FFA & PFA Extend Collective Bargaining Agreements For A-League & W-League

Football Federation Australia (FFA) and Professional Footballers Australia (the PFA) today announced a one-year extension to each of the Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs) for the Westfield W-League and Hyundai A-League.

FFA Head of Leagues Greg O’Rourke said that the extensions to the CBAs include important landmark steps towards gender equity in player payments for the Westfield W-League, as well as rewarding Hyundai A-League clubs for longer-term investments in players in their academy systems.

“Since formal negotiations began late last year, all parties agreed that in the context of the Leagues CBAs the most appropriate and responsible course of action was for a one-year extension,” O’Rourke said.

This was due to the ongoing discussions being undertaken by the New Leagues Working Group and the risks associated with negotiating a new employment framework for players in the absence of understanding the future Hyundai A-League and Westfield W-League structures and commercial models at the time of renegotiation.

“With this is mind, FFA has worked with the Australian Professional Football Clubs (APFCA) and PFA to achieve an outcome that delivers on the gender equity principle of “same base pay for same base work” for players on the minimum remuneration in each league respectively.

“This means that players in the Westfield W-League and Hyundai A-League will receive the same minimum remuneration hourly rate.

“To assist Western United FC to be competitive for their inaugural Hyundai A-League season, we have also provided them an allowance of $400k which is effectively a salary cap of $3.6 million.

“The new Hyundai A-League CBA also provides an incentive to Hyundai A-League clubs to continue to invest in youth academies.

“Next season, the number of scholarship players will increase from six to nine and salary payments for Homegrown players will not be included in the cap.

Key elements of the arrangements for each of the Playing Groups are:

Westfield W-League

• Increase the season’s minimum remuneration by 33% to $16,344. This increase reflects the introduction of the principle of “same base hourly rate for same base work” so Westfield W-League Players and Hyundai A-League Players will receive the same minimum remuneration based on an hourly rate.

Hyundai A-League

• An immediate lift in the Salary Cap to $3.2 million (Ex Western United FC) up from $3.063 million in 2018/19) which is a 4.5% increase ($137,000)
• Base player payments of $2.88 million which is a 4.3% ($123,300) increase in 2019/20.
• Western United FC Maximum Player Payments of $3.6million
• $200k cap on Loyalty Player payments and Homegrown Player payments outside of the salary cap have been removed
• Maximum number of scholarship players increased from six (6) to nine (9).

PFA Chief Executive, John Didulica, said that the PFA was proud to have secured a landmark step for women footballers and secure record funding for player development and wellbeing.

“Due to the significant complexity in moving toward an independent league, the PFA’s motivation in reaching this extension was to, firstly, help facilitate a more stable foundation for this potential transition and, secondly, ensure we could continue to advance fundamental areas,” Didulica said.

“These areas included record funding for player development and wellbeing and entrenching gender equality across minimum standards such as pay.

“We’re very proud that we have been able to anchor the minimum conditions for W-League players to those of A-League players.

“It’s a moment in time that the players should be proud of.”

The extension of both of the CBAs will expire on 30 June 2020.