When Eric Dzhakhpevych found a construction job at Moscows Luzhniki Stadium, he entered the jobsite each morning past a statue of Vladimir Lenin below an unlit fluorescent light that curved into the words Dobro pozhalovat the Russian phrase for welcome.
But for many of the migrant workers renovating Luzhniki Stadium, where soccer fans will gather to watch the opening match of the 2018 World Cup, the entrance can lead to dangerous jobsites managed by exploitative employers.
Dzhakhpevych, 31, left his home country of Kyrgyzstan for construction work in Moscow. His boss at Luzhniki Stadium promised to pay Dzhakhpevych and his coworkers when they finished a two-month job insulating ceilings. But at the end of the gig, their employer disappeared without paying.
They said they would pay tomorrow, then they said it would be next week. And then a month went by, Dzhakhpevych said. But they still never paid us. The people we worked for just ran away.
Stories of frequent wage theft at Russias World Cup sites now threaten to tarnish the worlds most popular sporting event. Russia has already spent $11.4 billionon World Cup infrastructure in 11 host cities that required new stadiums or extensive renovations on existing venues like Luzhniki Stadium. The projects have attracted thousands of workers from throughout Russia and the former Soviet republics, many of whom have experienced severe labor violations.
At least 17 workershave died working on Russias World Cup sites, according to researchers with the global trade union Building and Woodworkers International in Geneva. A new reportby Human Rights Watch also documented widespread instances where construction workers laboring at Russian stadiums, many of them migrants from Central Asia, were cheated out of wages by construction companies.
Theres a pervasive system of worker exploitation on Russian construction sites, said Jane Buchanan, associate director of the European and Central Asia Division at Human Rights Watch.
Dzhakhpevych came to Russia hoping to send home enough money to pay his fiances family a kalym,a traditional dowry,throw a nice wedding when he returned and finish building his house. Dzhakhpevychs home consists of a two-story structure with open windows that the elements blow through in the Kyrgyz city of Osh, about 2,350 milessoutheast of Moscow.
A university graduate with a law degree, Dzhakhpevych says he can earn four times more on Russian construction sites than he did back home. But despite the potential benefits of working in Russia, many migrants meet few of their goals.
Dzhakhpevych and four friends from Kyrgyzstan found work at Luzhniki Stadium insulating ceilings for a company called Stroi Kachestvo. Their boss paid them each just $60 a week to get by. When they finished the job, Stroi Kachestvo owed the group about $2,000, according to Dzhakhpevych. He says the employer promised to pay them several days later, but instead their boss disappeared and his phone number stopped working.
Russian labor law requires employers to provide foreign workers with a signed contract specifying the terms of the job, but many fail to comply. The practice leaves migrants with few options for holding unfair employers accountable.
Foreign workers laboring on Russian construction sites commonly become victims of wage theft. But Dzhakhpevych says the reasons migrants get tricked by Russian bosses even a trained lawyer like himself are complex.
Kyrgyz, Uzbeks, Tajiks theyre mostly Muslim, Dzhakhpevych said,and they take a person for their word. So when a boss promises them something, they believe it and do the work. And at the end of the job, they don't get paid.
Workers at five of Russias World Cup stadiums have gone on strike over unpaid wages. Other workers said they were forced to labor in freezing winter temperatures without adequate protection. And in one case, workers from Uzbekistan and Tajikistan were even arrested and deported from Russia for complaining about problems with their contracts.
Many workers at Russias stadiums said their bosses threatened to fire them for speaking about the working conditions. And workers arent the only ones who face retaliation. A researcher with Human Rights Watch was arrestedand threatened by police for investigating labor conditions at a stadium in the Russian city of Volgograd.
The atmosphere of control and intimidation and secrecy was something that we had neverencountered before in Russia, Buchanan said, so there is a real concern about what those responsible for the World Cup have to hide.
Soccers governing body, FIFA, has regularly inspected labor conditions at the stadiums for the first time ever in the lead up to a World Cup. FIFA has admitted publiclythat there have been problems, but FIFA hasnt stated what sorts of specific labor violations they found. In response to an interview request, FIFA sent a brief email maintaining that the working conditions at Russian stadiums areparamount.
The construction companies that have abused Russias World Cup construction workers, despite the inspections by FIFA, often violate a number of Russian laws. Public records revealed that Stroi Kachestvo, the company that failed to pay Dzhakhpevych, was located in a Moscow office building with no phone number. The company listed a starting capital of just $200, a common practice of Russian shell companies.
