Unpaid and Stranded: Construction Workers Face Dire Situation in Remote Chukotka Town

At least 700 construction workers have found themselves stranded and unpaid for several months in a remote town within Russia’s Far Eastern Chukotka region, according to reports from Thursday.

Zemtek, a service provider for the mining sector, ceased wage payments to around 1,100 of its workers back in March, as reported by labor rights advocate Natalia Demenko to the exiled news outlet Govorit NeMoskva.

Some employees who chose to halt work due to non-payment were reportedly deprived of food for over 36 hours, the outlet indicated.

Subsequently, about 400 rotational workers were airlifted from the isolated town of Bilibino to Magadan, which is approximately 1,200 kilometers (750 miles) away, after Demenko alerted law enforcement about the dire circumstances. It has been reported that some of these workers had to take out loans to fund their tickets to Magadan.

These rotational workers are typically employed in distant locations and are flown temporarily to their work sites, rather than relocating permanently with their families.

Currently, around 700 workers continue to be stuck in Bilibino. Demenko stated that Zemtek unexpectedly canceled their planned evacuation flights this week, leaving them without any clarification.

Earlier this month, the trapped workers released a video message urging President Vladimir Putin to assist in organizing their return home, expressing, «We are being held here against our will.»

Founded in 2015 by CEO Sergei Andrianov, Zemtek has reportedly committed to settling the overdue wages by May 30.