In Sochi, builders on strike because of wage delay address President Medvedev

In Sochi, the builders of the dwelling complex for resettlers from the Imereti Lowland went on strike and addressed their complaint to President Dmitri Medvedev against many-month delays of wages by the General Contractor - the Open Joint-Stock Company (OJSC) "Moskonversprom".

Let us remind you that on March 11 builders who arrived from different regions of Russia went on strike and refused to work, because they don't receive their wages for several months already. According to the workers, they have no money even to buy bread. The "Caucasian Knot" correspondent reported earlier that Imereti residents nourished the builders and bought medicines for them.

In their appeal to Russian President, the builders of the dwelling district in the Tavricheskaya Street, Adler District of Sochi (the district is built under the order of the State Corporation "Olympstroy"), report that in September, October and November 2009 they received much less than promised at employment. According to builders, they got "funny money: 2-3-5 thousand roubles."

"The enterprise managers attribute the salary delays to non-payments by the "Olympstroy". It has turned out that there is no documentation, namely, a construction permit; and no examination was held," the authors of the appeal write.

In their opinion, the work management "knew in advance that there would be no money." According to the "Kommersant", one of workers - operator Igor Pechorin - told the edition that after September 2009 the OJSC "Moskonversprom" owes him about 150,000 roubles.

Tatiana Pshenisnova, press secretary of the Sochi Mayoralty, said that the city administration provided the builders with hot meal and helped them to complaints against their employers to prosecutor's office. According to her story, officials of the "Moskonversprom" have been already summoned to the supervising body for explanations.

Valery Morozov, Chairman of the Board of the OJSC "Moskonversprom", has stated that the salary delays were caused by subcontracting organizations and added, however, that funds from the SC "Olympstroy" arrived irregularly and part of the works they had to do for their own money.

The "Olympstroy" has rejected Mr Morozov's accusations saying that all the funds were transferred to the General Contractor "timely and completely" and promised to move claims to the General Contractor "for delays with fulfilling obligations."

Gennady Shvets, press secretary of the Olympic Committee of Russia (OCR), said that did not see any "blow on reputation of the Sochi Olympiad" in the incident with non-payment, but noted that the problem can be quickly settled by "attracting respective bodies."