“Migrantization” of labor relations during Russia in preparation for the international sport events

Abstract

Russian researchers are used to consider international sports events (such as the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics and the 2013 Summer Universiade in Kazan) in terms of their impact on economy, local communities and Russian society in general. This article is focused on the labor relations of workers involved in the preparation of such events. The article explores the «migrantization» of labor relations during the preparation for the international sports events. Instead of creating worthy workplaces for international labor migrants, employers ignore the rights of both foreign citizens and Russian workers. This conclusion is based on a comparative analysis of the working conditions during preparation for the 2014 Olympics and the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Sochi. In the former case both internal and external migrants are studied; in the latter case there are only internal labor migrants. The analysis of legislation and of informal practices in the labor processes demonstrates that international labor migration to Russia causes not the loss of workplaces by the Russian citizens but the poor quality of labor relations.