Player union in Zambia wins first legal battle

Standard Player Contracts News

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The Footballers and Allied Workers Union of Zambia (FAWUZ) welcomed the decision by their football association that Harrison Kaonga’s contract was illegally terminated.

Kaonga was dismissed by Mufulira Wanderers FC for alleged “unsatisfactory performance” in May 2019. FAWUZ filed a claim on the player’s behalf in front of the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ). However, the union did not receive a reply for over a year.

FAWUZ appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), pleading that the FAZ was denying Kaonga an opportunity for justice. Finally, the Zambian FA decided to handle the dispute. In November 2020, the FA’s Players’ Status and Transfer Committee ruled that the termination of Kaonga’s contract was irregular and unlawful, ordering the club to pay the midfielder the remaining value of his contract.

“We are satisfied that we managed to secure the rights of our member Harrison Kaonga in the first case we filed to the FAZ”, said FAWUZ general secretary Linos Chalwe

“We sincerely hope that matters will be now handled without delay, so that we do not need to appeal to the CAS for every case we file, which is very costly and reflects badly on Zambian football. Effective and impartial dispute resolution on local level is of paramount importance for the players in our country, who often suffer from a lack of protection.”

“We call upon all players to become a member of FAWUZ so we can assist them with their legal matters.”

Linos Chalwe Meeting 1100
Linos Chalwe, FAWUZ general secretary