Pro Installer May 2015 - Issue 26 | Page 43

43 PRO INSTALLER MAY 2015 PRO SPORT @proinstaller1 Tradesmen Urged to Show FIFA The Red Card over worker abuses Tradesmen are being urged to sign a petition campaigning against the lack of construction workers rights in Qatar, as the country prepares for the World Cup in 2022. For over a year UCATT has been campaigning for workers’ in Qatar to stop being forced to work in slave like conditions. UCATT representatives on a recent Building Workers’ International mission to Qatar have uncovered shocking human rights abuses, with migrant construction workers being worked to death, and treated as slaves by employers and agencies as the country increases construction in the run-up to the football World Cup in 2022. The visit, where UCATT were represented by General Secretary Steve Murphy, National Political Officer Jim Kennedy, and Executive Council Chair Neil Vernon, revealed horrific exploitation of migrant workers from Nepal, India and Pakistan, who are forced to live inside inhumane work camps. The mission has revealed horrific and deadly exploitation of migrant workers, who are forced to live in squalor, drink salt water and get paid just 57p an hour. It is reported that up to now some 1,200 construction workers have died in recent years. There is now a new opportunity to put pressure on FIFA prior to their Congress in Zurich on the 29th of May. Construction trade unionists from all over the world have sent letters to national football associations and fan clubs in their countries demanding they take a stand for workers’ rights. Together with you we are showing the world of football that we will not accept a World Cup without workers’ rights. However, now is the time to step up our efforts and target the corporate sponsors of FIFA. They pump millions of dollars into FIFA and without them the World Cup would not be possible. If we can get them to speak up, FIFA and the Qatari Government will have to act. Please sign the petition by visiting: www.change.org/p/ adidas-coca-colahyundai-kia-motorsvisa-and-mcdonalds-redcard-for-fifa-stand-upfor-workers-rights-inqatar-2 Doha, Qatar, image courtesy of UCATT Many of the sponsors have previously expressed concern over the corruption allegations against FIFA last year, but kept silent about the slave-like conditions for workers building the World Cup. We now want them to give FIFA an ultimatum and quit their sponsorship unless FIFA decides to do the right thing, which is to make sure that workers’ rights are respected before, during and after the World Cup. And please take a bit of your time to share it with your union friends and family, and in social media using Facebook or Twitter by linking to the campaign and using the hashtag #RedCardforFIFA For full details go to Qatar Campaign http:// www.ucatt.org.uk/qatar THE SKY’S THE LIMIT An intrepid team from REHAU will be taking to the skies in June as part of a world record skydiving attempt. Irene Smith and Faye Tompkins from REHAU’s Marketing Communications team, Applications Engineer Edward Kodia and Marketing and Technical Director Gareth Jones will all be jumping 15,000 ft from planes over Honiton airfield in Devon in a giant charity skydive raising money for Prostate Cancer UK. ‘They hope to be part of the team which breaks the world record’ They hope to be part of the team which breaks the world record for the highest number of fundraisers jumping in tandem over a 24 hour period. The current record is 281 and the target this time is 333. Irene, Faye, Edward and Gareth are joining colleagues from across REHAU’ ́