Owner of Mekegi factory: no one keeps workers forcibly in Dagestan

Owner of the workshop on stone processing located in the village of Mekegi of the Levashi District of Dagestan argues that the information about the use of slave labour at the factory is not true. Several persons were working at the factory voluntarily. This was confirmed by a representative of the organization "Alternativa" (Alternative), dealing with release of persons held captive at their workplaces.

No one forced any persons to work at the factory, did not insulted and did not buy anyone. This was told by Magomedshapi Magomedov, the owner of the factory, in his interview to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

He explained the fact that the workers did not have their documents by his care about the workers themselves.

"I took away their documents from them, since there were such cases when workers drank and then lost their documents, so, I held them for safekeeping," Magomedshapi Magomedov said.

In turn, Sergey, one of the persons who escaped from the workshop on stone processing, a native of the Nizhny Novgorod Region, an inmate of orphan home, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that he and three other persons came together in Dagestan in late March 2013.

"In Moscow, near the metro station 'Komsomolskaya', a man approached me and offered to work in Makhachkala. He said that the wage would be not less than 25,000 roubles, plus free food and accommodation would be provided," Sergey spoke about the story of his hiring.

According to his story, as soon as they arrived in the place, the owner of the workshop took away their documents, and when some persons expressed their dissatisfaction with the work and conditions, he stated that he had paid for them 15,000 roubles and that they had to work out the money.

"The working conditions were very severe, and the living conditions were also horrible. All persons, who worked at the workshop, about 10 persons, lived at one small wagon and went to beds at the same room," Sergey said.

"When we started to complain about work, wages and conditions, and I wanted to leave, he told me that we had to work out the money that he paid for us. He also said that we were to pay him for food, clothing, and shelter. And the amount of our debt increased all the time," the worker says.

62-year-old Vladimir from the Novgorod Region, the most senior of those persons who worked at the workshop, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that when he expressed his dissatisfaction about the working conditions, wages and when he wanted to leave everything and get out of there, Magomedshapi Magomedov forced him to go back and insulted.

The owner of the workshop did not deny that he had no documents to run business and the fact that he did not conclude labour contracts with his workers.

According to the information of Oleg Melnikov, a representative of the youth organization "Alternativa", at present, all released persons are in a safe place, Magomedshapi Magomedov paid their wages, and in the coming days, they will be able to return home.

"We took away from the factory all the persons who wanted to leave it. They are four persons, including three citizens of Russia and one Ukrainian. All of them got there in the same way like Sergey got. However, there are still persons in that workshop. They are also newcomers, Russians, who said that they were satisfied with their work and that they voluntarily went there. Natives from Central Asia also work there, and, according to their stories, they are also pleased with their work and they do not want to go there," Oleg Melnikov said.

Officials from the ROVD (District Interior Division) of the Levashi District have told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that at present, they collect material and consider the question of initiation of a criminal case against the owner of the workshop. Staff members of the ROVD also reported that they had never been contacted by persons who would file complaints about illegal retention of people.