Vamos España! Spanish women’s labour rights dispute reaches a resolution

After a strike in November and a total of 29 meetings between clubs and footballers’ unions, this weekend a pre-agreement was finally signed in the first step to resolving the Spanish women’s First Division labour rights dispute. Martin Whiteley explains the pre-agreement’s conditions, and fills us in with all the on-field action from this week’s Primera División Femenina.

---

Off-field

The Association of Spanish Footballers announced on Friday 20th December that a pre-agreement had been signed for the first labour agreement for top-flight women players in Spain.

Several points key to the negotiations have been agreed, including the stipulation that part-time squad members’ salaries must be 75 per cent of the full-time minimum wage of €16,000. A full salary is to be paid in the case of temporary injuries, while one and a half days of continuous rest is required during a working week of 35 hours.

The final agreement will be signed on 15 January 2020, and will be extended on a season-to-season basis.

---

On-field

In the latest on-field action, Barcelona made it 13 league games unbeaten to head into the Christmas and New Year break at the top of the tree. After a 3-1 win at home to UDG Tenerife they move to 37 points. Pegged back to 1-1 just past the hour-mark, Barcelona secured maximum points with a brace of goals in a five-minute spell. Caroline Graham Hansen scored from a tight angle after 78 minutes, while the recent goalscoring form of Alexia continued as she bagged yet another. The loss for the visitors was their third on the bounce to keep them on 13 points.

Still without the injured Toni Duggan, Atlético Madrid stayed five points behind the leaders as their unbeaten league run reached double figures. Silvia Meseguer scored the winner for Atlético in the 67th minute as they defeated Tacón 2-1 on home soil.

Third-in-the-table Levante slipped six points behind Atlético Madrid, after they were held to a 1-1 draw at home to bottom side Espanyol. The hosts had won their last four games on the spin and went in front with a Rocío Gálvez goal six minutes into the second half. Espanyol, who had lost back-to-back games, drew level 12 minutes later with a goal from Débora, as they gained just their third point this campaign.

Athletic Bilbao moved up to fourth on 23 points as they stretched their unbeaten streak to five matches, after a 3-0 win away against Sporting Huelva. Lucía García found the back of the net for the third time in the last four matches. The home side had to play more than half the game with 10 players after Peace Efih picked up a second yellow card in the 39th minute.

The postponement of their home game against Real Sociedad due to a forecast of stormy weather saw Deportivo de La Coruña remain on 23 points — but they did drop a place on goal difference. They now sit fifth in the table.

Follow Martin in Twitter @673martin