The response of the Strabag company’s representative to Human Rights Watch’s approach in relation to a migrant workers’ complaint.
During the Sochi Olympics, Strabag, an Austrian company co-owned since 2007 by Russian oligarch, Oleg Deripaska (http://www.strabag.com/databases/internet/_public/content.nsf/web/BE7782B9E4975D46C1257A0D00408636), used subcontractor Rai, which did not pay its migrant workers. Possibly in order to free up funds to pay cuts to officials, the company, Rai, massively employed migrants without pay at the construction of 5-star hotels in the Olympic Village. After finishing the work, the migrants were detained by Russian police and deported.
According to Strabag’s answer, not paid people were working for subcontractor which was not in line with contractual obligations nor with legal regulations. No probes followed.
For background, see the full report by Human Rights Watch “Race to the Bottom. Exploitation of Migrant Workers Ahead of Russia’s 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi”.
In the same time, anti-corruption activist Alexei Navalny made a map of alleged corruption in Sochi. Se also report by Boris Nemtsov † and Leonid Martynyuk Winter Olympics in the Subtropics.
For more Deripaska related links, see here and here.
Answer Human Rights Watch_Strabag
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