Barça deny exploiting workers in stadium revamp

Barcelona have denied allegations that workers carrying out the renovation of Spotify Camp Nou are being exploited.

Spanish newspaper El Periodico reported this week that labourers are being overworked, underpaid and forced to work in deplorable conditions.

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The revamp of the stadium is being carried out by Limak, and Barça vice president Elena Fort said the Turkish company are not abusing anyone’s rights.

“No, there are categorically no workers suffering from labour abuses,” Fort told El Periodico in response to the allegations.

“If we had received any complaints, we would have acted. No complaint has been made to the club. Nor has there been anything detected within our internal processes to suggest there is any type of irregularity.

“Barça comply… Well, the [subcontracted] construction companies strictly comply with the regulations. And there is no labour exploitation of any kind.”

Fort added that there have been three “surprise assessments” of the work from building inspectors, but that only “minor issues” had been discovered.

“I think it was to do with the height of a fence and some very minor issues which we have now sorted,” she added.

Fort also dismissed the claim that some of the workers are being paid less than the minimum wage.

“There are five pay slips [in El Periodico’s investigation] when there are more than 2,000 during the entire execution of the work,” she said.

“And one thing is that there could be an error in those pay slips. We are reviewing that. But all contracts go through social security.

“Not a single contract that has been made is below the agreed terms. In the construction contracts, by agreement, work is done six days a week, maximum 12 hours [per day].”

Finally, to the allegation one worker has been sleeping outside Camp Nou due to fears of losing their job if they arrive late, Fort said she was not aware of that particular case, but “we don’t have 2,000 workers sleeping on the streets, which means things are working.”

Work on Camp Nou started a year ago, during the World Cup, and was stepped up in June following the conclusion of the domestic season in Spain.

Barça have relocated to the Olympic Stadium in the city as the renovation is carried out, with plans to return next November, although the new stadium will not be completely finished until 2026.