News

World Cup kick off in South Africa: 'Yellow cards' for FIFA

Football is very linked to the workers’ movement and one of the preferred sports of coal mine and steel workers. At the end of the 19th century, national football federations were established in Europe replacing the conservative sports federations that had existed until then. 

Football is now a global culture, but there are also negative side effects: human trafficking, child labour, modern forms of slavery. Young African players have long been a sought-after commodity among Europe's top clubs. While some youngsters make it to the top, many players end up on the streets.

However, there are good reasons to be worried: FIFA has consistently evaded social responsibility for wages and working conditions of the tens of thousands of construction workers employed largely in atypical forms of employment. Furthermore, FIFA has remained silent about the destruction of townships and neighbourhoods for the stadiums to be built on and has not hesitated to restrict the freedom of information by filtering press and media access to the stadiums.

SOLIDAR together with the ITUC, BWI and our member Swiss Labour Assistance (SLA) started a campaign on Decent Work at the World Cup during the World Social Forum in Nairobi in 2007. And this week SLA and more than 1000 trade unionists present at the International Labour Conference in Geneva handed over more than 13,000 signatures or “yellow cards” to FIFA. In order to not repeat this in the World Cup 2014 in Brazil, the pressure must be maintained. The next step would be a red card for FIFA!

Conny Reuter, Secretary General