Spotify Camp Nou workers erupt in protest against alleged dismissals and deportations, raising serious concerns about labor rights violations amid the stadium’s long-awaited reopening.
The demonstration highlights mounting tensions between migrant laborers and the contractors overseeing the stadium’s renovation, as well as criticism directed at FC Barcelona for their perceived silence on the issue.
The protest, organized by the CCOO trade union, centers on nearly 50 workers, many undocumented, who have been dismissed and face potential deportation.
These workers, involved in the reconstruction of Camp Nou, have reportedly been working excessive hours—up to twelve hours a day, seven days a week—for more than a year without proper legal protections.
According to union spokesperson Carlos del Barrio, the companies Ekstreme Works and Limak plan to send these workers back to their home country without guarantees or safeguards, a move condemned by labor advocates who warn that returning to Turkey could severely restrict their ability to defend their rights, as reported by ESPN.
Union representatives accuse Barcelona of “turning a deaf ear” to the crisis, despite the club’s significant pressure to complete the stadium’s reopening.
Del Barrio emphasizes that the urgent need to get the stadium operational must not come at the expense of workers’ rights and calls for the Spanish government to activate extraordinary mechanisms within immigration law to legalize and protect these laborers.
The Labor Inspectorate has already been alerted to the situation as advocates demand proper registration of workers, regularization of unpaid wages, and overall acknowledgment of the workers’ contributions.
With an eventual capacity of 105,000 spectators, the reopening of Spotify Camp Nou is meant to mark a triumphant return for the club.
However, the unrest surrounding the treatment of these construction workers casts a shadow over the celebrations, raising uncomfortable questions about the human cost behind one of football’s most iconic venues.
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