three months to go.

The two men revealed that after receiving the letter, they were asked to collect their last salaries for the days they worked in December and to leave their place of residence.

A few days after the final, they suddenly found themselves without a job.

“When they needed us, they treated us well,” Jacob said, “but now they need us, we don’t mean anything to them.”

For his part, Patrick said: “They say it was the most beautiful World Cup, but in the end we lost everything.”

The Guardian interviewed nine security guards who worked for the company, including Jacob and Patrick, all of whom had their contracts terminated early.

From those interviews, it became clear that the workers’ contracts, which were reviewed by the newspaper, promised a monthly salary of about $740 in return for working seven days a week, in addition to providing them with food and housing.

The nine men the newspaper spoke to say they only worked for six months and were fired without notice when their contracts stipulated a one-month notice period.

Under reforms to Qatar’s labor laws in 2020, employers can terminate contracts early, but they must give one month’s notice.

“We feel helpless”

Another security guard from Pakistan said, “We went to Qatar to earn money and make a better life for our family, but we were deceived by the company and the authorities,” and then continued, “We feel so helpless.”

With no other opportunity for employment in Qatar and no residency that allows it, there is no way for these people to pay off the huge debts they incurred to get to Qatar.

It is reported that Jacob, Patrick and hundreds of other security guards tried to negotiate with Stark Security and complained to the Qatari government, but to no avail.

Jacob said in this regard: “We told them: We are still willing to work, we did not let you down in any way, we did not commit any crime, if you want to stop us from work, you must compensate us for the remaining months.”