A new report by the human rights group FairSquare has found that migrant workers in the supply chain of Saudi Aramco, one of the world's most profitable companies and a sponsor of the upcoming FIFA World Cup, are exposed to serious safety and health risks. The report documents 23 cases of alleged labour rights abuses among workers employed by Aramco's contractors and subcontractors in Saudi Arabia.
One case involves Shrawan Shah Rauniyar, a migrant worker from Nepal whose legs were crushed by a metal beam while working on a project managed by Italian firm Saipem, which was contracted by Aramco. Rauniyar claims he received no compensation and was forcibly deported to Nepal less than three weeks after the accident. Saipem confirmed he received full medical assistance but did not comment on compensation.
Workers interviewed by FairSquare alleged they endured extreme heat, shifts of up to 19 hours, and slum housing. Nick McGeehan, FairSquare's director, said: 'Aramco obviously has a responsibility to protect these workers, but it also has tremendous influence to set standards that flow down its supply chain.'
Aramco, which provides about two-thirds of Saudi government revenue, employs over 76,000 people directly but relies on a long chain of thousands of contractors and subcontractors employing mostly migrant labourers from South Asia. The UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights require companies to prevent abuses throughout their operations.