Workers who do experience employment-related abuses in Russias soccer stadiums have few avenues for demanding payment from their bosses. Advocates say that exploitation of migrant workers in Russia often persistsbecause, simply, many Russians just dont want foreigners in the country.
People think that immigration is bad for the economy, that immigrants take away their job or that maybe migrants can be terrorists, said Varya Tretyak, director of a program that provides legal aid to migrants at the Moscow nonprofit Civic Assistance Committee.
On a summer afternoon in the committees offices, Tretyak investigated a construction company that owed $2,000 in unpaid wages to a worker from Uzbekistan. Tretyak did a quick online search and learned that the construction company wasnt properly registered.
Tretyak used this information when she called the workers boss to intimidate him to pay. When the boss answered the phone, an accusatory tone replaced Tretyaks friendly demeanor. But the employer insisted he had never heard of the worker. Tretyak hung up the phone and vowed to take legal action if he still neglected to pay after several more calls.
Construction workers at Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow say that wage theft is so common throughout the Russian construction industry that a culture of complacence has evolved. When a problem occurs, migrants usually just move on to another jobsite. The immediate pressure to send remittances back home, and the necessity to put a roof over your head, usually outweighs the time it would take to hold employers accountable.
Exploitation at construction sites often traps many migrants in Russia for far longer than they planned. Dzhakhpevych again, a trained lawyer simply left Russia.
We have a proverb that says, its good to be a guest, but its better to be at home, Dzhakhpevych said. Here in Russia you just go to work in the morning, come home at night to sleep.
Dzhakhpevych left Russia without saving enough money to finish his house in Kyrgyzstan. And, he saidvia email, he hadnt even gotten married, yet.
Dzhakhpevych said he'ddecided one thing: He planned to go back to Russia soon to find work at another construction site.
Nataliya Vasilyeva contributed reporting to this piece.
Read this article:
Many migrant workers building Russia's World Cup sites are getting stiffed - PRI
- MN lawmakers consider $8.5 million renovation to tunnel connecting State Office Building, Capitol Minnesota Reformer - Minnesota Reformer - March 5th, 2024 [March 5th, 2024]
- Medical Office Building Report | CommercialSearch - CommercialSearch - March 5th, 2024 [March 5th, 2024]
- MN lawmakers consider $8.5 million renovation to tunnel connecting State Office Building, Capitol - Voice Of Alexandria - March 5th, 2024 [March 5th, 2024]
- Office space opens in redeveloped historic building in Greenville's East Park District - GSA Business - March 5th, 2024 [March 5th, 2024]
- China seeks ways to revive slowing economy and salvage property market as annual congress convenes - The Associated Press - March 5th, 2024 [March 5th, 2024]
- Digital Signage to Wrap Around Sunset Strip Office Building - The Real Deal - March 5th, 2024 [March 5th, 2024]
- A Rainbow Office Building Brightens Up the Tokyo Streets with Prismatic Color Colossal - Colossal - March 5th, 2024 [March 5th, 2024]
- Construction begins on The Central development in St. Petersburg - Tampa Bay Times - March 5th, 2024 [March 5th, 2024]
- Construction Begins on Apartment Building in Old Town Alexandria - Alexandria Living Magazine - March 5th, 2024 [March 5th, 2024]
- Edinburgh's Stamp Office building unveils modern face-lift - Scottish Construction Now - March 5th, 2024 [March 5th, 2024]
- The Dig: We bet you're not reading this at the office - Outlier Media - March 5th, 2024 [March 5th, 2024]
- The Franklin, a 1917 home redeveloped into offices, opens in downtown Greenville - UPSTATE BUSINESS JOURNAL - Upstate Business Journal - March 5th, 2024 [March 5th, 2024]
- Work Continues on King Construction Fabrication Center, Office Building - Machias Valley News Observer - January 13th, 2024 [January 13th, 2024]
- Olsson moves into new office building in Fayetteville - talkbusiness.net - December 28th, 2023 [December 28th, 2023]
- Bizzi+Bilgili, Eric Schmidt, Partner Nab Office Project Loan - The Real Deal - December 28th, 2023 [December 28th, 2023]
- Developer To Transform Century-Old Office Building Into Residence Inn - CoStar Group - December 28th, 2023 [December 28th, 2023]
