Nafpu and NFA come to terms
The players’ union has been ironing out its differences with the national football body in order to improve the working conditions of players.
JESSE JACKSON KAURAISA
The Namibia Football Players Union (Nafpu) and the Namibia Football Association (NFA) are finally getting along, Nafpu secretary-general Olsen Kahiriri has revealed.
The two bodies have been involved in a nasty verbal clash about legal matters involving the players.
Nafpu has demanded that the NFA set up a dispute resolution chamber in order to ensure that all the players are legally protected.
The NFA was reluctant to accept the demands of Nafpu, leading to tension between the two bodies.
Kahiriri told the media yesterday that the relationship was finally turning rosy after years of enmity.
“The relationship between Nafpu and the NFA has moved to a new level were engagement has come into place.
“This is strictly because FIFA has adopted new strategies and has also spoken to the NFA about the situation,” Kahiriri said.
He felt that the peace between them and the NFA would enable Nafpu to nullify the contracts of many players who have been inactive for 14 months.
Kahiriri said some players had complained to Nafpu that the clubs were refusing to release them even though they failed to honour the players’ contracts.
“It is our duty to sit down with these clubs and the NFA in order to make sure that the players are released or given new proper contracts,” he said.
The other thing that NAFPU is strongly advocating for is that the players’ salaries must be increased.
They feel that would improve the quality of the national team and the living conditions of the players.
Nafpu has partnered with other trade unions which have enabled it to come up with a research programme that will benefit workers, including the players.
Nafpu, the Trade Union Congress of Namibia (TUNCA) and other sister unions have been involved in a workshop with personnel from Wits University.
Warren McGregor of Wits University will be assisting the trade unions on a research programme on the conditions of workers.
The Labour Resource and Research Institute of Namibia will assist the unions in conducting the research.
The unions believe that the results of the research can give them an idea as to what more can be done to help workers.
“We want to do research in terms of the working relations of workers in Namibia,” Nafpu president Sylvester Goraseb told reporters.
The Namibia Football Players Union (Nafpu) and the Namibia Football Association (NFA) are finally getting along, Nafpu secretary-general Olsen Kahiriri has revealed.
The two bodies have been involved in a nasty verbal clash about legal matters involving the players.
Nafpu has demanded that the NFA set up a dispute resolution chamber in order to ensure that all the players are legally protected.
The NFA was reluctant to accept the demands of Nafpu, leading to tension between the two bodies.
Kahiriri told the media yesterday that the relationship was finally turning rosy after years of enmity.
“The relationship between Nafpu and the NFA has moved to a new level were engagement has come into place.
“This is strictly because FIFA has adopted new strategies and has also spoken to the NFA about the situation,” Kahiriri said.
He felt that the peace between them and the NFA would enable Nafpu to nullify the contracts of many players who have been inactive for 14 months.
Kahiriri said some players had complained to Nafpu that the clubs were refusing to release them even though they failed to honour the players’ contracts.
“It is our duty to sit down with these clubs and the NFA in order to make sure that the players are released or given new proper contracts,” he said.
The other thing that NAFPU is strongly advocating for is that the players’ salaries must be increased.
They feel that would improve the quality of the national team and the living conditions of the players.
Nafpu has partnered with other trade unions which have enabled it to come up with a research programme that will benefit workers, including the players.
Nafpu, the Trade Union Congress of Namibia (TUNCA) and other sister unions have been involved in a workshop with personnel from Wits University.
Warren McGregor of Wits University will be assisting the trade unions on a research programme on the conditions of workers.
The Labour Resource and Research Institute of Namibia will assist the unions in conducting the research.
The unions believe that the results of the research can give them an idea as to what more can be done to help workers.
“We want to do research in terms of the working relations of workers in Namibia,” Nafpu president Sylvester Goraseb told reporters.
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