Ex-Gilport players demand October dues
Boitumelo Khutsafalo | Thursday December 14, 2017 14:53
The players through the Footballers Union of Botswana (FUB) have proposed that they be paid the remaining half of their October salaries before the end of the year.
The club had proposed to pay all the outstanding payments by the end of February next year because of its current financial situation.
The proposal and counter proposal follow negotiations, which kicked off last Thursday after a week of impasse between the concerned players and the club. During their meeting last week together with FUB, the players and the club agreed to amicably terminate their contracts since the club had expressed their inability to continue paying such salaries because of their financial state. The meeting took place after the players refused to travel with the rest of the squad to Jwaneng for a league encounter against Jwaneng Galaxy. The players cited outstanding payments for October and November salaries as their reason.
In the end, Gilport Lions travelled with only eight players to Jwaneng. The game was later aborted after two players suffered injuries, leaving only six players on the field. The club’s remaining matches this year have since been postponed by the Botswana Premier League (BPL).
At last week’s meeting where the players and the club agreed to part ways, the remaining issue was how the outstanding payments were going to be made.
The club has only managed to pay the players half of the October salaries. At that meeting, Gilport Lions’ management asked for adjournment to consult on how the players can be paid the remaining dues.
The club management later proposed that since they are in financial doldrums, they can be able to pay all the outstanding balances for October and full salaries for November by the end of February.
However, the players, during a meeting with FUB on Tuesday afternoon, indicated that they have had to endure some hardships as a result of non-payment of their salaries.
They proposed that since they are still owed half of October salaries and full salaries for November, they be paid the remaining October salaries now so that they can settle their arrears.
They proposed that the November salaries be paid by February. Speaking to Mmegi Sport yesterday, FUB head of legal, Puso Motlhabane confirmed the counter proposal and stated that the proposal has since been sent to Gilport.
He said they have requested for a response by Friday. “Negotiations are still ongoing and they are in good faith,” he said.