- Capitol campus makeover begins with State Office Building renovation - Star Tribune - December 11th, 2023 [December 11th, 2023]
- 'Raise that beam': Folsom Medical Office Building frame complete - UC Davis Health - December 11th, 2023 [December 11th, 2023]
- Construction nearing on State Office Building expansion, renovation - KSTP - December 11th, 2023 [December 11th, 2023]
- Uptown office building on track to open by spring 2024 - Albuquerque Business First - The Business Journals - December 11th, 2023 [December 11th, 2023]
- Deal cues up new mixed-use project in downtown Kissimmee. Here's what we know. - The Business Journals - December 11th, 2023 [December 11th, 2023]
- Construction Begins on MOB and Two Retail Buildings at Nine Mile Corner in Erie - Mile High CRE - January 25th, 2022 [January 25th, 2022]
- Construction on New FBI Office in Lexington Advances FBI - Federal Bureau of Investigation - January 25th, 2022 [January 25th, 2022]
- New Apple campus construction in northwest Austin coming together - KVUE.com - January 25th, 2022 [January 25th, 2022]
- Designed by RODE Architects, Construction Starts on Boston's Largest Supportive Housing Development in Jamaica Plain - Boston Real Estate Times - January 25th, 2022 [January 25th, 2022]
- The Wauwatosa high-rise tower was approved by a city board Thursday. Construction will likely begin this September - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel - January 25th, 2022 [January 25th, 2022]
- Sterling Bay to break ground by 3Q on Lincoln Yards project - The Real Deal - January 25th, 2022 [January 25th, 2022]
- Sault Ste. Marie had a bust-out year for construction in 2021 - Northern Ontario Business - January 25th, 2022 [January 25th, 2022]
- daaz office wraps a 'playful shell' around this school in rural iran - Designboom - January 25th, 2022 [January 25th, 2022]
- Construction of $65M sewer project aimed at ensuring continued water safety - Dayton Daily News - January 25th, 2022 [January 25th, 2022]
- Assembly committee briefed on City Hall options - kinyradio.com - January 25th, 2022 [January 25th, 2022]
- Lendlease on the move in West Adams - The Real Deal - January 25th, 2022 [January 25th, 2022]
- Interest in office space down as new building construction slows markedly - Radio Prague - December 28th, 2021 [December 28th, 2021]
- NYC developers poised but hesitant to break ground on slew of projects - New York Post - December 28th, 2021 [December 28th, 2021]
- Who's building in Wilmington? Pet crematory, Red Cross St. apartments, Riverlights townhomes among plans - Port City Daily - December 28th, 2021 [December 28th, 2021]
- U.S. Customs and Border Protection authorized to clean up wall construction sites, close gaps - KTLA - December 28th, 2021 [December 28th, 2021]
- SF has a slew of mega housing projects on track for 2022. Here's what it could mean for the city - San Francisco Chronicle - December 28th, 2021 [December 28th, 2021]
- First special economic zone IT office space of Taurus by November 2022 - The New Indian Express - December 28th, 2021 [December 28th, 2021]
- Permanent home: Knowledge Services owners move business to new headquarters in Fishers Current - Current in Carmel - December 28th, 2021 [December 28th, 2021]
- Remembering the startups we lost in 2021 - TechCrunch - December 28th, 2021 [December 28th, 2021]
- What was Greater Fall River's biggest story of 2021? Use this form to cast your vote - Fall River Herald News - December 28th, 2021 [December 28th, 2021]
- Final roar for Vancouver Red Lion Inn at the Quay - The Columbian - December 28th, 2021 [December 28th, 2021]
- Walmarts new Home Office is the largest mass timber ... - November 4th, 2021 [November 4th, 2021]
- LMN Architects completes new office building in the US - DesignBuild Network - November 4th, 2021 [November 4th, 2021]
- Bottleworks' second phase moving ahead with no residential but greater emphasis on office space - Indianapolis Business Journal - November 4th, 2021 [November 4th, 2021]
- Bamboo Farm Office: Headquarters of a Prototype Farm Growing Sustainable Construction Materials / Ingvartsen Architects - ArchDaily - November 4th, 2021 [November 4th, 2021]
- New Minot City Hall design approved, bids for construction to begin soon - KX NEWS - November 4th, 2021 [November 4th, 2021]
- Yet another delay in Washington post office's construction? - Rappahannock News - November 4th, 2021 [November 4th, 2021]
- Downtown business dominoes are falling thanks in part to ongoing multi-unit housing construction - KGET 17 - November 4th, 2021 [November 4th, 2021]
