Friday 6 January 2017 13:33, UK
A Swiss court has rejected a claim by three trade unions from Bangladesh and the Netherlands that FIFA acted wrongfully in giving Qatar the 2022 World Cup without demanding reforms to the Middle East state's controversial labour laws.
The Bangladeshi Free Trade Union Congress, Bangladesh Building and Wood Workers Federation and Dutch Trade Union Confederation (FNV) brought the unprecedented action against world football's governing body on behalf of Nadim Shariful Alam, a Bangladeshi who worked in Qatar between 2014 and 2016.
Alam was only seeking £4,000 in compensation for working in what the FNV described as "modern slavery" conditions but, with Qatar's sporting and infrastructure plans depending on millions of migrant workers, the potential liability for FIFA was great.
In a statement, FIFA said it "welcomes" the court's decision and added that it "takes the issue of working conditions and human rights in connection with the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar very seriously".
Qatar's treatment of migrant workers has come under scrutiny ever since the gas-rich country was given the World Cup in 2010, with particular criticism of its "kafala" system, a practice which leaves foreigners depending on local employers for their legal status.
In general, this means workers cannot change jobs without their original sponsor's approval and can also mean they are unable to go home, as their passports are withheld.
Qatar has been promising to reform this system for years and in December new legislation was announced to give migrant workers more rights, although several international organisations, most notably Amnesty International, have already said it does not go far enough.
FIFA, however, is adamant progress is being made and in its statement pointed to a "series of processes" that are under way to "address human rights risks linked to the 2022 event".
These include minimum welfare standards on World Cup construction sites, regular compliance checks and a new agreement between global trade union BWI and Qatar's Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy for inspection visits.
