The ongoing labour dispute between Canada Soccer and its men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 teams boiled over Friday with threats of job action from the women and a call for Sport Minister Pascale St-Onge to step in from the men.

鈥淓nough is enough,鈥� women鈥檚 captain Christine Sinclair said in a social media post.

The two teams laid out a list of grievances in separate open letters posted on social media.

The women鈥檚 team said it is 鈥渙utraged and deeply concerned with the news of significant cuts鈥� to national team programs as it prepares for this summer鈥檚 World Cup.

鈥淲ith the biggest tournament in women鈥檚 football history less than six months away, our preparation for the World Cup and the future success of the women鈥檚 national team鈥檚 program are being compromised by Canada Soccer鈥檚 continued inability to supports its national teams,鈥� the women said in a statement posted on social media.

鈥淒espite our strong track record of success and history-making achievements for more than a decade, we continue to be told there is not enough money to adequately fund our program and our youth teams.鈥�

Both teams have been embroiled in labour talks for months with Canada Soccer. The Canadian men refused to play a planned friendly in Vancouver last summer because of their unhappiness at the state of the negotiations, which included division of prize money from the men鈥檚 World Cup in Qatar.

The sixth-ranked women say they are being told 鈥渢o perform at a world-class level without the same level of support that was received by the men鈥檚 national team in 2022, and with significant cuts to our program 鈥� to simply make do with less.鈥�

The women say the number of players and staff coming to camp has been cut, as have training camp days.

鈥淲e have been told, quite literally, that Canada Soccer cannot adequately fund the women鈥檚 national team, and they have waited to tell us this until now, when we are less than six months from the World Cup.鈥�

Both programs and their associated youth teams have had their budgets 鈥渟ubstantially cut,鈥� the 53rd-ranked men said.

鈥淗ow Canada Soccer is allocating or using funds is unclear and cloaked in secrecy,鈥� their statement said.

The men鈥檚 statement said Canada Soccer has 鈥渃onsistently refused or blatantly ignored our Players Association鈥檚 requests for access to its financial records to back up its claims that it does not have the funds to properly operate Canada Soccer or fairly compensate the players.鈥�

鈥淚f the current leadership of Canada Soccer is not willing to take immediate action to respond to the players鈥� demands and concerns, we ask that the Minister of Sport, the Honourable Pascale St-Onge, intervene to remove them, and mandate that new Canada Soccer leadership be named and required to comply with its mandated objectives and all legal requirements, as supported by federal funding,鈥� the men said.

Canada Soccer did not immediately respond for a request for comment.

The women鈥檚 statement, posted by the Canadian Soccer Players鈥� Association (CSPA) which represents the women鈥檚 team, came with the headline: 鈥淭he time is now, we are taking job action.鈥�

The statement did not specify the job action but called for 鈥渘ew leadership鈥� if the governing body is 鈥渘ot willing or able鈥� to support the team.

鈥淲e are committed to do whatever it takes to create public awareness of this crisis and to force Canada Soccer to start to support the national teams properly.鈥�

The Canadian women are scheduled to open play Feb. 16 at the SheBelieves Cup against the top-ranked U.S. in Orlando. The four-team tournament is part of Canada鈥檚 preparation for the World Cup, which kicks off July 20 in Australia and New Zealand.

Earl Cochrane, Canada Soccer鈥檚 general secretary, was to meet the women in Florida in a previously arranged meeting.

Canada Soccer has said that there will be pay equity in the new deals struck with the men and women.

鈥淲e are tired 鈥� tired of constantly having to fight for fair and equal treatment, and for a program that will give us a chance to achieve what we know this team is capable of achieving for Canada,鈥� the women said in their statement.

鈥擭eil Davidson, The Canadian Press