Labor welcomes today’s announcement of a new, four-year collective bargaining agreement that closes the pay gap between Australia’s national football teams.
We commend Football Federation Australia and Professional Footballers Australia for delivering this agreement, which will see the Matildas and Socceroos an equal share of revenue.
The Matildas’ success on the international stage has inspired a generation of Australian girls to chase their football dreams and played a very important role in driving the recent, welcome boom in female participation in sport.
Aspiring young players can now see the efforts of the Matildas being valued and rewarded equally with their male counterparts, demonstrating that football is a viable career pathway for talented female players.
Australia’s best female footballers will receive increased payments, with players in the top tier of a new three-tiered system earning the same amount as the top Socceroos.
This deal comes after the extensive collective bargaining efforts of female footballers through the PFA.
It is an important step in closing the gender pay gap in professional sport and an important reminder of the benefits of being a member of your relevant union.
Together with recent steps towards pay equity by other sports, it shows Australia is moving in the right direction and often leading the way on gender equality in sport.
These important steps in sport should serve as a reminder that more still needs to be done to close the gender pay gap for all Australian women.