From Philippe Roy (Aug. 16 entry), an account of some troubling events in Athens, that were rarely picked-up by big news networks...

* [The day before the opening ceremony] in Athens, 20 women gathered on a rooftop to stage a silent protest organized by the Play Fair at the Olympics campaign. This 'sew-in' featured 'faceless' (actually, masked) activists, operating sewing machines against the backdrop of the Acropolis. The action was staged in order to highlight the appalling working conditions experienced by hundreds of thousands of workers in the sportswear industry.

* Thousands of hotel workers in Athens staged a one-day strike last week. The workers were demanding a doubling of their basic pay, which is currently 650 euros a month. According to the union, the only offer from the hotel owners amounts to an increase of less than one euro per day.

* In the feverish run-up to the opening, with construction crews working round-the-clock, 13 workers were killed on the job. Some groups, including Amnesty International, place the death toll even higher. A ceremony in Athens this week honored those whose lives were lost.

The rest is at Labourstart - Olympics

Categorie(s)/Catégorie(s): Blog musings , Olympic Games 2004

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