A subsidiary of French construction giant Vinci has been charged with alleged labour abuses at work sites in Qatar, including projects linked to the football World Cup, a lawyer for the group said Wednesday.
Vinci Constructions Grands Projets (VCGP) was charged by a French magistrate with "labour or housing conditions incompatible with human dignity", after complaints by NGOs and former Indian and Nepalese workers, Jean-Pierre Versini-Campinchi told AFP.
Under French law, being charged implies the magistrate believes there is compelling evidence against the company, but the decision can be appealed and does not automatically mean the case will go to trial.
The Paris-based group has denied using forced labour and taking part in human trafficking, as claimed by the plaintiffs.
Two French NGOs -- Sherpa and the Committee Against Modern Slavery -- and seven former employees from India and Nepal who worked on Vinci building sites have filed a series of legal complaints against the company dating back to 2015.
They allege that employees working on sites linked to the football World Cup laboured for 66 to 77 hours a week, had their passports confiscated and were forced to live in indecent accommodation.
In its statement on Monday, Vinci denied that the public transport sites in question were linked to the World Cup, saying the contracts were awarded before the football tournament was attributed to Qatar in 2010.
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