Safety concerns at an Olympic construction site resulted in the fatality of a construction worker last year. As the first anniversary of his death approaches, a group has organized a rally to demand justice for this construction worker amid Olympic preparations.
(Photo : Pixabay/David)
Olympic Projects Causing Injuries and Fatalities
The enforcement of labor codes varies among major construction companies contracted to build infrastructure projects. According to Nicolas Ferrand, director of SOLIDEO, a publicly-funded company founded to create the permanent facilities that would remain after the event, there have been at least 181 industrial accidents; among them, there have been 31 major incidents. These accidents have occurred on building projects related to the Olympics.
Although accidents and violations of workers' rights are common to the construction of the Olympics, the pressure to meet the strict deadlines established for the games can result in safety measures being overlooked.
Moreover, the mayor's office estimates that the Bassin d'Austerlitz project will cost 100 million euros or around $109m. It is designed to contain rain and wastewater, thus hindering it from flowing directly into the Seine. During the Summer Olympics and Paralympics in 2024, the city pledged that the Seine would be clean enough to provide a venue for open-water swimming and triathlon competitions.
Paris Rally Seeking Justice for Construction Worker
The Confederation Generale du Travail (CGT), one of France's largest labor unions, organized the rally in Paris in memory of Amara Dioumassy, who was fatally injured on June 16, 2023, while working as a supervisor on a construction project at the Bassin d'Austerlitz to enhance the quality of the Seine that will be used in Olympics.
At the close of his shift, Dioumassy, a Mali native who was 51 years old and a father of 12 children, was struck by a truck. According to Lyes Chouai, the union delegate for Sade, the company that employed Dioumassy at the CGT, this mobilization was organized in memory of their sibling, comrade, and colleague.
There were reportedly significant safety concerns. Even though there was a lack of visibility, there were no signs outlining pedestrian crossings, there was no traffic flow, and the trucks did not make a beeping sound while backing up. In addition, he stated that no one was supervising the trucks.
Accordingly, the Austerlitz basin is overseen by the Paris town hall, in contrast to the overwhelming majority of Olympic projects in Ile-de-France that Solideo, the public entity responsible for the infrastructure for the competitions, administers. Alongside these Games, which will be witnessed by people worldwide, Chouaï, also the co-organizer of the memorial that took place in April, stated that unions wanted to appeal to as many individuals as possible concerning this relatively minor tragedy.
Organized by the International Labour Organization, the ceremony was conducted on the occasion of World Day for Safety and Health at Work. France has the most severe disaster record in the European Union, with two individuals dying each day in the workplace, according to official statistics.
On the other hand, although Diomassy was the father of twelve children, his brother Bally, who is 38 years old, indicated that no action or support had been provided to the family and that his children were starving. When questioned by AFP, the Paris town hall and Veolia mentioned that the judicial investigation was still in progress to ascertain responsibilities, confirming that they had provided complete cooperation.
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