Today's Guardian (the British newspaper) contains this opinion piece from journalist Marina Hyde:
It includes this paragraph:
Fifa’s sponsors, though, are deemed more reachable. This week has seen the launch of a campaign by the International Trade Union Confederation, Play Fair Qatar and the NewFifaNow group to shame them with the appalling conditions endured by labourers building tournament infrastructure for 2022. “As things stand,” declares Play Fair Qatar, “more than 62 workers will die for each game played during the 2022 tournament.”
The claim is being made by the TUC under their campaign Playfair Qatar (name shown in some media outlets as 'Play Fair Qatar'). The specific claim they make is:
To date [no date is shown for this post] almost 1000 workers have died in Qatar and if nothing changes the death toll could be as much as 4000 by the time the World Cup starts in 2022.
TUC: Qatar, accessed 20 May 2015
On their Facebook page the claim appears as:
62 workers may lose their lives for each game played during Qatar’s 2022 World Cup, due to Qatar's systemic rights abuses and abysmal safety record. Without sponsorship from FIFA's partner companies Coke, VISA, McDonald’s, Adidas, Kia and Hyundai, this multi-billion dollar tournament couldn’t take place. These firms all have ethical policies in place for their own supply chains, but are silent on the abuses they are funding in Qatar.
Facebook: Playfair Qatar, 18 May 2015
On the Playfair Qatar website the claim is:
1420
CONFIRMED DEATHS OF WORKERS FROM JUST NEPAL, INDIA AND BANGLADESH IN 2012-2014. THAT’S ALMOST 40 DEATHS A MONTH.4000
THE ESTIMATED WORKER DEATH TOLL BY THE TIME THE QATAR WORLD CUP STARTS IN 2022 – IF NOTHING IS DONE TO STOP IT.
Playfair Qatar, accessed 20 May 2015
The same claim is cited by BBC News:
As well as New Fifa Now and ITUC, the call to sponsors has also been backed by Stephen Russell of Play Fair Qatar, which has the backing of the UK's Trade Union Congress (TUC).
Mr Russell said that "as things stand, more than 62 workers will die for each game played during the 2022 tournament".
BBC News: Fifa World Cup sponsors urged to speak out over Qatar, 18 May 2015
My questions are:
Is it true that the stated number of workers have died in Qatar's preparations for the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar™?
Is it true that if workers continue to die at the same rate, 62 workers per match will have died by the time the Qatar World Cup takes place?