Human Rights Watch releases report claiming migrant workers were cheated out of wages and coerced to remain in exploitative jobs

Source: Desmond Kavanagh

British-based firms working on the 2014 Winter Olympics in the city of Sochi, Russia, have been called on to speak out about human rights abuses after the publication of a report claiming construction workers are being exploited.

New York-based Human Rights Watch last week released the 67-page report claiming that migrant workers on key venues including the Olympic stadium, Olympic village and main media centre had been cheated out of wages by some employers.

The report, sent to the International Olympic Committee, also documented allegations that workers have been coerced to remain in exploitative jobs.

A range of international consultants have worked on the Games and UK-based firms that have been involved include Olympic stadium architect Populous, stadium engineer Buro Happold and project and programme manager Mace.

A spokesperson for Buro Happold said its involvement in the Sochi Winter Olympics stadium has been in the design stages, adding: “We have not been involved in a supervisory role on site.”

Mace said it finished its work two years ago and was “never involved in the construction of the project”. Populous declined to comment.

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