The referees are threatening to take industrial action on the eve of the finals as their pay war with the NRL escalates.
The Professional Rugby League Match Officials (PRLMO) on Wednesday notified the NRL that it will ballot its members to seek their approval for industrial action. It is the first time in the history of the game that whistle-blowers have taken the landmark step, the result of frustrations in negotiating a new enterprise bargaining agreement.
Historic action: Referees are threatening to take industrial action but there will be no disruption to the finals.
The NRL is opposing the application, with the matter to be decided at a Fair Work Commission hearing on Thursday morning.
If the referees are successful, the action will not affect the upcoming finals series, although there are plans to make a strong statement without disrupting the game or its stakeholders.
“Industrial action is an unfortunate but necessary step to which we must now resort,” said PRLMO chairman Silvio Del Vecchio.
“The NRL has simply not made enough progress in its negotiations with us, and there remain significant points of difference which haven’t been resolved after months of discussion.
“While we are reserving the right to take this action, the referees love rugby league, they
respect the fans and the stakeholders of the game, and will not disrupt the coming finals series.
Untold pressure: Death threats were the catalyst for Matt Cecchin to announce his retirement at the end of the season.
“Over the past five years, the pay and conditions of referees and players has diverged
considerably. In 2018 alone, the salary cap increased by around 30 per cent, and revenue to the game has increased by 50 per cent to $530m, while the pay of referees has grown at only a fraction of these amounts.
“The referees and match officials are simply looking for a fairer consideration.”
The union fears referees, the most maligned figures on a football field, will be lost to the game unless the next generation are encouraged to take up the vocation.
The whistle-blowers feel they have not been given a fair share of the spoils from the $2 billion broadcast deal, although their concerns aren’t just limited to pay. Leading referee Matt Cecchin revealed to Fairfax Media last month that he is quitting the NRL at the end of the season due to continued criticism and after receiving death threats.
“This year has again demonstrated the pressures and the scrutiny that officiating can put on our officials, and while we appreciate that the NRL has in place assistance programs and strategies for our members, we believe that there are some areas that need improvement or updating,” Del Vecchio said.
“Our campaign seeks to restore respect for referees as key stakeholders in our game.
“A favourable response to the referees' claims would be a powerful message from the NRL that referees are in fact respected."
A ballot of the union’s members closes 20 days after approval from the Fair Work Commission. The squad is committed to endorsing the industrial action, which could take a number of forms. It’s understood that could include turning up to training late or not at all and the wearing of non-approved clothing items – such as caps, armbands and T-shirts – that could carry the union’s message of a fair go to head office.
The Rugby League Players’ Association used similar tactics in its pay dispute with the NRL, with players wearing RLPA-branded caps and tape to show their solidarity.
The pay dispute is another distraction the NRL can do without in the lead-up to the opening week of the finals after Canterbury players disgraced themselves during their Mad Monday celebrations.
The NRL declined to comment when contacted by Fairfax Media.
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