Qatar Airways protesters target FC Barcelona members meeting
October 29, 2015
The cabin crew were masked and gagged because QR staff are denied the right to speak out
A group of airline cabin crew gathered outside the FC Barcelona members’ meeting on Sunday to ask the football giant to reject further sponsorship by Qatar Airways (QR).
In the protest, at the Palau de Congressos de Catalunya in Barcelona, the cabin crew were masked and gagged because QR staff are denied the right to join a union and could face punishment if they speak publicly about their treatment.
The protesters asked club members – socios – to uphold the club’s ideals of social responsibility and fairness, and reject closer ties to QR.
Nuria Belenguer, from the SMC-UGT union, was at the protest: “For SMC-UGT it is a priority to improve the conditions of the workers at a national and international level. The working conditions and the politics of fear inflicted on cabin crew at Qatar Airways is unfair.”
You can see a video interview at the Palau de Congressos de Catalunya with Bety Costa Bassas, from the equality department at SMC-UGT Catalunya, here.
ITF policy coordinator, Sarah Finke, said: “FC Barcelona is, as it’s members, players and fans proudly proclaim, ‘More than a club’. It’s a way of life, with a strong social ethos. Barça’s mission isn’t just world-class football, it’s to keep fairness and justice in its heart and soul. We believe that is incompatible with accepting sponsorship from Qatar Airways.”
You can find more photographs of the protest on the ITF social channels, Facebook and Twitter.
Tags: anti-union, FC Barcelona, protest, Qatar, Qatar Airways, SMC-UGT, TRADE UNION RIGHTS