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Boland heading for liquidation
22/02/2007 22:36 - (SA)
Stephen Nell, Die Burger
Cape Town - The South African Rugby Players Association (Sarpa) are ready to take on the Boland union over what they see as intimidation and victimisation of players.
Piet Heymans, chief executive of Sarpa, has expressed strong views after 33 players were allegedly given an ultimatum to sign new contracts by Thursday afternoon.
"They (Boland) are threatening the 33 players that they will not be paid if they do not sign," Heymans said on Thursday. "This type of intimidation and victimisation is completely unacceptable.
"Boland have not treated this whole issue in accordance with labour laws. They seem to think they are above the law."
Contracts
Heymans indicated that the 33 players would have been willing to accept amended contracts after the union's financial crisis that resulted from the Fidentia debacle.
Boland wanted the players to sign two-page contracts, Heymans said. The standard Sarpa players contract is a 30-page document.
"The players were willing to accept new packages but they want guarantees. What happens, for instance, if Boland are liquidated?"
Liquidation is something most interested parties are trying to avoid. However, Heymans indicated that Sarpa could, as a last resort, apply for the liquidation of the union's professional arm to ensure the obligations towards the players are met.
"If there is no other way, that is the route we will have to follow," Heymans said. "Members of the Boland board may also be held responsible in their personal capacities."
Compromise
Earlier this week, Boland informed 23 other players that their services were no longer required.
Heymans said those players would have been willing to accept a compromise over their packages. The money could even be paid off in instalments.
However, Boland are not accepting accountability. Contracts with the players were entered into by the union and Playco, a Fidentia subsidiary.
The Playco contracts are said to have contained a clause that Boland would pay the players if Playco could not meet their obligations.
Baffling
However, Boland CEO Piet Bergh recently denied that officials of the union had signed the Playco contracts.
"It is baffling that a union could act like this in a professional era," Heymans said.
"They take off taxes and unemployment insurance from the players' salaries and then deny that they have any obligations."
Sarpa will now take legal steps to ensure that the 23 players be compensated for "unfair dismissal".
Bergh did not respond to messages from Die Burger on Thursday.
- Die Burger
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