Sisters in arms: Cricketers throw weight and wages behind netballers in bitter pay dispute
Australia’s cricketers have thrown their weight behind the country’s netballers amid a bitter pay dispute with Netball Australia, creating an unprecedented financial fund to help support the players.
Officials are this week still confirming the finer details of the deal, but the Australian Cricketersâ Association (ACA) confirmed on Wednesday a âfighting fundâ would be created for the nationâs netballers.
The ACA have also led a push for other playersâ unions across multiple sports to offer similar support to the netballers, who have officially been off contract since September 30.
At the crux of the issue is the playersâ push for a revenue-sharing model, as opposed to the eight Super Netball clubs and Netball Australia (NA) who want a three-year profit-share deal.
The issue exploded last week with both the Australian Netball Players Association (ANPA) and NA hitting out at each other in the lead up to Australiaâs Constellation Cup series against New Zealand.
Australiaâs cricketers have previously fought hard to maintain a revenue-share model in the sport, including in their own ugly pay dispute with head office in 2017.
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That is part of the reason why players have agreed to pay out of their own pocket to assist the countryâs netballers.
âMuch like our female players in 2017, the netballers at the moment are leaning on friends and family for financial support.â ACA CEO Todd Greenberg said.
âWhat is disappointing is that the netballersâ requests are modest and affordable for the sport.
âThe ACA believes they should be given the same partnership opportunities as our players â the same opportunities that has seen cricket thrive.
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âThe ACA stands with the netballers and will do so until this campaign is successful.â
Netballâs players union had last week called for mediation on the matter, claiming players had âbent over backwardsâ in their offer.
They also claimed that NA had rejected their âreal partnership modelâ and in turned presented an âunfairâ deal.
NA, meanwhile, claim that the union have ârejected a groundbreaking CPA proposalâ.
The organisation also do not consider a revenue-share model as sustainable.
NA doesnât consider a revenue-sharing model sustainable, leaving the situation at a stalemate with players unable to sign new deals for 2024 at any clubs.
âAustraliaâs netballers are brave and resilient people,â ANPA CEO Kathryn Harby-Williams said.
âWhen your minimum wage is $40,000 you have to show a lot of courage to take a stand.
âThatâs why this expression of support is so welcome. It lets the netballers know they are not alone.â
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