Laborers working on one of Russia’s World Cup venues "are complaining that they have not been paid for months, despite the budget for the arena increasing fivefold since the country won the right to hold the 2018 competition," according to Alec Luhn of the London GUARDIAN. The Zenit arena, the long-delayed World Cup stadium in St. Petersburg, "has become one of the most expensive sports venues in the world." But the money has not "trickled down to construction workers." Pay delays "have become so prevalent that 50 men who worked on the stadium are threatening to sue two subcontractors" for 14M rubles ($215,000) in back wages. Besides pay delays, laborers "have also complained of poor work conditions and inconsistent safety standards." At least five men "had been killed in accidents at the stadium site since 2011." A 47-year-old stadium worker from Uzbekistan said, "Everyone has hold-ups now. I haven’t gotten my wages for the third month in a row." Of the 15 workers the Guardian spoke to outside Zenit arena, "six complained that their wages had been delayed for a month or more." General contractor Transstroy said that "all its employees were paid on time and that the construction site met necessary safety requirements." But "myriad subcontractors have built much of the venue." The 2,000 laborers at the site typically work 10-15 hours a day "with only Sundays off." Most make 110 rubles ($1.70) an hour, "although specialists and foremen can make" 250 rubles ($3.90) (GUARDIAN, 8/31).
