Australia women boycott camp in pay dispute

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia's women's football team have boycotted a training camp ahead of their tour of the United States as part of the ongoing dispute over a new Collective Bargaining Agreement with Football Federation Australia (FFA).





The men's national team also boycotted promotional activities ahead of their World Cup qualifier against Bangladesh in Perth last week in the row between the FFA and Professional Footballers Australia (PFA).

"This was an extremely difficult decision to make," goalkeeper Lydia Williams said in a PFA news release.

"However it's simply unfair to continue to expect us to make enormous sacrifices to play for Australia.

"For the past two months the players have been unpaid and have made every attempt to reach an agreement that gives the women's game a platform for growth."

The FFA condemned the PFA for not giving notice of the action and said the matches against the world champion United States on Sept. 17 and 19 were now in doubt.

"It’s sad that the Matildas have been dragged into a dispute that's primarily about the A-League," said FFA chief executive David Gallop.

"The offer to the Matildas would basically double their pay over the next four years.

"FFA will continue to pursue an agreement that’s sensible and protects the interests of the game, it’s time to reach agreement and stop the game-playing."





(Reporting by Nick Mulvenney, editing by Amlan Chakraborty)


Share

2 min read

Published

Updated

Source: Reuters


Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world