Irregularities in hiring workers in Olympic Village
Some buildings of the Athletes' Village had been delivered with problems in water and gas pipes, in addition to electrical wiring, and workers were urgently hired for the repairs
On the inspection conducted this Wednesday (Jul. 27) in the Olympic Park, Rio de Janeiro Local Labour Office (linked to the Ministry of Labour and Employment) reported irregularities in the working conditions of employees repairing water and gas pipes, and electrical wiring in some apartments of the Athletes' Village and park arenas that had been delivered with problems.
They inspected 31 apartment blocks of the Athletes' Village, which is undergoing repairs and employing 630 workers who were urgently hired to make repairs in more than 3,600 apartments built for the delegations. In addition to water and gas pipes, and electrical wiring, they were also repairing sagging plaster on ceilings.
In a note, the Ministry of Labour and Employment reported that labour inspectors went to the Athletes' Village to probe allegations concerning the working hours and the food and sanitary conditions of the workers on site. According to the note, the team found workers with no record on their working papers, which indicates "informal conditions for hiring about 600 workers. Furthermore, the working hours observed reached up to 23 daily hours.
The companies responsible for the workers were notified and they have to submit the documents on employment contracts. If the irregularities are confirmed, infraction notices will be issued and after appeal deadline, they may result in fines.
The operation is part of the Ministry of Labour planning concerning the Rio 2016 Olympics and Paralympics, which includes frequently probing into the working conditions of the facilities construction and infrastructure works.
According to the Organizing Committee for Rio 2016, the inspectors' action violates an agreement negotiated between the Ministry of Labour and Employment and the committee, which established that "notices would only be issued after the documents were analyzed." According to the committee, the documents would be submitted to the inspectors for analysis on Wednesday.
Translated by Amarílis Anchieta
Fonte: Irregularities in hiring workers in Olympic Village
