PFA chief hails value of collective bargaining agreements amid Lionesses dispute
Football union boss Maheta Molango has stressed the value of collective bargaining in women’s sport in a week that has seen a row over World Cup bonuses between the England team and the Football Association.
According to the PA news agency, the Lionesses are disappointed that the FA will not follow the lead of the Australian and American associations – where there are CBAs – in paying bonuses on top of prize money paid to players directly by tournament organizer FIFA.
It is understood the players are also frustrated by a lack of clarity about how much their share of the FA’s commercial deals related to the Lionesses will be, as well as the restrictions surrounding their personal sponsorships.
Molango, chief executive of the Professional Footballers’ Association, speaking at an event to mark the Professional Players Federation’s Female Athlete Week this week, said: “We are now seeing that many countries traveling to the World Cup have players ready to assert themselves if they think that they are not being listened to.
“Issues like this really show players the value of the kind of collective bargaining that countries like the US have in their sports and that strong players’ unions and federations are vital to bring about.”
The FA was asked to comment.
Discrimination in cricket was highlighted in a scathing independent report released last week, which said sexism and misogyny towards women in the sport were “commonplace”.
Crucially, average wages in national football should be aligned by 2029 and internationally by 2030.
Rob Lynch, chief executive of the Professional Cricketers’ Association, said at the same PPF event: “While we need to have that collaborative relationship (with the England and Wales Cricket Board) because of the fact that they are the governing body and we are if we represent the players, we will have problems and have to hold intensive discussions.
“For the PCA, the collective voice is vital. If we have a problem we have to go back to the players, explain it to them and ask them to stay tight.
“Basically, we can represent their interests in the best possible way by closely coordinating our players on key issues.”
