Women strike over minimum wage in Spanish football

MADRID: Footballers in Spain´s women´s league launched an indefinite strike on Friday seeking to double the minimum wage to 16,000 euros ($17,680), the players´ union AFE announced.

The Association of Women´s Football Clubs (ACFF) believes the more modest clubs will be unable to afford wages with the minimum currently set at 8,000 euros.

Women are also trying to force through a maternity package, paid holidays and other basic fringe benefits.

"We will be stopping full match-day programmes as of 16-17 November for an indefinite period, because we have tried all other methods of negotiation," the players´ union said.

The strike thereby sees the cancellation of this weekend´s ninth round of the women´s 16-team football league.

Over the past 15 years women´s participation in football in Spain has increased four-fold and there are 70 members of the ACFF.