Professional Footballers Australia (PFA) has agreed to extend the timeline for the current A-League Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) review negotiations until Friday 28 January.
The 5 year A-League CBA provides for it to be reviewed between October and December 2010 for the 2011/12 and 2012/13 seasons, with any changes to take effect on 1 April 2011.
PFA Chief Executive Brendan Schwab said the PFA had agreed to the extension on a without prejudice basis, given Football Federation Australia’s (FFA) current review of the A-League structure and competition formats.
“The players, like the fans, are very anxious for the current reviews of the CBA and the A-League to be completed as soon as possible.
“Some 80 players will have their contracts expire in just over 2 months, and they are uncertain about their futures as we wait for FFA to confirm the structure of the A-League for 2011/2012, including whether Fury will continue.
“The one month extension in the CBA review negotiations shows FFA that we remain willing to renegotiate the existing CBA terms should that be necessary. At the same time, it is imperative for both fan and player confidence in the A-League that FFA, the PFA and the clubs have certainty as soon as possible. The end of this month is a reasonable timeframe for FFA,” Schwab added.
Should FFA and the PFA not agree to a varied CBA by January 28, the current CBA continues to apply with player payments to increase annually by CPI.
