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Russia's new spaceport construction workers on hunger strike paid delayed wages

Wages have been paid to most workers of the organization

BLAGOVESHCHENSK, April 23. /TASS/. Workers building the Vostochny space center in the Russian Far East who went on a hunger strike over delayed wages have received their pay, the press office of the cosmodrome’s federal construction company Dalspetsstroy said on Thursday.

Workers of Stroiindustriya-S contractor firm went on a hunger strike on Wednesday as they had not been paid wages for January-March this year. The workers announced they would stay on a hunger strike "until wage arrears are paid to each worker who has signed a petition."

"Wages have been paid to most workers of the organization. Under mutual agreement with six remaining workers, settlements will be made early next week," Dalspetsstroy said, adding the management of the Vostochny space center construction site considered the incident with delayed wages to be over.

"The operational headquarters of Spetsstroy of Russia [the Federal Agency for Special Construction] for the construction of the Vostochny space center, the prosecutor’s office and the labor inspectorate are keeping the situation with wage payments to these workers under their tight control," Dalspetsstroy said.

All measures stipulated by legislation are also being used against other contractor firms, which are delaying wage payments, Dalspetsstroy said.

The Vostochny (Eastern) spaceport is being built near the town of Uglegorsk in the Amur Region in the Russian Far East. The spaceport, which has been under construction since 2010, is scheduled to be built by November 30, 2015.

The Vostochny cosmodrome will comprise two launch platforms, an airfield, facilities for crew members’ pre-launch preparation, oxygen-nitrogen and hydrogen plants, 115 kilometers of roadway and 125 kilometers of rail track.