- With nearly $50M in sales booked, developer begins work on phase two of luxury tower - Business Observer - November 4th, 2021 [November 4th, 2021]
- Governor Hochul Announces Progress on $38 Million Affordable Housing Development in Rochester - Homes and Community Renewal - November 4th, 2021 [November 4th, 2021]
- Swinerton VP: Construction tech just another tool for workers to wield - Construction Dive - November 4th, 2021 [November 4th, 2021]
- Ask the R-S mailbag: $10 million in traffic improvements needed for new Bethel campus - Record Searchlight - November 4th, 2021 [November 4th, 2021]
- As CTC winds down its 2021 slate, its future looks bigger than ever literally - The Independent - November 4th, 2021 [November 4th, 2021]
- HATCHspaces and NexCore Group JV Expand Their Partnership With a New 100000 SF Lab-Enabled Office Project Along the Expo Light Rail Line in West Los... - November 4th, 2021 [November 4th, 2021]
- Building, construction, and design roundtable - Utah Business - Utah Business - February 9th, 2021 [February 9th, 2021]
- New office building will anchor Allen mixed-use project - The Dallas Morning News - February 9th, 2021 [February 9th, 2021]
- Amazon unveils design for the second phase of its Virginia HQ - Construction Specifier - The Construction Specifier - February 9th, 2021 [February 9th, 2021]
- Not Another Future of the Office Article - Propmodo - February 9th, 2021 [February 9th, 2021]
- Who's building where in Acadiana? Here are the building permits issued Jan. 25-29 - The Advocate - February 9th, 2021 [February 9th, 2021]
- Illustrating the Impact of Project Commodore, Midtown's Future Tallest Building, on the New York Skyline - New York YIMBY - February 9th, 2021 [February 9th, 2021]
- COVID-19 has given Dallas-Fort Worth one of the highest office vacancies in the nation - The Dallas Morning News - February 9th, 2021 [February 9th, 2021]
- Bostons in a lab-building boom. What will that mean for the city and its neighborhoods? - BetaBoston - February 9th, 2021 [February 9th, 2021]
- 96-Acre Logistics Center with Up to 900,000 Sq. Ft. of Warehouse Space Planned for Curtis Bay - SouthBMore.com - February 9th, 2021 [February 9th, 2021]
- Global EPDM (Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer) Market Report 2020: Market to Reach $8.7 Billion by 2027 - Focus on Automotive, Building &... - February 9th, 2021 [February 9th, 2021]
- Top 10 LEED-Certified Buildings in Texas in 2020 - Commercial Property Executive - February 9th, 2021 [February 9th, 2021]
- "Mrs. Henderson worked with architects Paul J. Pelz and Jules T. Crow to propose the construction of a large mansion for the chief executive atop... - February 9th, 2021 [February 9th, 2021]
- Springdale council to consider votes to spend $1.5 million more for city hall project - Arkansas Online - February 2nd, 2021 [February 2nd, 2021]
- Governor Cuomo Announces $30 Million in Awards to Finance Construction and Services for 1200 Supportive Housing Units - ny.gov - February 2nd, 2021 [February 2nd, 2021]
- U.S. Embassy in New Delhi breaks ground on expansion - Building Design + Construction - February 2nd, 2021 [February 2nd, 2021]
- Construction financing secured for two Union Square assets in Somerville - Boston Real Estate Times - February 2nd, 2021 [February 2nd, 2021]
- New creative office space completes in Silicon Beach - Building Design + Construction - January 30th, 2021 [January 30th, 2021]
- Perkins&Will reimagines an earthquake-battered Anchorage office building as a glacier-like landmark - The Architect's Newspaper - January 30th, 2021 [January 30th, 2021]
- Pandemic Leads to Sharp Pullback in Commercial and Multifamily Construction Starts in 2020 - Construction.com - January 30th, 2021 [January 30th, 2021]
- New construction to bring clinic, lab, car wash, homes - Shawnee News Star - January 30th, 2021 [January 30th, 2021]
- COVID-19 took a toll on Dallas-Fort Worths construction starts in 2020 - The Dallas Morning News - January 30th, 2021 [January 30th, 2021]
- Aaron Retherford Named To Building Design + Construction's 40 Under 40 Class of 2020 - Suburban Journals - January 30th, 2021 [January 30th, 2021]
- 1,031-Foot Tall 66 Hudson Boulevard, aka The Spiral, Tops Out Over Hudson Yards, Manhattan - New York YIMBY - January 30th, 2021 [January 30th, 2021]
- 2021 State of Construction Industry: A Forecast for Uncertain Times - ForConstructionPros.com - January 30th, 2021 [January 30th, 2021]
- Grand Junction Steel has asbestos remediated from offices - The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel - January 30th, 2021 [January 30th, 2021]