Olympic broadcasting 'broke labour laws'

A Brazilian court ordered the seizure of Olympic Broadcasting Services' equipment and vehicles after prosecutors accused the broadcast arm of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) of breaching labour laws during the Games in Rio de Janeiro, a court spokesperson said by phone on Monday.

The ruling by Judge Marcia Leite Nery on Saturday was enforced after the Paralympic Games closing ceremony on Sunday night to avoid interfering with the event's broadcast, court papers showed.

Prosecutors said Olympic Broadcasting Services broke labour laws by making employees work irregular hours and for more than 10 hours a day during the August 5-21 Olympic Games and Paralympics on September 7-18.

The company was created by the IOC in 2001 to serve as the broadcaster for all summer and winter Olympic Games.

The IOC, based in Lausanne, Switzerland, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.