A number of Russian construction, cleaning and other companies based in Moscow and Moscow oblast now owe 2.28 billion Russian rubles to labor migrants from Tajikistan and other CIS member nation, Karomat Sharipov, the head the Moscow-based Tajik public association “Tajik Labor Migrants”, was quoted as saying by Russian newspaper Izvestiya.  

Russian Investigative Committee’s office for Moscow has reportedly instituted criminal proceedings against several companies that do not want to pay wages to workers.  

In a half year, about 15,000 nationals of Tajikistan, CIS nations and even Russia have reportedly applied to the “Tajik Labor Migrants” public association asking to assist with getting their unpaid wages.

“According to human rights activists estimate, some companies based in Moscow owe 1.260 billion Russian rubles to labor migrants while companies based in Moscow oblast now owe about 1 billion Russian rubles to labor migrants,” Karomat Sharipov was cited as saying.  

Labor migrants have paid 6.8 billion Russian rubles taxes to the Moscow budget, which is 2.3 times more than tax receipts from oil companies registered in the Russian capital, Maxim Reshetnikov, the head of the Moscow department for economic policy, was quoted as saying.