Author: Janae Meyers, Vice President
On February 7th, 2014 the world’s eyes will be on Sochi, Russia as elite athletes from all over the globe file in to compete in the XXII Olympic Winter Games. For the most part, the only aspect of the Olympics that the majority of viewers will see is the two weeks of televised sports between the Opening and Closing ceremonies. We will see the triumphant athletic successes and emotional stories as narrated by Bob Costas. What we will not see is the exploitation of over 16,000 migrant workers who were brought in to build the stadiums and arenas and the families who have been displaced (without compensation) so these facilities could be built on their land.
Human Rights Watch interviewed workers employed on Sochi construction sites working in low-wage and low-skill jobs like carpentry and welding. They discovered that they their typical wages were between the U.S. equivalent of $1.80-$2.60 per hour, that is, if they got paid at all. The workers consistently reported that their employers failed to pay their wages in full or simply did not pay them anything. As expected, the contractors who hired these workers denied workers’ claims, which means that it is the workers’ word versus the contractors’. One might ask why the workers continued to do their jobs if they were not being adequately compensated? During the interviews, workers stated that their employers claimed they would pay them “tomorrow,” so they kept coming back.
Unfortunately, the workers cannot afford to take legal action. Migrant workers who did complain about the lack of wages and other abuses (12 hour shifts, 7 days a week, one day off every two weeks) were reported to the Russian authorities by their employers and subsequently deported. Additionally, part of the lure of coming to Sochi for work was that compensation included the provision of food and housing. However, the housing is typically overcrowded and the meals are insufficient to adequately provide the nutrition necessary to sustain the long hours of manual labor the workers perform. Human Rights workers looked at the housing supplied to the workers and found that “in some cases, over 200 workers lived in very cramped conditions in a single family home."
The abuse is not just limited to migrant workers. Russian citizens have found themselves displaced and without basic necessities like water. One village relied on five wells as a water source since it does not have running water. However, once Olympic construction started, four of the wells were paved over to build a road and the fifth has since been contaminated by runoff containing pollution related to the construction. It took several months, but there is now a water truck that services the village once a week; each resident is allowed 200 liters of water. Additionally, cement factories have been constructed near residential areas and operate day and night, creating environmental and noise pollution. Complaints to local authorities have gone unanswered.
I do not mean to rain on anyone’s Olympic parade, but I find it ironic that an event intended to promote world unity is being built on the violations of the rights of those who are not in a position to defend themselves. When we watch the athletes take the stage next week, perhaps we should take a moment to reflect on what that stage cost to build.