Italian footballers and unions sign agreement to promote health and safety in sports infrastructure

An agreement was signed on 21 June between construction unions, FeNEAL, the Italian Federation of Construction and Allied Workers (FILCA), The Italian Federation of Wood, Building and Allied Workers (FILLEA), and the Italian Footballers’ Association and the Italian Football Coaches’ Association to promote the rights and dignity of workers employed at major sports infrastructure projects. It also pushed for the protection of the health and safety of all those who are involved in and/or enjoy sports infrastructure, including athletes, technicians and spectators. 

"The agreement signed today is an important novelty for our country - the trade unions declare together with the footballers and coaches’ associations - and it does not stop only at collaboration for major sporting events, but also represents a model for the construction and renovation of sports infrastructures starting from the stadiums in Italy, to promote full regularity, safety and legality in the realization of these works. The world of football will thus be able to make an important contribution also in Italy to convey messages and promote important campaigns together with the trade union on the health and safety of those who work on construction sites and of those who work and live there every day in those sports infrastructures like athletes and technicians,” the groups said in a statement. 

"In recent years, the construction of the stadiums and infrastructures for the next World Cup in Qatar has brought to the fore the unacceptable living conditions of the workers involved in construction works, immigrants from construction (and not only), both with regard tosafety at work and with regard to the dignity and fair remuneration of workers. For this reason, the global trade union movement, as well as the international representatives of footballers and coaches, have become active and leading forces of important campaigns organised by the respective world organizations, such as FIFPRO and BWI against the exploitation of workers,” they added. 

The groups said that the commitment of trade unions, football players and coaches’  associations to the campaign has allowed FIFA to become more responsible and above all a better protection of workers. “Significant but not consolidated results have been achieved - underline the parties - and, for this reason, in recent months the commitment of BWI and FIFPRO, has intensified with the campaign to establish a Migrant Workers’ Centre in Doha, which remains active even after the conclusion of this year's World Cup.”

Signatories to the agreement hope to lay the foundation of a model that promotes side by side  development and the rights and dignity of workers, including protection of the health and safety of workers, athletes and technicians, as well as compliance with all environment standards.

“Sport is the bearer of values ​​such as solidarity, respect for competitors and rules of fair play, good physical and mental health. These are things that can only be fully realised in a society based on mutual respect, especially the rights and dignity of workers,” the groups concluded.