Migrant workers' distress grows ahead of 2024 Paris Olympics

By Umit Donmez

PARIS (AA) – Migrant workers' distress is growing amid preparations for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

French daily Liberation in December revealed difficult labor conditions of the undocumented migrant workers at construction sites.

Liberation found out that those workers were being paid around €80 ($86.7) per day without any official declaration, social security, or resting day.

Anadolu interviewed a group of workers who are under contract but suffer from similar difficulties.

- Payment

The main problem is the salary. Workers express their frustration that they never receive the salary guaranteed on the contract. The amount is usually equal to the minimum wage or just slightly higher.

They also said the working schedule of 35 hours per week is rarely respected.

The required security conditions are usually not ensured: Workers lack proper measures and equipment to protect themselves.

Most of the workers – from Africa or Eastern Europe – also complain of the impossibility of renting their own apartment in the Parisian region, where their salaries cannot be compared to the cost of living.

- High risks, low salaries

In the freezing cold on Saturday, Moussa* was preparing to leave a work site of him to go to another one to earn extra money.

The worker is not happy with the working conditions but prefers not to complain. He opens up to Anadolu after he was assured that his face would not be filmed.

The worker, unhappy with earning €1,200 to €1,300 per month for cleaning at the sites, said this work has a lot of risks but he lacks the proper security materials.

According to Moussa, his salary is stolen. The amount declared on his salary note is different from what he actually gets.

He also said his contract is not respected but he has to continue despite the conditions.

"Nothing is being respected," Moussa said. "We are Senegalese, you know, we want to work here."

Amine* is from Mali. His job is to coat and paint. He tries not to seem to be complaining but recognizes the hard conditions.

He said he had to give in to his bosses' demands for working overtime. Although his contract says 35 hours of work per week, Amine works almost every Saturday, and sometimes even on Sundays.

He earns €1,500 to €1,600, "just enough to eat with the family" hosting him. Amine does not earn enough to rent an apartment for his own in the Parisian region.

His family lives in Mali and he gives up on some of his essential needs to be able to send them money.

Dragan* is a Serbian worker who has been living in France for three years.

He came to the building site he is working in three months ago. He officially works 35 hours per week, but takes extra works on the weekends to earn more.

With extra work, he earns up to €1,800 per month.

"It is better than in Serbia," Dragan said, explaining that he would have received €500 for the same work in his country.

He lives with a friend since he cannot rent an apartment.

Seidou* is a Malian worker who came to France in 2018. He is rather satisfied with his salary – which is up to €2,000 per month. Seidou is a skilled carpenter, earning better than the other workers, but he lives with a family member too since his salary is not enough.

He works more than 35 hours per week despite his contract, and does not receive overtime payment, which could go up to €600 per month.

Seidou prefers not to complain. He remembers how he arrived in France, as he had to go to Morocco and Spain later sailing

He remembers how he ended up in France, as he earlier arrived in Spain from Morocco on a zodiac boat through the Mediterranean Sea.

The worker told Anadolu the painful story of his dangerous travel. He considers himself lucky and holds onto his work tightly.

Contacted by Anadolu, the organizing committees of the Summer Olympics and the Parisian region, did not responded the claims by workers.

*The names of the interviewees were changed at their requests.

**Writing by Nur Asena Erturk in Ankara