Scoring a goal for workers safety

As people across the world get ready for tonight’s (June 10) World Cup kick off in Mexico, Unite Live shares a story from the latest edition of the buildingWorker.

Last October trade unions scored a goal for workers rights in the build up to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

While much of the world has been watching confusing match draws and dodgy peace prizes – the real world cup heroes are the construction workers that are building the stadiums and infrastructure for the tournaments. 

Delegates gathering in Geneva to mark the 20th Anniversary of the Building and Wood Workers’ International (BWI) were determined to tackle issues around workers safety and rights, and as part of this agenda signed a groundbreaking agreement with FIFA to improve conditions for workers at all FIFA tournaments for the next decade.

BWI General Secretary Ambet Yuson welcomed the new accord, saying, “This agreement builds on years of experience and critical partnership.

“It provides a clear process not only to monitor but also to prevent 

and remedy abuses, ensuring that commitments to human rights translate into concrete improvements for workers.”

The collaboration agreement with FIFA sets a framework for joint inspections, training, and reporting to promote decent and safe working conditions for all workers involved in the construction and renovation of stadiums and other infrastructure linked to FIFA tournaments.

The agreement, signed by BWI President Per-Olof Sjöö and FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafström, also establishes a formal structure for cooperation between both organisations. This aims to ensure workers’ rights are respected throughout relevant supply chains, as well as construction and infrastructure sites, by maintaining transparency, accountability and constructive engagement.

As part of the new agreement, in late November the BWI conducted an official visit to Monterrey, one of three Mexican host cities during the 2026 World Cup. 

Unite joined the delegation, which also included representatives from Mexican affiliate CIT and SUNTRACS from Panama. 

The visit was part of the new agreements joint verification and monitoring process and focused on the 52,000 capacity BBVA Stadium, which is set to host four World Cup matches. The trade union delegation also had meetings with members of FIFA’s Human Rights Committee for Mexico, the stadium management team and the Host City Committee.

They discussed details of completed renovation works, plans for temporary infrastructure and operational procedures for the tournament. They also explored issues related to community legacy, environmental considerations and safety, while sharing preliminary recommendations aimed at strengthening compliance with international labour standards and ensuring safe and healthy working conditions. 

Tournament building work is about more than stadiums, and Monterrey has a number of major projects linked to the World Cup, including the construction of two new Metro lines 4 and 6. 

BWI delegates wrapped up the visit meeting workers from the construction, mining, and metalworking sectors in Monterrey and the broader northeastern region bordering the United States. Discussions focused on occupational safety and health issues as part of ongoing work with partners to ensure that FIFA’s human rights commitments are implemented in practice.

Unite National Health and Safety Advisor, Luke Collins, was part of the delegation and felt that the BWI-FIFA inspections were a success, with FIFA being receptive to trade union recommendations and a continued commitment to improve worker’s health and safety. 

Luke said, “This is a genuine tripartite effort. The businesses contracted through FIFA understand the magnitude of the event and that the eyes of the world will be upon them. 

“The UK’s legislation was earmarked as the gold standard for Health and Safety and the American and Canadian contractors are committed to working to the highest standards.”

Luke added that Unite’s Rob Miguel and Paola Cammilli of BWI were instrumental in bringing this working arrangement together, saying that, “this truly demonstrates that trade union involvement is paramount, having the worker’s voice truly heard, gives real 360 degree view of how to build suitable and sufficient policies at major sporting events.”

The next decade sees a packed schedule of global football tournaments, which are far more spread out across host countries than previous events, making it vital that trade unions work together globally to ensure workers are protected.

Unite has previously campaigned to protect migrant workers working in dangerous heat and poor living conditions while constructing World Cup stadiums and infrastructure, most recently for Qatar 2022. 

Reports suggest that more than 6,500 migrant workers died during construction in a combination of workplace accidents and suicides.

Many in the football community have raised concerns over recent FIFA decisions regarding who hosts the World Cup over recent years. This is mainly around the impact of heat on players and fans.

Global professional footballers union, FIFPRO, said it “believes that FIFA’s guidelines do not do enough to protect the health and performance of players.”

FIFPRO is made up of over 70 national players unions, including the UK’s PFA (Professional Footballers Association) and represents over 70,000 players across the world, however FIFPRO were not invited to take part in a FIFA meeting to discuss player welfare in New York, and there is increasing friction between the two organisations.

There have been other concerns raised about the growing environmental footprint of tournaments that take place over multiple countries.

In July Scientists for Global Responsibility (SGR) released a report saying the “2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup Finals are set to be the most polluting World Cup ever, with extreme heat risks to players and fans raising urgent safety concerns”. They added that “Six of the 2026 World Cup stadiums face extreme heat stress during the tournament and half of the stadiums require immediate environmental intervention to prevent harm to players and fans alike.”

If the impact on those attending matches at the stadiums causes health concerns, you can only imagine what conditions will be like for the army of construction workers building them, and the involvement of trade unions taking their side will be vital.

This article first appeared in the Spring 2026 edition of the buildingWORKER – The Unite magazine for construction sector members. You can find the magazine here. 

By Keith Hatch

Photo by BWI