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Thomas Sweswe

Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Senior Sports Reporter
THE Footballers Union of Zimbabwe (FUZ) has started discussions with clubs for a minimum wage to protect players from being exploited by their employers, according to FUZ secretary-general Thomas Sweswe.

The former Dynamos and Kaizer Chiefs hardman said football was no longer a luxury or part time job for the players, but a billion dollar industry on a global scale, hence the need for acceptable working conditions.

“As FUZ we have started negotiations on having a minimum wage for players just like in other industries and we hope to make a breakthrough soon in the same way that we managed to make some headway on the issue of a standard contract,” said Sweswe.

FUZ has also welcomed recent Fifa pronouncements that allow a player to walk out of his or her contract if the employer fails to pay a salary for two months with effect from June 1, 2018.

In a circular to all national associations, Fifa secretary-general Fatma Samoura said the new regulations were approved by a Fifa Council meeting held in Bogota, Colombia, in March.

Sweswe said the development was long overdue.

“It’s a welcome development for football; it was long overdue because the previous one was three months and you can imagine that a person can stay for that long without a salary, how will you survive,” said Sweswe.

He called on clubs to ensure that they honour their contractual obligations to avoid such unwanted situations.

“It goes back to the clubs that they must honour their contractual obligations because football is a profession; it’s no longer a part time thing and it needs to be respected from the employer’s side as well as the employee’s side,” Sweswe said.