The unions FUTPRO, Futbolistas On and Workers Commissions (CCOO), together with the F Leaguesigned this Tuesday an agreement for the second Collective Agreement of the Women’s First Division without the approval of the Association of Spanish Footballers (AFE) and the General Union of Workers (UGT) for “not representing a qualitative improvement over the previous one in force to date.”
League F, through a statement, announced that the new agreed text was approved by 97% of the players after being submitted to consultation by the unions and reported that the new Collective Agreement presents substantial improvements “in matters of maternity and conciliation , mental health, permits, study scholarships and entrepreneurship”.
The organization chaired by Beatriz Álvarez recalled that in September 2023 “very important” agreements were reached related to salary improvements that motivated the call for the strike and indicated that subsequently the members of the negotiating table continued negotiating the terms that the regulatory framework should contain.
“During this process, agreements were reached that allowed stranded issues to be unblocked and progress towards achieving the final agreement,” he said in the statement.
Álvarez expressed his satisfaction with the final agreement and highlighted that the signing of the Agreement will represent an act of responsibility that responds to the “undoubted commitment of the clubs in the development of women’s professional football and the improvements in the conditions of the footballers”, who, declared , expressed during their visits to the locker rooms their desire to reach an agreement.
“The new Agreement represents an obvious step forward and includes substantial improvements to the framework that will regulate relations between Clubs and Footballers, regulating important aspects related to motherhood and conciliation, mental health, leaves, study scholarships and entrepreneurship. This Agreement also reinforces the leadership of women’s professional football as a driving force for women’s sports in Spain and marks the way for other women’s competitions,” added Álvarez.
Collective Agreement without UGT and AFE
Liga F thanked FUTPRO, Futbolistas On and CCOO for their “professionalism, rigor and high-mindedness” as well as their “commitment and desire to reach an agreement.”
However, he regretted “the lack of integrity, rigor and respect” of UGT despite having expressed “his agreement with the current wording” for failing to fulfill his commitment and that of AFE, “whose negligence and lack of interest demonstrated during the negotiation evidence their position regarding women’s football, the non-attendance of their representatives at meetings having been a common trend.
Precisely, UGT and AFE, through another joint statement, explained the reasons why they decided not to sign the new Collective Agreement for Women’s Football. “It does not represent a qualitative improvement over the previous agreement in force to date,” expressed both organizations.
Both UGT and AFE emphasize that they are “aware” of the difficulty of achieving in an agreement “equality of rights with the rest of the footballer agreements” and consider that the agreements that should have been established They should have been “more ambitious” because in other instances it was achieved.
“There are issues that are substantial and that, not being included in the agreement, mean continuing to maintain the gap with respect to rights in men’s football agreements, such as personal sphere, calendar, Guarantee Fund, seniority award, Compensation List… From UGT and AFE we insist on the commitment of both unions to the improvement of all female soccer players with the aim of breaking the gaps that still exist in the sport,” they point out.
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