Rio mayor says Olympic work on time despite worker layoffs
巴西称工人罢工不影响奥运会

Continent's first Olympic Games could be in danger of construction delays. That same scenario plagued Brazil's recent World Cup, and it looks like that same scenario could be unfolding in Rio as we are less than 500 days away from the lighting of the cauldron.

The latest problem has to do with layoffs of the construction workers at one of the main Olympic sites. But the city's mayor says that everything is under control, and the layoffs are just a ploy by the contruction company to try and get paid quicker. And Eduardo Paes is not worried by these tactics and is confident that all the venues will be completed in time for the 2016 Games.

"Historically in Brazil, whenever construction projects have problems it's because a company threatens to halt their work, lay off workers,These are old, archaic tactics. I am sorry to inform that these companies will not succeed this time. They will deliver the venues on time, they will be paid, they will have their profit. But they will do what it is expected of them. There will be no delays at the Olympic Games.

There will be no delays at the Olympic Games," Paes said.