Not only among reforming workers Camp Nou There are allegations of labor fraud. cleaners Those who kept the stadium, canteens and other facilities in good condition also condemned what happened over 100 days. 10 hours a day For salaries barely exceeding 1,000 euros per month. “They work us like we’re robots,” he complains. Mary, a woman who has been outsourced cleaning work for three months and asked to use a pseudonym for fear of retaliation. Complaints from cleaners and electricians: Assane, the person responsible for dismantling the cables and who also wishes to appear under a pseudonym. “They don’t pay us well, they don’t respect our working hours and our rights,” the worker complains.
Is one thousand euros gross per month for 56 hours a week fair conditions? “They comply with the agreement,” was the response given by the corporate vice-president of the Barcelona Football Club and the president of Espai Barça to EL PERIÓDICO of the Prensa Ibérica group. Elena Castle.
Incorrect statement in both the construction contract of the province of Barcelona and the construction contract iron and steel industriesThese are currently two of the most applied specifications among Camp Nou subcontractors. According to payslips accessed by the media for these two employees, the pay cut will be around 800 gross euros per month plus unpaid overtime.
Extending the day is not in accordance with the agreement and is dangerous. same monday international Labor Organization (ILO) published a report containing its estimates. 745,000 workers die worldwide every year due to working more than 55 hours per week.
Despite the unrest, fear and pressure prevailing among the employees of the companies to which Limak, responsible for the stadium works, is subcontracted, more and more workers are ready to denounce their working conditions. After watching the documentary EL PERIÓDICO, Marié and Asane wanted to share their work situation to show the public what they think “abusive conditions“Barça says it’s legal… I don’t know if it’s legal, but I know it’s very unfair,” he insists.
“They forced us to say that we worked for 8 hours”
Marié started working as a cleaner at the Camp Nou construction site in June. The woman explains that she was not interviewed. “They called me and told me to come to Camp Nou tomorrow to clean the toilets. But when I got there they made me clean the corridors, the offices, the workers’ dining room… we had to clean the whole job.” she explains. She says the working day starts from eight in the morning to seven in the afternoon, with a half-hour rest in the morning and an hour for lunch. He worked from eight in the morning until half past three in the afternoon, with a half-hour break on Saturdays. So a total of 57 hours per week. “When the supervisors came to ask us how hard we workedbosses forced us to say we worked 8 hours“, To explain.
The conditions Marié announced clearly contradict those stated in her contract. As can be seen from the documents the worker showed to this environment, it envisages a maximum working day of 40 hours a week from Monday to Saturday. A specification that leaves no room for legal interpretation or compensation for the collective extension of the working day, including breaks, in the coming months.
“It’s very difficult, you can’t rest even for a minute, if they see you standing, they’ll throw you out,” explains this single mother who has been living in Catalonia for over 20 years and is separated from her son. Africa. Marié explains that some days the company does not provide her with the necessary protective equipment. “I had to bring gloves from home. There were days when we worked all day with bleach and without masks.” But the worst part, in his opinion, was the fatigue and pain. “My whole body hurts: my back, my hands, my knees… It would have been impossible for me to go to work if I hadn’t taken paracetamol and ibuprofen.”
According to the documents he showed, he was fired a few weeks ago, did not even sign the termination agreement, and did not receive any severance pay. Failure to follow minimum formalities in the event of dismissal means that the judge can declare automatic dismissal. unacceptability of the same. However, for this, a lawsuit must be filed in court. 20 business days after termination.
Marié explains that her situation is not unique and that since she no longer works for that company, she has taken the step of publicly condemning it. This newspaper contacted other cleaners currently working at Camp Nou. They explain conditions very similar to Marie’s, but they refuse to show all their documents and go to the hospital. job inspection. “This job is not easy, but I have to endure it… I don’t want problems,” says one of the interviewees.
Get three hours of sleep at another job
“I’m tired, I can’t take it anymore, I’m so sleepy,” says Asane, who is about to start his workday at Camp Nou at 8am. He has been working on removing electrical cables at the construction site since the beginning of July. He works on the exact same schedule as Marié. Not a single hour of overtime pay appears on any of the three pay slips he showed to this newspaper. As stated in the contract, the working day is 40 hours per week.
According to the same document, the Barcelona metal agreement should manage it in the official category. He receives a gross salary of between 1,100 and 1,300 euros depending on the month, according to the agreement he should receive between 1,799.01 and 1,853.93 euros gross, depending on seniority. Plus Christmas and summer payments. “They can’t pay them 780 to 850 euros every month. It’s a shame,” a union source consulted said. The law provides that, in addition to payment of amounts owed, “serious crime“.
“The money they pay me for these jobs doesn’t bring me anything. I need to pay for the apartment, food and send money to my family…“He continues. On Fridays and Saturdays, he works as a security guard in a nightclub from ten at night until four in the morning. “There are days when I only sleep three hours… I can’t take it anymore, I can’t take it anymore. It can’t go on like this,” he laments.
The man who put five months of Camp Nou renovation behind him speaks of humiliating treatment. “Managers yell at us and treat us badly.” He also explains that he has to buy all his work clothes. “Almost 100 euros that no one paid me”, bill. Work clothes must be provided by the contractor company, or if this cannot be provided, a compensatory extra payment must be made. However, what upsets him the most is that he does not get paid for even one of the extra hours he works.
Assane explains that he was very scared about his situation because he was waiting to renew his work and residence permit in Spain. “I can’t do it if they throw me out on the street” renew papers and I will be on the street,” he continues. His story is not an isolated case at Camp Nou. Born in sub-Saharan Africa, he left school as a child to work in construction. He had an accident and is still suffering the consequences. “Doctors and friends told me to quit this job , he says this will kill me but I need this. I can’t find anything else and I can’t stay without papers. “When I manage to renew the documents, I will ‘fire’ him, this is inappropriate behavior,” he says.