The contractors, mostly electricians, downed tools after pay talks collapsed on the train project — which is running two years behind schedule.
They headed to North London, where an army of 3,800 workers are working round the clock on Tottenham’s £850million ground.
The construction team is now thought to be costing more in wages than the entire Tottenham squad, headed by Harry Kane.
A source said: “You’ve got 3,800 operatives down there in two shifts and whatever overtime they want.
“There’s 600 electricians on site and thousands of other trades. Being conservative that’s going to rack up at an average of at least £1,000 a week per head in labour.”
That would mean the total weekly wage bill is £3.8million — whereas the equivalent for the whole Spurs squad was around £2.4m last season.
The workforce is expected to be on site for six weeks at least, with some electricians contracted until November. Both the stadium and Crossrail projects have been dogged by problems. Spurs promised to play their first game at the new 62,000-capacity ground against Liverpool this Saturday.
But it was hit by a catalogue of delays, including a chronic lack of electricians. The game has now been switched to Wembley — along with several other fixtures.
Meanwhile, London’s 73-mile east-west Crossrail scheme was originally scheduled to open last year but will now not be finished until next autumn.
The budget for the project — expected to be used by 200 million passengers a year — has also increased from £14.8billion to £15.4bn due to “cost pressures”.
Hundreds of workers have walked out after talks on an equal pay deal for all contractors — plus a negotiated bonus — ended without agreement.
Another source said: “This hasn’t happened overnight. It’s been more of a gradual, but consistent, drift. A lot of it has been done by word of mouth.”
Last night Unite union officer Guy Langston said: “It is of little surprise workers have been leaving Crossrail and seeking work on Spurs’ stadium.
“From the outset Unite sought a major projects agreement with Crossrail to ensure that a negotiated bonus and equal pay would apply across all contractors.
“Crossrail refused to enter into such an agreement. They are reaping what they have sown.
“The number of electricians upping sticks has been greatest on the sections of the project operated by contractors such as Laing O’Rourke and Skanska.”
He accused them of “adopting a non-negotiated bonus scheme for their workers, far inferior to the Unite-negotiated scheme”.
Laing O’Rourke and Skanska declined to comment, as did Spurs.
Crossrail did not provide a statement and Mace, in charge of Spurs’ new build, did not return calls.
They have previously disputed the amount paid to workers.
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