Current and former Australia players have taken legal action against the national football governing body over a "festering pay dispute days before the team is to open its qualifying campaign for the 2018 World Cup," according to Ian Ransom of REUTERS. Football Federation Australia said that the dispute related to payments dating back to '10 and "slammed the players' union for making it public in the leadup to the June 16 opener against Kyrgyzstan." FFA CEO David Gallop said, "The [Professional Footballers Australia] PFA's decision to make public statements about a confidential and independent dispute resolution process days before a FIFA World Cup qualifier is inappropriate and unnecessarily disruptive. The matters in question relate back
to 2010, were first raised in August last year and are not material to
the current qualification campaign." The
players' union said it had filed a grievance in accordance with the
Socceroos' Collective Bargaining Agreement in relation to "Agreed
Payments." The PFA said in a statement, "This is a matter to be determined by an independent arbitrator." The PFA said that an arbitrator "had been appointed but no date had been set to commence proceedings" (REUTERS, 6/11). In Sydney, Sebastian Hassett reported the PFA has "ruled out strike action in Tuesday's World Cup qualifier against Kyrgyzstan." PFA CEO Adam Vivian arrived on Wednesday in Dubai,
where the Socceroos are having their pre-match camp, and said that he was "surprised to learn" FFA was accusing the PFA of
being "disruptive." Vivian: "We commenced this grievance back in August
last year, and while it's obviously dragged on a little bit, the timing
of these details coming out is coincidental and is not meant to be a
distraction. ... We're also not going to be taking industrial action. Whatever the
outcome of the grievance arbitration is, we'll accept. We'd like to get
this finalized promptly and to get some clarification" (SYDNEY MORNING HERALD, 6/11).
