Socceroos and Matildas contracted to A-League clubs could soon exercise their right to industrial action after the football players’ union rejected the latest pay deal proposed by league bosses.<\/p>\n
The previous collective bargaining agreement (CBA) between A-League Men and A-League Women players and the Australian Professional Leagues (APL) expired on June 30.<\/p>\n
Despite the agreement lapsing last month the players’ union, Professional Footballers Australia (PFA), and the APL were confident a deal would get over the line in the early part of July after beginning talks late last year.<\/p>\n
But the latest proposal was unanimously rejected by players at a meeting last week, plunging the leagues’ outlook into uncertainty.<\/p>\n
A-League Women’s pay gap <\/a><\/p>\n Sarah Langman is a goalkeeper for the Central Coast Mariners and has been playing for the A-League for nine seasons. But the disparity in pay and the part-time nature of the women’s league in Australia means she can’t focus on football full time.<\/p>\n “The result of the vote was clear [where] an overwhelming majority of players elected to reject the APL proposal, believing that it did not advance the players’ and the game’s collective interests,” PFA chief executive Beau Busch wrote in a memo sent to players, and seen by AAP.<\/p>\n “The A-Leagues delegates have now formally ratified this position. As such, we have informed APL that their proposal has been rejected and that the CBA negotiation process has been exhausted.”<\/p>\n The outcome means Australia’s top-flight football leagues are the only major competitions in the country without a CBA.<\/p>\n Players were prohibited from taking industrial action under the CBA, but with no agreement currently in place the competition is potentially entering uncharted territory.<\/p>\n Relations between the PFA and the APL have been frosty for the best part of a year since APL chair Stephen Conroy signalled his intention to introduce a hard salary cap of $3 million.<\/p>\n The APL has since shifted its position under new chief executive Steve Rosich and offered players a voice at the table to shape the leagues’ direction.<\/p>\n Do you have a story idea about women in sport?<\/p>\n