The Association of Professional Footballers (SJPF) has finalized the Collective Labor Agreement for women’s football. According to the DN, the organization led by Joaquim Evangelista wants an equalization of the minimum wage between men and women in Portuguese football. That is three minimum wages for BPI League professionals, which corresponds to 2280 euros per month.
A gigantic step, taking into account that the current value is 665 euros per month and that the main league still has teams without professional players. The document more than tripling that amount has already been presented to the captains of the 12 BPI League teams and will be handed over to the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) today before the start of labor negotiations with the clubs. And it should start next season already.
This unprecedented ACT aims to clarify some specific issues of women’s football, with legal qualifications of secondary application being the Law on Employment Contracts for Sports (Law 54/2017 of July 14) and the Common Labor Regime. Until now, professional contracts had a mandatory minimum value of 665 euros – the national minimum wage, which was the norm when the BPI League was founded by the FPF.
In 2021, DN examined the contractual reality in Portugal from the point of view of players, coaches, clubs and businessmen, where the asymmetries and discrepancies between pure amateurism and professionalism with salaries ranging from €665 to €8,000 were apparent. Benfica, Sporting and Sp. Braga has 100% professional teams among the 12 teams of Liga BPI.
In total there are only about 150 players with a professional contract in Portugal. Most athletes sign agreements for the payment of fees – subsistence, food or travel expenses upon presentation of expenses/invoices – or have contracts classified as services, requiring them to issue green receipts between 300 and 600 euros in some cases.
With this reality in mind, the Union, which since 2012 has had a section dedicated to women’s football, led by Carla Couto (considered the best Portuguese player in history), also proposes to clubs pay premiums according to the seniority of the players in their service.
Regulating competitive minimum wages, bonuses for goals and seniority, the maternity regime, internships and vacations, as well as dual careers and protections and rules to prevent and respond to employment and sexual harassment are also considered in the union project (see table above) .
Women’s football has been a banner for the federation and the federation hopes to use this to its advantage when negotiating with the clubs. Also on Tuesday, President Fernando Gomes recalled that the evolution of women’s football is a priority for the FPF until 2023, and promised to match prices between men and women for the benefit of the selections, also highlighting the record of practitioners (9200) and the evolution of the squad, currently 22nd in the FIFA ranking, which is already focused on the playoff final qualification for the 2023 World Cup. What happens will be historic.
Protocol against sexual harassment and full salary during pregnancy
Sexual and moral harassment in employment entered the media agenda last year with the case of the Rio Ave players, who accused the then coach and sporting director of Famalicão of sexual harassment. Both have been suspended by the Federation, but the union wants a clarification of the legal prohibitions regarding harassment and the rights assisting the victim player, giving the employer the responsibility to implement a harassment prevention protocol and act appropriately when and if he is informed about this.
Protection in situations of pregnancy and maternity was enacted by FIFA and is already followed by the Federation, but the Union’s proposal aims to combine the rights already established with best international practices in women’s football. It is now mandatory to prohibit the dismissal of a pregnant player or reduce the value of the employment contract, as well as the full payment of the player’s compensation during this period. As well as good guidance and the creation of adequate infrastructure for breastfeeding and monitoring children during training, internships and games.
Forcing (or recommending) clubs to apply the existing scientific knowledge regarding the menstrual cycle of female players, promoting well-being by adjusting the volume and intensity of work during the period concerned, is one of the proposed measures.
Source: DN
