comrade
08-10-2009, 05:08 PM
Negotiations over new collective bargaining deal rock Socceroos (http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,,26179328-5014539,00.html)
By Tom Smithies
October 08, 2009
Australia's preparations for Saturday's clash with the Netherlands were rocked on Wednesday after negotiations over a new collective bargaining deal for the squad descended into acrimony.
During heated discussions between team delegation led by Lucas Neill and Football Federation Australia officials, it was claimed the players threatened to go on strike and briefly refused to carry out media commitments that were scheduled for Wednesday.
Eventually an in-principle agreement was reached to give the players a 20 per cent payrise, though sources were emphasising that a completed CBA had not been signed off by both sides.
The players resumed their commitments on Wednesday afternoon but the uneasy truce could yet be broken with rancour lingering on both sides at the turn the negotiations took.
Officially no one would confirm the dispute, with Brendan Schwab, chief executive of the Professional Footballers Association, saying only: "We had a scheduled meeting with the FFA today to discuss the CBA, and negotiations continue in a good spirit. No agreement has yet been reached."
The FFA's head of corporate affairs, Bonita Mersiades, also denied there had been industrial action, adding that: "It would be un-Australian for a Socceroo to take industrial action."
However a source described how the talks "escalated yesterday (Wednesday)" and there is animosity at senior levels of the FFA over the negotiations.
The players, though, believe it has long been the principle that they should share in revenue that they as the national team help to generate, and on Wednesday sought a bigger slice.
The discussions had been due to take place in February but were delayed by both sides until Australia's World Cup qualification had been confirmed in June. Wednesday was the first time set aside since that game to discuss the renegotiation of the CBA but talks became heated as the FFA insisted their financial position is not strong.
Direct income from the World Cup is not huge once costs of preparing and siting the team are deducted, but there is considerable commercial spin-off.
I'm not suggesting the collective bargaining isn't warranted and I'm not denying the national team deserve a raise but geez, Lucas Neill comes across as a greedy SOB.
By Tom Smithies
October 08, 2009
Australia's preparations for Saturday's clash with the Netherlands were rocked on Wednesday after negotiations over a new collective bargaining deal for the squad descended into acrimony.
During heated discussions between team delegation led by Lucas Neill and Football Federation Australia officials, it was claimed the players threatened to go on strike and briefly refused to carry out media commitments that were scheduled for Wednesday.
Eventually an in-principle agreement was reached to give the players a 20 per cent payrise, though sources were emphasising that a completed CBA had not been signed off by both sides.
The players resumed their commitments on Wednesday afternoon but the uneasy truce could yet be broken with rancour lingering on both sides at the turn the negotiations took.
Officially no one would confirm the dispute, with Brendan Schwab, chief executive of the Professional Footballers Association, saying only: "We had a scheduled meeting with the FFA today to discuss the CBA, and negotiations continue in a good spirit. No agreement has yet been reached."
The FFA's head of corporate affairs, Bonita Mersiades, also denied there had been industrial action, adding that: "It would be un-Australian for a Socceroo to take industrial action."
However a source described how the talks "escalated yesterday (Wednesday)" and there is animosity at senior levels of the FFA over the negotiations.
The players, though, believe it has long been the principle that they should share in revenue that they as the national team help to generate, and on Wednesday sought a bigger slice.
The discussions had been due to take place in February but were delayed by both sides until Australia's World Cup qualification had been confirmed in June. Wednesday was the first time set aside since that game to discuss the renegotiation of the CBA but talks became heated as the FFA insisted their financial position is not strong.
Direct income from the World Cup is not huge once costs of preparing and siting the team are deducted, but there is considerable commercial spin-off.
I'm not suggesting the collective bargaining isn't warranted and I'm not denying the national team deserve a raise but geez, Lucas Neill comes across as a greedy SOB.