Yolanda Díaz considers it “very serious that the world champions are sent without an equality plan or a workplace harassment plan.”
The Ministry of Labor and Social Economy has opened an infringement report to the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) and has sanctioned the Barcelona Football Club and two other women’s second division teams for non-compliance with equality matters. The sanctions have been imposed following the investigation initiated by the Ministry after the Jenni Hermoso case and have been extended to the 16 First Division women’s football clubs.
In the case of the RFEF, the Labor Inspection has opened a violation report for the equality plan and for not activating the harassment protocol. In addition to Barça, RC Deportivo Español de Barcelona and CD Europa, both in the second division, have been sanctioned, as Labor sources have confirmed to Europa Press.
In the investigation, the obligations of these companies (RFEF and clubs) regarding equal pay were verified to verify the existence of a pay record or pay discrimination. Likewise, actions were carried out regarding sexual harassment and reasons of sex and it was verified if they had Equality plans.
In an interview on RNE reported by Europa Press, Yolanda Díaz pointed out Barça among the clubs sanctioned against Real Madrid and Sevilla Fútbol Club, which she said are “the ones that comply best.”
“The file on pay inequality in nine entities has not been completed and we already perceive that there are differences, but we are going to complete the task of the Inspection and, if it is true that Madrid and Sevilla and others are the ones that do the best, Barça and others are sanctioned because they do not have an equality plan, they do not have a harassment protocol,” argued Yolanda Díaz.
The minister has described as “very serious” that “the world champions (the players of the Spanish Soccer Team) are “sent without an equality plan and without a harassment plan in their workplace.”
Regarding the sanctions that will be imposed if the non-compliance investigated by the Labor Inspection is confirmed, Díaz has recognized that non-compliant entities could face the “maximum amount of fines”, although he has also recognized that “they would be small amounts as it is a documentary process”.
For Díaz, the most important thing, however, is to send a “strong message” that female soccer players “are heroines,” but also “a democratic lesson that there can be no machismo in sport either.”
In this case, the minister has alluded to the controversy unleashed by the kiss of the former president of the Federation, Luis Rubiales, to the soccer player Jenni Hermoso. “You imagine that I am with the European commissioners and they do to a vice president the same thing as Mr. Rubiales, would you think that is normal,” Díaz asked himself, calling it “nonsense.”
“It’s over,” added Yolanda Díaz to then send a message to the football clubs: “16 and the federation itself have been explored and when we talk about equality we talk about fundamental rights, therefore, they have to comply with the regulations; “Harassment is a very serious matter and we cannot have players displaced around the world without action protocols like those companies have and, of course, equality plans.”
