Football
ESPN staff 8y

Argentina referees protest lack of pay with work stoppage - union chief

Argentina officials union director Guillermo Marconi has said the league referees have not been paid by the Argentina Football Federation and would go on a 48-hour strike.

Argentina federation president Luis Segura -- a member of FIFA's ruling council -- was charged last month with fraud related to TV broadcasting rights and is currently out of power after FIFA named a "normalisation committee" to run daily affairs. Elections must be organised by July 2017. 

Marconi told La Red radio show that the upcoming Copa Argentina matches between Rosario Central-Villa Mitre and Estudiantes (La Plata)-Atlas on Friday and Saturday, respectively, would not be covered.

Federico Beligoy, president of the Argentina Referee Association had previously warned AFA that if they did not pay the referees, measures would be taken. Beligo told Telam that AFA owes the referees half of their compensation for the first part of the season and the entire month of June for a total of 15 million Argentine pesos ($1 million).

"We are told that AFA does not have resources at the moment and we understand the situation, but we need to be worried about our members," Beligoy said. "We appealed the the head of the Department of Labour to let them know what we are owed by AFA. If they persist, we will go on strike. For many of our referees, this is their sole source of income."

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