The construction of new Camp Nou stadium is a huge undertaking involving at least 1,200 workers from all corners of the world. Resembling a small multicultural town, this diverse the group lives and works together, creating a community with its own traditions and daily rituals.

Multinational settlement

The staff of this international community come from different countries such as Turkey, Armenia, Romania, Russia, the Dominican Republic, South American countries, Pakistan, Portugal and African countries. As with any group of people, there are conflicts and disagreements, but they all have one common goal: to complete the construction of Camp Nou, watched by the whole world. We are a crowd. Most of us don't know each other, there are so many people working here - said one Nigerian worker.

This ‘mini-city’ is headed by Limak, a company managed by a Turkish director and supported by 59 Spanish subcontractors. Limak is responsible for overseeing all the work at Camp Nou and the workers' village.

© Espai Héctor

Daily life of stadium workers

Every morning at 8 a.m., life on the construction site begins anew. Many workers arrive as early as 7.30 a.m. to enjoy a coffee in the surrounding bars. Once on site, the workers are divided into groups according to nationality and assigned to different tasks. They work in different parts of the stadium and their tasks are rotated.

After two hours of work, at 10 a.m., there is a one-hour breakfast break, during which the workers eat mainly sandwiches near the construction site. Some choose the benches on Arístides Maillol Street, others prefer the nearby bars. At 2pm they have their lunch break, which is not always met with approval by local residents who complain about the mess and dirt brought in from the construction site.

The afternoon shift starts at 1 p.m. and lasts until 10 p.m. The morning shift workers finish work at 5 p.m., and many of them go to nearby bars for a beer. They come here every evening, especially on Fridays, and drink until late - reports one pub owner in the Camp Nou area.

Accommodation for non-Spanish workers is another controversial issue. Most of them live in hotels in and around Calella de Mar, which is good value for money for the subcontracting companies. Some workers, such as one Nigerian worker, live in rented flats in nearby cities such as Sabadell.

Interestingly, according to some workers, the contract prohibits taking photos or videos of the stadium's condition. Despite this, some have leaked them, threatening sanctions and even expulsion.

© Espai Héctor

Financial problems. Exploitation and unpaid overtime.

Despite the fact that the entire working village at Camp Nou numbers more than 1,200 people, suspicions have been levelled that the workers are not being paid their due. As reported by El Periódico, three Spanish journalists published the story of several Romanian workers who came to Spain in search of work and were cheated. The Generalitat de Catalunya had launched an investigation into a number of abuses at the Camp Nou construction site, where people were working without contracts or for underpayment.

Several workers complained that they had not been paid for the work they had done on the construction site of Barcelona's new stadium. El Periódico revealed that companies are facing a €1.5 million fine for non-payment to workers. Of the 59 companies that are carrying out the project, there have been irregularities involving workers in four. And more than 16,000 overtime hours were worked and not paid for…