Professional athletes might not be the first group to come to mind when most people think of the labour movement, but players’ struggle for rights, respect, safe work, and fair treatment is a union struggle through and through.

Executive Director of the 85,000-member-strong World Players Association Brendan Schwab told the World Congress about the power and impact of players’ union.

“The principal reason for the phenomenal change in sport has simply been the formation and organisation by the players into trade unions who have established that sporting workplaces – like all workplaces – must respect the laws of the game,” he said. “At the global level, this means internationally recognised human rights and labour rights.”

The World Players Association has put forward the Universal Declaration of Player Rights last December. Some key principles include ensuring sport is free of discrimination, harassment and violence and that every player has the right to organise and collectively bargain.

World Players are working to ensure these principles apply across all sport and across the globe.

“As athletes we stand should to shoulder with everyone who makes sport possible, including the workers of the world. This requires a deep commitment to activism. We are working to change the rules of the game globally,” Schwab said.

“Collective action by player unions on the ground is increasing. Women’s football alone has seen collective action by players in Argentina, Brazil, Denmark, Norway, Ireland and Australia. And in the United States, the members of our affiliate – the National Football League Players Association – are taking action to speak truth to power.”