Intro:

Rio de Janeiro mayor Eduardo Paes says that construction work for the 2016 Olympics was on time despite recent layoffs.

Script:

SOUNDBITE: (Portuguese) Eduardo Paes, Rio de Janeiro Mayor

"The works here were a big concern last year, April last year. We started works here in a very speedy manner. As you can see here, the works are on deadline with everybody working. Nobody stopped working."

"If you look at the history in Brazil, whenever construction works have problems it's because a company threatens to halt their work, lay off workers, These are old, archaic tactics. In the case of Rio City Hall, I am sorry to inform that these companies will not succeed (with these tactics to get more money). They will deliver (the venues) on time, they will be paid, they will have their profit. But they will do what it is expected to be done by them. There will be no delays at the Olympic Games. There will be no delays at the Olympic Games."

"If they (the company) are laying off, it's their right to do so. Whoever they want. If they are employing less people, changing workers, it's their problem. What I don't want is the construction work halted. If they need more people in a certain period of the works, if they will hire . . . what I want is the construction work completed."