The recent forced labor complaint against the Saudi Arabian government by the Building and Wood Workers’ International Union (BWI) underscores significant concerns about the treatment of migrant workers under the country’s Vision 2030 plan. This action by the BWI, representing 12 million members, serves as a stark warning to Saudi authorities, businesses, and investors about the predictable and preventable migrant labor abuses that mar the Kingdom’s ambitious economic blueprint.
Filed on June 5th, 2024, under Article 24 of the ILO constitution, the complaint highlights the exploitative living and working conditions faced by Saudi Arabia’s 13.4 million migrant workers. The most pressing issues include widespread wage theft, abusive working conditions, and the lack of enforcement of international labor treaties ratified by Saudi Arabia. The evidence presented by BWI includes testimonies from 193 migrant workers detailing abuses such as movement restrictions, intimidation, retention of identity documents, debt bondage, and excessive overtime. These conditions are exacerbated by the workers’ inability to exercise their rights to freedom of association and collective bargaining, raising serious questions about the measures in place to address these issues.
Central to these abuses is Saudi Arabia’s kafala system, which grants employers excessive control over their workers’ mobility and legal status. According to a BWI survey, 63 percent of migrant workers cannot freely terminate their employment, 85 percent of indebted workers cannot leave their jobs, and 46 percent report delayed or withheld wages. These figures highlight the urgent need for awareness and action. The timing of this complaint is especially crucial as it precedes FIFA’s decision in July on Saudi Arabia’s sole bid to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup, which flagrantly disregards FIFA’s own human rights rules and due diligence requirements. FIFA’s history of overlooking human rights abuses, notably during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, which was awarded without proper human rights due diligence and led to widespread labor exploitation, should serve as a cautionary tale. Qatar faced a labor complaint in 2014, and despite some reforms, the complaint was not taken seriously enough, resulting in severe abuse and even deaths among workers. The recent ILO complaint against Saudi Arabia signals a similar trajectory that must not be allowed to continue.
Beyond FIFA, mega projects such as the futuristic NEOM city, part of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, heavily rely on a migrant labor force. Without significant improvements in labor protections, these projects risk perpetuating the cycle of abuse and exploitation. International companies involved in these projects must conduct thorough due diligence to ensure they do not contribute to or exacerbate these abuses. Furthermore, countries with trade investment agreements with Saudi Arabia, such as the United States, must leverage their influence to pressure the Saudi government to eradicate human rights violations. More importantly, Saudi authorities must critically examine the kafala system and prioritize its reform over superficial efforts to improve their global image.
The forced labor complaint is a critical reminder of the urgent need for systemic labor reforms. As the world watches, Saudi Arabia has an opportunity to demonstrate a genuine commitment to protecting migrant workers’ rights and rectifying past injustices. Only then can the country truly realize its Vision 2030 without the stain of human rights abuses.
