Gary Neville used the World Cup final in Qatar to criticise the UK government for their treatment of nurses and other striking workers.
Neville – who has been an outspoken critic of Britain’s Conservative government in recent years – was speaking about how Qatar hosting the World Cup had drawn a spotlight on the Middle East nation’s working practices and treatment of migrant workers through its Kafala system.
Tens of thousands of nurses were away or on picket lines across the UK on Thursday and they will strike again on 20 December. The Royal College of Nursing is calling for a pay rise of five per cent above inflation and they are one of a number of groups of workers on strike across the UK in recent weeks, including rail workers.
Neville explained on ITV Sport ahead of the final: “The working system of Kafala which obviously through football the conversation has started and it's been removed here now in Qatar but it is abhorrent and we should detest low pay, we should detest poor accommodation and working conditions.
“We can never accept that in this region or any other region and it is just worth mentioning we've got a current government in our country that are demonising rail workers, ambulance workers and terrifying nurses.
“In our country we've got to look at workers rights but when football goes, we have to pick up on workers rights wherever it goes because people have got to be equal and treated equal.”
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Neville continued: “We can't have people being paid an absolute pittance to work, we can't have people in accommodation that is unsavoury and disgusting. It shouldn't happen here.
“That shouldn't happen here with the wealth that exists. But it shouldn't happen with the nurses in our country either where our nurses are having to fight for an extra pound or two pounds.”
Neville has been a prominent pundit on ITV Sport throughout the tournament while he has also worked in a punditry role on beIN Sports, the company owned by the Qatari state.
Neville’s fellow pundit Roy Keane also summed up the situation in Qatar, explain in the ITV studio ahead of kick-off in the final: “This World Cup is stained. That's the bottom line. The football's been great but the football was always going to be great because you've got world class players but it is stained.”
