BRUSSELS: Attempts to intimidate the International Trade Union Confederation into scaling back its football-linked campaign activities will not succeed writes KEIR RADNEDGE.

A statement to that effect has followed a ‘dirty tricks’ attempt to discredit it over high-profile concerns about both FIFA governance and conditions for construction workers in Qatar.

Last week ITUC email accounts were hacked and others forged. This was followed by attempts to ‘run’ clearly suspicious material through more gullible websites and other publications.

A defiant statement in response from the ITUC said: “The ITUC has for some time been facing a disinformation campaign by unidentified persons, in connection with our campaign to defend the rights of migrant workers in Qatar including those preparing infrastructure for the 2022 World Cup.

“This campaign has included the dissemination of fake videos and other materials, setting up of fake social media accounts and various other techniques aimed at the ITUC and at individual people.

Campaign

“This week the ITUC received confirmation that ITUC email accounts have been hacked, and falsified material inserted into emails.

“We anticipate that this campaign may intensify in the coming weeks with the election of a new FIFA President due on February 26 and important discussions in UN institutions including the ILO in the first quarter of this year.

“These methods will not deter the ITUC from standing up for the rights of working people in Qatar or in any other place.”

The ITUC claims to represent 180m workers in 162 countries.

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