FOOTBALL was labelled one of the most “corrupt industries on the planet” yesterday by Ucatt after a Dutch union threatened to sue football’s governing body Fifa over the continued abuse of migrant workers in Qatar.

Dutch union FNV plan on taking legal action along with 21-year-old Bangladeshi construction worker Nadim Shariful Alam and said it wants “Fifa to accept its responsibility and end exploitation of workers” in construction work ahead of the tournament.

British builders’ union Ucatt acting general secretary Brian Rye slammed Fifa for using the “evil” and “vile” kafala system, which has been likened to modern-day slavery, and sees workers forced to pay recruitment fees, having their passports confiscated, non-payment of wages as well as health and safety breaches.

Rye told the Star that his union would support FNV, saying: “Ucatt and its members have campaigned tirelessly for Fifa to banish the evil kafala system in Qatar, which is just slavery by any other name.

“Given that this vile system still exists and Fifa — who know full well it’s going on — have done nothing to alleviate it, we would welcome and support any organisation which pursues Fifa over this issue.

“This is one of the key human rights issues of our time — construction workers being abused by one of the most corrupt industries on the planet.”

FNV is the latest organisation to call for action against poor working conditions for labourers since Qatar was controversially awarded the hosting rights.

The gas-rich emirate is expected to spend tens of billions of pounds before the November-December 2022 tournament kicks off, preparing eight new and renovated stadiums and related projects such as transport links and accommodation.

However, thousands of migrant workers have been exploited building the infrastructure for the 2022 tournament in Qatar in conditions likened to those in “tenement slums in Victorian London” by general union GMB last year, while it has been well documented that some 1,200 migrant workers have lost their lives building the facilities.

Under the system, “workers like Nadim are lured to Qatar with enticing stories and now work as modern slaves for the super-rich Qataris,” FNV representative Ruud Baars said.

The union said that Alam paid nearly €4,000 (£3,608) to travel to work in Qatar, where he unloaded freight ships for 18 months before losing his job and being thrown out of the country.

He is demanding €10,000 (£9,022) compensation in a writ that will be filed in a Zurich court if Fifa takes no action within three weeks.