Spain’s women’s soccer players call off strike after reaching deal for higher minimum wage

MADRID — The players in Spain‘s women’s soccer league have called off a strike after reaching a deal to increase minimum wage, the league and unions said Thursday.

The first set of games was not played last weekend because of the strike, but the second block of matches will now go ahead as scheduled.

The minimum salary for the women’s league until now was 16,000 euros ($17,100), compared to 182,000 euros ($195,000) for the men’s league.

The new deal will increase the minimum wage for the women’s league to 21,000 euros ($22,500) this season, with that sum rising to 23,500 euros ($25,200) by 2025. It could go even higher depending on revenue.

Last season, of 334 players, 80 players made less than 20,000 euros ($21,400) per year, while the average salary was about 40,000 euros ($42,900), according to the league.

The strike, which was announced last week by the players, coincided with the scandal caused by Spanish soccer federation president Luis Rubiales when he kissed a national team player on the lips without her consent during the Women’s World Cup awards ceremony. Rubiales resigned on Sunday.

Reporting by The Associated Press.

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