Migrant workers’ rights violated in St Petersburg

In June 2011 workers of the ADC Memorial learned about mass violations of foreign workers’ rights. Hired by contractors firms they work as street cleaners in the Nevsky district of Saint Petersburg.

Main violations are non-payment or partial payment of salary to foreign workers and intended not obtaining of documents confirming work relations. This situation caused significant public reaction. The problem was discussed in the regional Media (for example, the TV 100 made a video about problems of Tajik street cleaners http://www.tv100.ru/news/Peterburgskie-dvorniki-poterjali-terpenie-41685/ )

Representatives of the street cleaners hired by the Lux Service company came to ADC Memorial asking to protect their rights.

A meeting between foreign workers in the Nevsky district and representatives of the Lux Service company was organised by ADC Memorial to discuss the situation in detail and give free legal help. The representatives of the Lux Service company did not appear.

During the meeting foreign workers (citizens of Tajikistan and Uzbekistan) answered the questions. All of them are in fact workers of the Zhilkomservis No. 3 in the Nevsky district, sanitary service NO. 3, but  were formally hired by the Lux Service company. All street cleaners are obliged to clean and unload waste chutes, clean entrances and staircases in the houses. All applicants complained about partial payment of salary and illegal and baseless “fines” ( these fines were named by the contractor company randomly). Most workers were not paid for January and February, and paid less than promised for March, April and May (8,000 roubles instead of 12,000 roubles).

We are concerned of this situation when foreign workers hired by state agencies via mediators stay right-less. Requests on these violations were sent by ADC Memorial to the prosecutor’s office, inspection of labour and regional office of internal affairs.