The union said forced labour continues in Qatar today with no workers' rights and no migrant worker can be protected by any safety standard unless they have the right to collectively speak out about wages and conditions at work.
The kafala visa sponsorship system ties workers to their employers, as they cannot leave the country or move to another employer without permission. Qatari law denies migrant workers the right to form or join trade unions.
Tim Noonan told VoR: "The official figures that we have seen indicate in excess of 200 Indian fatalities a year, and from Nepal, approximately 200 per year. That's only a small proportion of the overseas workers in Qatar.
"These figures are exceptionally high, for the most part the relate to young fit men who are worked to exhaustion in incredibly high temperatures, up to 50 degrees. The rate of fall on building sites is increasing and it's a completely unacceptable situation in what is the world's richest country.
"One of the things the need to do is to find out what on earth is going on around building g sites. There are no official figures, which is unbelievable in a country that has the resources of Qatar.
"We know that when workers want to complain about hazardous or dangerous work, there's nowhere for them to turn to, they have no right to form a union, to negotiate or to bargain for better conditions or wages and the lack of protection is simply incredible".
Read more: http://voiceofrussia.com/uk/news/2014_02_20/International-trade-union-hits-out-at-Qatar-migrant-workers-conditions-1049/