Cricket Australia (CA) might be facing issues with the men’s team regarding the pay, however, efforts are being taken to develop women’s cricket.
The Australian Associated Press (AAP) is aware of the controversial pregnancy clause was altered for short term deals which in turn gave Australia women’s a chance to play in the just concluded Women’s World Cup.
In the current scenario, Cricket Australia has removed the clause that demanded women cricketers to declare if they are pregnant or not. However, it is still necessary or a deemed compulsion for Cricket Australia to notify a medical officer for safety of women and unborn babies.
When the previous demand clause was introduced, it created a spat between Cricket Australia and Australia Cricketers’ Association (ACA). This led to the formation of Women’s Contract working group which discussed the “the legality of the demand” on a high priority.
CA and ACA representatives are working towards a new MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) which is both momentous and just, with a helping hand from legal and medical experts, officials from the Fair Work Ombudsman and Safe Work Australia.
The other discussions are in regard with maternity leave, female players’ high performance environment, etc. State women players will be able to sign multi-year contracts as the men do in the new agreement.
The government body and players’ union want women and men, both will be under the same MoU for the first time. This is the main reason why both didn’t wish to extend their MoU for further 12 months.
The Union feels that the CA will not back-pay unemployed domestic women cricketer’s, who earned $22,000 on an average in the previous season. CA argues it offered significant pay rises to those players and are unimpressed the ACA won’t use an adjustment ledger from the previous MoU to fund female pay rises. Pay talks were easily sidelined with talks regarding the pregnancy clause, when CA executive James Sutherland, suggested that the pregnancy clause was misinterpreted by the Players’ Union and put players in an unfair position.
Concerns regarding “Outdated at best and rather condescending” issues affecting female cricketer’s is what ACA had said last December in it’s initial submission to players.
Steve Smith, Australia men’s team captain has already expressed that his side won’t fly on August 18 for the upcoming tour of Bangladesh unless a solution is in place.
The women’s Ashes is also nearing, it will start in Brisbane on October 22. CA needs to strike an agreement soon.