Top PSL clubs’ player contracts condemned

Sport
BY BRIAN NKIWANE THE Footballers Union of Zimbabwe (FUZ) has drafted a standard contract of employment, which has been given the thumbs-up by the Labour Court.FUZ embarked working on a contract after realising that clubs in the country were short-changing players.

The contract sets the minimum working conditions for workers and their basic wages.

 

The union said players should be entitled to track suits, soccer boots, training shorts, jerseys, stockings, kit bags, shin pads and gloves for goalkeepers in two sets per annum.

As for remuneration, the draft contract says that players should have stipulated wages (salaries), training and travelling allowances.

The sign-on fees for the year has been set at between US$10 000 and US$30 000 depending on negotiations between the club and player.

The transport allowance has been set at US$40, housing allowance US$50, while winning bonus should be US$120.

The draw bonus is pegged at US$20. The players should also be entitled to a travelling allowance of US$20.

However the players shall not be entitled to any fee for a match lost and will not get allowances while away on national duty.

The union said that minimum wage per month should be US$300. The players should also be entitled to full medical aid cover. The union also said if there are no pension options, gratuity has to be paid instantly when the player is about to leave the club.

Gratuity would only be available to players who would have saved the club for three years and it would be calculated as the player’s basic salary multiplied by the number of months that the player would have served at the respective club.

Gundani said the clubs should have a club code of conduct, which should be registered with the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare.

The Labour Court also revealed that all clubs in Zimbabwe were using “a null and void code of conduct”, as it was not registered with the Ministry of Labour.

“But all hope is not lost as all clubs have the right to use the Statutory Instrument 15 of 2006 until the industry has a registered code of conduct,” Gundani added.

FUZ is now pushing all football clubs to come up with a uniform contract that will benefit both the players and the clubs at large.

FUZ was at one time on Zifa’s throat after the football governing body crafted national team players’ contracts for the Cape Verde match without their input as the union.

Meanwhile, contracts of employment of five Premier Soccer League teams submitted to the Ministry of the Labour and Social Welfare by (FUZ) do not conform to the country’s labour laws.

FUZ submitted the contracts of Dynamos, Highlanders, CAPS United, Shooting Stars and Motor Action.