Gama contract - Bypass deal puts money over morals

A sceptical public could be forgiven for asking why a construction group investigated by the State over worker exploitation is about to be awarded a €50 million contract by the National Roads Authority (NRA).

By any standard, the Turkish group Gama has treated its workforce shamefully. It has major questions to answer.

It beggars belief that the NRA continues to deal with an employer which engaged in a form of bonded slavery, underpaying its staff, making them work long hours, and stashing a slice of their hard-won earnings in a Dutch bank. The company has since paid workers who went on strike €8,000 each.