Bid to stop Serie A strike gathers pace
Reuters - Friday 17 September 2010, 17:39
ROME, Sept 17 (Reuters) - Some progress has been made in an
effort to stop next weekend's Serie A strike with a new meeting
set for Tuesday, the players' union chief said on Friday.
Italian players last week announced a strike in a dispute
with Serie A over a collective contract which guarantees
footballers' basic rights.
"We've made steps forward but no huge leaps. The talks
continue and we'll meet again on Tuesday," Sergio Campana told
reporters after the third meeting between league bosses and the
union.
The main sticking point over a new collective deal is Serie
A's demand that unwanted players accept a transfer to a similar
status club and are willing to train away from the first team.
The union has said such a stance is illegal but Campana left
the door open for a compromise.
"I don't know," he replied when asked if the strike could be
called off. "First we must listen to the players as the idea of
industrial action came directly from them."
Serie A president Maurizio Beretta has asked the players'
union to at least postpone the planned September 25/26 strike to
allow more time for dialogue.
Serie A's third round of matches take place as normal this
weekend with a full midweek programme then scheduled before the
strike is due to begin.