About 2,300 members of the workforce began the strike in Barra on April 3 as part of a union-led protest against the Rio Mais consortium, which is building the Games venues, delaying still further the already woefully behind schedule construction timetable.

Rio Mais has insisted that no more strikes are foreseen, however, it was only yesterday that about 300 workers briefly turned up to do their jobs at the site of the main Games cluster before being advised to leave after a few hours by union leaders.

The strike came as a major blow to Rio 2016, which had already faced stinging criticism from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) over the lack of progress in its preparations to host South America's first Games, with a special task force being drafted in to tackle the problem.

Although tomorrow and Monday (April 21) are national holidays in Brazil and Wednesday (April 23) is a local holiday in Rio de Janeiro, work is now expected to continue as originally scheduled.

About 2,300 construction workers had been on strike in Barra since April 3 ©AFP/Getty Images


Construction is also expected to get underway on the long-delayed Deodoro zone of venues, which are set to host events such as shooting, field hockey, equestrian, canoeing and BMX, in the second half of this year after the bids for tender were let today.

The sports complex, the second largest cluster for Rio 2016 that is expected to cost the Brazilian Government 804 million reais (£212 million/$358 million/€260 million), is being split into two blocks that will be awarded to the lowest bidders.

Rio Mayor Eduardo Paes said he expects construction work to be completed just weeks before the Olympic Opening Ceremony open on August 5, 2016.

"We have no room to spare," he admitted.

"We cannot make a single mistake.

"But there is still time to get it done."

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