Foreign workers engaged in the construction work of the new US Consulate worth $350 million being built in Milan city of Italy have made serious allegations of salary cuts and exploitation. These workers mostly include Indian and Kenyan citizens. The workers said they were promised good wages, but were later paid less than $2 an hour.
In this case, Italian investigating agencies are investigating the American construction company Cadel Constructions. The company has built many embassies and consulates of America. During the investigation, two Italy-based managers of the company were also arrested on charges of labor exploitation. One officer of the company was trying to flee the country, while the other was also preparing to abscond.
The investigation started 6 months ago
This investigation, which started about 6 months ago, has included about 70 workers, most of whom are Indians. It is alleged that the company deducted the living and food expenses from the workers’ salaries and made them work 10 hours a day, 6 days a week. According to investigating officials, some workers received only 500 euros (about 580 dollars) per month after all deductions. Whereas the minimum wage for construction sector workers in Milan starts at 13.39 euros per hour.
An Indian worker who had worked in Gulf countries for more than 10 years said that he was promised 2,500 euros every month. But according to his salary slip, he received only 500 euros. The hourly wage recorded in his documents was only 1.55 euros. Many workers in Kenya also said they were promised more than 25,000 euros a year, but actually received very little. When he asked questions about this, he was told to either work or go back to his country.
The US State Department is also investigating
The US State Department has said that it is investigating these allegations and is working closely with Italian agencies. The department said that America does not accept labor exploitation at all. The company has also said that it is fully cooperating in the investigation.
At present the construction work is going on under the supervision of the court. Now the living and food expenses are not being deducted from the workers’ salaries. They are also being given two days leave a week and fixed working hours. At the same time, labor organizations are demanding compensation for the affected workers. Many workers say they were fired without reason and some are still struggling for a place to live.
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