Soccer-Chilean players given full labour rights

VALPARAISO, Chile, March 20 (Reuters) - Chile's footballers, who have often complained about poor working conditions and problems in getting paid, will get the same rights as other workers under a new law passed by Congress on Tuesday.

"The situation in professional football will change radically," Labour Minister Osvaldo Andrade said after the bill was approved.

"In labour terms, it was absolutely unregulated and absolutely devoid of the rights which are given to any worker."

The law guarantees minimum one-year contracts as opposed to the current six months, the right to be paid monthly and to have days off.

"We've taken a new step towards making the activity more professional and this will help us improve our football," said Harold Mayne-Nicholls, president of the Chilean federation.

Chile's players went on a three-week strike in 2002 at protest over unpaid wages and poor working conditions.

In a bitter dispute, the clubs attempted to break the strike by fielding youth teams and three sacked their entire squads, reinstating them afterwards as part of the agreement which ended the stoppage.

After the strike, new rules were introduced banning clubs who owed money to their players from the previous season.

Deportes Concepcion were kicked out of the first division under the ruling last year and readmitted this season.

A new law came into force last November allowing Chilean clubs to become public limited companies.

Universidad de Chile, one of the country's most popular and successful clubs, are currently in the hands of an administrator after being declared bankrupt last year.