Barcelona has refuted accusations of exploitation concerning workers involved in the renovation of Spotify Camp Nou.
Recent reports by Spanish newspaper El Periodico suggested that labourers were facing excessive work hours, inadequate compensation, and substandard working conditions.
The renovation of the stadium is under the responsibility of Limak, and Barcelona’s vice president, Elena Fort, stated that the Turkish company is not infringing upon the rights of any individuals.
“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 out,” 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, a maximum of 12 hours [per day].”
Finally, to the allegation that 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.”
Construction on Camp Nou commenced a year ago, coinciding with the World Cup, and was intensified in June after the conclusion of the domestic season in Spain.
During the renovation, Barcelona has temporarily shifted to the Olympic Stadium in the city, with intentions to return in November. However, the full completion of the new stadium is anticipated by 2026.