MOSCOW, July 11 (RAPSI) - The Federation Council has drafted a law that will prohibit foreign nationals from working at large-scale international events in Russia, Izvestia newspaper reported on Thursday.
Sergei Lisovsky, a member of the upper house from the Kurgan Region, believes that only Russian nationals should be allowed to work at large competitions. The only exception should be for foreign performers and directors.
Lisovsky told Izvestia that the idea came to him when he read in the documents of the International Olympic Committee that a Greek promotion company and its staff will be entrusted with organizing part of the Sochi Winter Games.
The MP said he fears the situation will be same during the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
The bill limiting the use of foreign workers during large-scale international events in Russia aims to amend Article 13 of Federal Law No. 115 on the legal status of foreign nationals, which regulates the terms of employing foreign workers in Russia. The bill will also amend Federal Law No. 310 on organizing and holding the Sochi Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in 2014.
Lisovsky said the State Duma Committee on Labor and Social Policy is supporting his idea.
However, the Games' Organizing Committee does not consider the employment of Russians to be an issue.
"In accordance with the development policy of the Sochi 2014 Organizing Committee, Russian companies have priority in obtaining contracts. As a result, over 85% of the Organizing Committee's contractors are Russian nationals and legal entities," the press service of the Organizing Committee said.