El Clasico under threat of strike: Barcelona turn to Real Madrid's model
Barcelona defy the strike
Nobody saw this one coming. The biggest Clasico in world football, Barcelona against Real Madrid, is under threat from a crisis that has nothing to do with cards or injuries. A full strike has hit the heart of the Catalan club 48 hours before kick-off.
According to "Mundo Deportivo", Barcelona's seasonal staff have called an open-ended strike starting at 00:00 on Friday 23 October and running until 06:00 on Monday 26 October. That window swallows up the Clasico, scheduled for Sunday 25 October at nine in the evening, plus other fixtures at the Palau Blaugrana and the Johan Cruyff Stadium.
Barcelona respond in firm terms: the Clasico is a red line
Barcelona killed off any talk of a postponement or cancellation within hours, confirming in an official statement that every service needed to stage the match is guaranteed and that the Clasico faces no danger whatsoever.
A game of this size pulls in around 80,000 people, the club explained, counting supporters alongside administrative and organisational staff. Barcelona insist they have the organisational muscle to handle any emergency and get all the matches played without a hitch.
No more than 60 seasonal workers are behind the strike call, Barca revealed, each covered by their own collective labour agreement negotiated with their representatives and paid wages well above the sector average. Their demands? Pay rises and a 50% increase in staff numbers, taking the workforce to around 90 employees.
Counter-attack: Barcelona cite their rivals Real Madrid
Then came the jab at their own history. Barcelona aimed implicit criticism at the old model, branding the practice of employing dedicated personnel for certain support services "outdated".
The Catalan club pointed straight at their direct competitors. Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid and Espanyol carry nothing like the same number of permanent seasonal workers for these jobs, Barca said, outsourcing instead when it comes to security, customer service and cleaning.
Talks with the staff on fixed-term contracts will continue, the statement concluded, with their needs taken into account and resources managed responsibly. But not at the cost of the biggest match of the season.
