Changing the Game: A critical analysis of labour exploitation in Mega Sport Event infrastructure projects is the first in a series of three EAP Insights briefings focusing on issues surrounding mega sport events (MSEs). The briefing outlines the current state of play for construction workers on MSE sites, going on to offer innovative recommendations to the tackle problems of unsustainable jobs, wage delay and critical health and safety concerns.
Some of these recommendations include:
- Putting in place a construction site monitoring system to promote health and safety, involving bodies other than labour agencies (who usually bear sole responsibility for site inspections) to enhance scrutiny over the protection of workers.
- Workers’ longer-term prospects could be enhanced by establishing a capacity building body focussed on building their soft and hard skill set. The design of such a body could be incorporated into construction bids to help ensure its enforcement.
- Creating a construction workers’ payment fund in order to mitigate late payment. This has been established in Qatar through its ‘Wage Protection System’ which releases payment to workers at the bottom of the construction supply chain after a late payment claim is filled by workers.
