Pay cut on the cards for Cape Town City
Cape Town City chair John Comitis says the club’s players and technical staff will have to take a 20% pay cut if there is no resumption of football in May.
Comitis said that as SA’s national lockdown continued to April 30‚ and perhaps beyond‚ City have committed to paying full salaries for this month‚ but have informed players and staff that if football did not restart in May they would have to take the cut.
The City boss said they would review the situation based on a potential return of football‚ whether behind closed doors or in a tournament format with teams quarantined at one venue.
“We all have to act responsibly to try to get everybody to be able to at least put food on the table.
“We’ve undertaken to pay full salaries in April with a clear understanding that if there’s no football return next month there have to be some drastic changes,” he said.
“Over and above that‚ if we do return there would still be some percentage cut across the board‚ including the players.
“I’ve had these consultations with the staff already. I think they’ve all understood the position we are in. I also don’t want to let everybody get caught 10 days before payday not being able to make arrangements.
“So we’ve given them a month’s breather to sort out their lives by the end of next month. By then there are definitely going to be drastic changes.”
Comitis said City’s challenges were heightened after sponsors SportPesa indicated they would not be able to fulfil their financial commitment for the remainder of the season‚ though the betting company had other financial challenges before the outbreak of the coronavirus in SA.
The SA Football Players Union (Safpu) said this week that Premiership side AmaZulu were the only PSL club the union was aware of that had informed players of salary cuts.
AmaZulu’s players were reportedly told by the club that they would not receive their full salaries in April‚ and Safpu would be representing them in the matter‚ the union has said.
Safpu president Thulaganyo Gaoshubelwe said they knew of similar letters to employees at two First Division teams ‚ Cape Umoya United and TTM.
● Meanwhile Mamelodi Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane had a go at Premiership title rivals Kaizer Chiefs.
While clubs have been inactive for over a month during the national lockdown‚ Mosimane insisted that the Chiefs players would be fresher than his own charges when the campaign eventually resumed.
“We are rested now but they [Chiefs] are well rested because they have never had anything to do‚” Mosimane said.
“We had something to do in all the competitions we’ve been playing and now we are rested‚ but they are well rested because they had nothing to do.
“They play every seven days while we have been all over the place and travelling on the continent in the Champions League.”