Players in Spain’s top division, Liga F, will continue their strike action, while negotiations on an improvement in salaries are at an impasse, their unions announced on Thursday.
Five unions, including AFE and Futpro, which are demanding an increase in the minimum salary of the women’s league, called a strike for the first two days of the championship last week, denouncing an “unacceptable” salary proposal. The latter are demanding salaries “in keeping with the talent” of the players, including some Spanish world champions.
The current minimum wage is 16,000 euros per year, and the unions say they have lowered their demand to 23,000 euros. But Liga F refused to increase its offer beyond 20,000 euros per year.
A proposal deemed “unacceptable” by the players, because “it would mean, let’s not forget, winning less than the referees”, they denounced in a press release.
Negotiations over wages and working conditions began a year ago, when the Liga F moved to professional level.
The negotiations that took place this week only concerned the players’ minimum salaries, with other meetings planned between September 15 and 17 to discuss working conditions.
Last season, a strike by referees disrupted the first week of the league, before the league agreed to increase their match fees and the Spanish government promised to contribute to a pension fund for referees.
This players’ strike comes as Spanish women’s football is in the midst of a crisis, since the forced kiss of the now suspended Federation President, Luis Rubiales, to world champion Jenni Hermoso during the medal ceremony on August 20. Facts which caused international outrage, and for which the Spanish N.10 ended up filing a complaint on Wednesday.
81 Spanish players are refusing to play for La Roja again until the federation’s leadership changes, prompting RFEF interim president Pedro Rocha to take ‘restructuring’ measures.
His first decision was to dismiss coach Jorge Vilda, close to Rubiales whose methods were contested by his players, and replace him with his assistant Montse Tomé, who became the first woman to occupy this position.
