Professional Footballers Australia (PFA) remains committed to reaching a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) to rebuild and reboot the A-League and W-League for the 2020-21 season.
 
The A-League players, through a league-wide vote, have rejected a proposal from the A-League Clubs that sought to:

  • provide clubs with the ability to unilaterally impose salary reductions on players, with the players’ only recourse to reject such a reduction being to terminate their employment 
  • deny players the right to negotiate any reduction in a fair and adequate manner. 

PFA President Alex Wilkinson said all A-League players remained willing to continue working with the Clubs to reach a new CBA.
 
“The players are acutely aware of the significant challenges our sport faces, having made incredible personal and financial sacrifices to preserve the short-term future of the game,” Wilkinson said.
 
“The players’ objective from the outset of negotiations has been to ensure the new agreement builds a sensible, rational and fair path forward to ensure the A-League and W-League can rebuild and reboot at a critical moment in our game’s history.”
 
PFA Co-Chief Executive Beau Busch said the PFA had tabled two alternative proposals that outlined pathways for Australian football to navigate the challenges inflicted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
 
“The players have always been a responsible partner in the game,” Busch said.  “At a time when the preservation of the A-League has required unprecedented sacrifices on the part of the players, they have been forced to defend their most basic contractual rights. 
 
“Our professional game finds itself at a critical juncture and our capacity to rebuild will largely be shaped by the quality of play on the pitch. Ensuring contract security and the attractiveness of the players’ work environment is critical; failing to do so will simply undermine any recovery efforts.”
 
PFA Co-Chief Executive Kathryn Gill said the negotiations were taking place during a challenging period for the sport, but one that presents opportunity.
 
“The professional game undoubtedly faces its greatest challenge but is also presented with a once in a generation opportunity in the form of the FIFA Women’s World Cup,” Gill said.
 
“The proposals we have outlined aim to ensure not just the short-term viability of the leagues but provide the clubs and players with the necessary flexibility to ensure a longer-term recovery without eroding the leagues’ ability to retain talent.
 
“The W-League players stand in solidarity with their A-League peers and remain committed to reaching an agreement that addresses the players’ fundamental concerns for the sport and advances the game’s collective interests.”