Foreign workers who built an extensive American consulate 350 million dollars in Milan They charged less than 2 dollars an hour after being promised fair wages, according to Associated Press interviews with five former employees and a review of their employment letters and pay stubs.
Italian prosecutors investigate Caddell Constructiona major construction company based in Montgomery, Alabama, that builds US diplomatic missions. Two of his managers in Italy were arrested this month on suspicion of labor exploitation, one while boarding a flight to leave the country and another who was planning to flee, the prosecutor’s office said.
The investigation is led by prosecutor Paolo Storari, who has also led investigations into clandestine workshops that supply luxury brands. Until now, only Caddell has been targeted, and not any of its subcontractors.
The investigation into the consulate began about six months ago and involves some 70 workersmostly from India. Prosecutors allege that Caddell illegally deducted the expenses of accommodation and food and forced them to work long days 10 hours, six days a week. Some charged just 500 euros (less than 580 dollars) per month after deducting room and board, the prosecutor’s office said.
Caddell and the US State Department said they are investigating the allegations and cooperating with Italian authorities.
The consulate project is part of a construction boom in Milan over the past two decades that has modernized the urban profile and raised the international profile of the Italian capital of fashion and finance.
What the workers say is all documented
Workers describe unpaid wages and threats AP He spoke to four workers from Kenya and one from India at a union center where authorities were organizing assistance, including legal help and accommodation. The workers provided documentation and spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation and to protect the ongoing investigation.
Kenyan workers said Caddell He hired them after they worked on a multimillion-dollar expansion of the U.S. embassy in Nairobi.
Two showed recruitment letters on company letterhead. Caddell, signed by a representative of the company, in which they promised annual salaries exceeding 25,000 euros (almost 29,000 dollars).
They claimed they were not paid anything close to that figure and that human resources staff at the site threatened them after they questioned management.
«When you go to the office to ask any question, they tell you, ‘Either you work or we’ll send you back to your country. That’s what they’re supposed to pay you,'» said a Kenyan electrician. He added that they paid him only 800 euros ($925) per month after being promised 2,300 euros ($2,660).
Another Kenyan electrician said he was threatened with defamation after submitting an AI summary of Italian labor law and was told the €25,000 in the recruitment letter was “for visa purposes,” not a promise to pay.
The United States government and Caddell They say they are investigating
The State Department said it is investigating the accusations made by prosecutors and that U.S. law enforcement is working with Italian authorities.
“The United States government does not tolerate labor exploitation,” the department said in a statement.
Caddell stated that it was “cooperating fully” with the Italian authorities and conducting its own “thorough investigation into this matter to ensure that all our subcontractors and global consultancies comply with all labor standards and legal requirements.”
“Caddell is committed to treating and paying workers fairly. “We will continue to work with the authorities in good faith to guarantee the well-being of those working on this important project,” the company said in a statement.
More than a decade ago, Caddell paid millions to the U.S. government to resolve allegations that it submitted false claims to gain access to government incentives. Caddell did not respond to a request for comment on that case.
Laid-off workers seek help
The five workers who spoke with the APaged between their late 20s and early 50s, said they were fired without cause this year. One of them said that he returned from visiting his family in Kenya and discovered that he no longer had a job or a place to stay.
Four of the workers were trained electricians, including the Indian worker, whose resume showed he had more than a decade of experience working for other companies in Persian Gulf countries.
The Indian worker said he was promised a monthly salary of 2,500 euros (almost 3,000 dollars). Instead, he had a pay slip showing that his actual remuneration was around 500 euros. (less than 580 dollars) per month. It indicated an hourly wage of 1.55 euros ($1.80).
The Kenyans said they went to the authorities when they learned of the investigation.
“I believe in justice,” said one. «Also, the workers there should not be afraid. They should come and raise their voices.»
Two said that currently they sleep in parkswhile one stays with a friend. One said that he was offered a job at a construction site. Caddell in another country, but rejected it after the treatment he received in Milan.
Caddell is a major diplomatic contractor
Caddell became a leader in building U.S. diplomatic missions when the State Department launched a major security upgrade following the 1998 attacks on the U.S. embassies in Tanzania and Kenya, which left more than 250 dead.
“Very few contractors can meet the strict requirements to even bid for the secure work needed for diplomatic facility projects,” he said. Caddell on its website as it marks its 40th anniversary in 2023. At that time, the firm had 39 projects in its embassy portfolio valued at $7.4 billion. Since then he has added four projects.
The consulate complex in Milan is built on land of 40,000 square meters at an old shooting range. The current United States consulate is in a high-rise building designed by renowned Italian architect Gio Ponti.
Plans for the complex called for about 500 “locally hired workers,” according to the U.S. State Department. The project includes the restoration of a century-old building, as well as a five-story consular building, restored gardens, a reflecting pond and a large outdoor area for hosting events.
The works continue under judicial supervision
To the workers Accommodation and food are no longer discounted. They are limited to 45 hours and are guaranteed two days off a week.
The pay stubs presented by the workers included apparent charges of 510 euros (about $590) per month for housing and more than 300 euros (about $350) per month for food. But those deductions only explain part of the difference between promised wages and actual pay.
The unions intend to demand compensation so that workers recover at least what they earned “with hard work and commitment,” said Laura Malguzzi, a labor representative for the Fillea Cgil union federation, which represents construction workers.
Malguzzi said he was surprised that payrolls submitted by workers appeared to document the alleged exploitation. Union experts are still studying the documents, which do not conform to Italian standards, and could not verify their origin.
“They probably had in their minds the absolute certainty that they were untouchable,” Malguzzi said.
Kenyan workers said they reluctantly accepted a monthly salary of $200 in Nairobi, where unemployment is widespread. But they expected better from an American company operating in Europe.
“They can hire you and you run,” one worker said of the company. «Because you’re poor, you have nothing. And there’s nothing you can do.»
AP Agency.
GML
