Catalan derby to be shown on television as Mediapro strike called off for gameweek 36

The CCOO and UGT unions have called off the planned strike at La Liga audiovisual broadcast producers Mediapro for gameweek 36, while maintaining it for the last two weeks of the season. 

The decision means that FC Barcelona's trip to local rivals Espanyol on Thursday night will be broadcast as normal on television. The blaugrana could win La Liga at the perico's ground for the second time in three years with a win. 

The agreement to call off the strike for this gameweek allows for 48 more hours of negotiations to take place between the parties involved.

Despite the CCOO and UGT unions calling off the strike call, the CGT union have maintained theirs. 

La Liga, meanwhile, has sought to reassure fans that football will be seen enjoyed "as it is every weekend," according to president of the entity, Javier Tebas.

Mediapro is confident it can reach an agreement with CCOO and UGT to definitively call off the strike for the final two gameweeks and thus minimize its effects.

Dispute

The labor unions are complaining after LaLiga awarded the competition's broadcasting rights to the Swiss company HBS (Host Broadcast Services) from next season. This "threatens the work history and continuity of dozens of professional technicians who have been in charge of broadcasting the games during the last years," a statement shared by CNT Barcelona reads.

CNT is also urging finding "fair measures ahead of uncertainty and precarity," as they do not have any guarantees on their labor future. Among the requests: all temporary contracts should be adapted into indefinite contracts, and future work should be guaranteed. All while maintaining all labor conditions, including salaries.

CGT Catalunya also reported that the 800 jobs required to broadcast next year's LaLiga season are not guaranteed.

"We want a signed document before the end of the competition, which states that conditions and current rights are not going to be scrapped," a statement shared by the labor union reads. Workers also want to avoid a layoff scheme once the tournament starts.

Staff stated they cannot "accept that HBS, despite moving a lot of money thanks to the broadcasting rights, is incapable of ensuring work for 800 people." They also criticize Mediapro, a Barcelona-based company that owned the rights until now, for the "large profit earned thanks to workers' precarious conditions, as right now, camera operators are earning €150 gross per game, the same salary as 20 years ago."