The implementation of the minimum requisites for contracts of professional players across Europe was discussed this morning when the members of the European Professional Football Social Dialogue Taskforce met with representatives of Maltese football at the Grand Excelsior Hotel in Floriana.
The agreement between UEFA, the European Clubs Association, FIFPro, the world players’ union and the European Professional Football Leagues (EPFL), as part of the European Union’s Social Dialogue, was the main item on the agenda.
“The Social Dialogue consisted of consultations, negotiations and other measures taken by the various organisations representing both sides of the football industry, namely the clubs and the leagues as employers and the players as employees,” the Malta FA, who were entrusted with the organisation of today’s meeting, said in a statement.
“As the governing football of football, UEFA’s role was to act as moderator during these discussions.”
Through these meetings, the social partners have created a document that encourages associations and all the European clubs to make sure that the work contracts between clubs and players contain the minimal clauses that have been agreed by all the parties involved in the Social Dialogue.
This project, piloted by UEFA president Michel Platini, represents another step in the definition of the relationship between football clubs and professional players after UEFA, FIFA and the European Commission had paved the way with an agreement on the regulations governing international transfers of players in 2001 in light of the decision of European Court of Justice in the case of Belgian players Jean-Marc Bosman in 1995.
The European Professional Football Social Dialogue Task Force is holding meetings in all European countries.
During today’s meeting, the members of the task force held talks with officials of the Malta FA led by president Norman Darmanin Demajo, and representatives of clubs and Maltese players on how and when the minimum requisites of professional players’ contracts as agreed during the Social Dialogue, can start being implemented in the agreements of players who ply their trade in the Maltese championships.
“This was the 17th meeting of the social dialogue task force in Europe and, on behalf of the Malta FA, I’m satisfied with the contribution of all the parties who made their interventions, including local clubs and the Malta Football Players Association,” Bjorn Vassallo, the MFA general secretary told Times of Malta.
“The aim was to have all the components sitting around a table to discuss reforms that will improve the local game and this has been reached.
“Furthermore, the MFA, over the past few years, has emphasised the importance that the proposed reforms must contain standard requisites through which both the clubs and the players are integral parts in the implementation of the contractual obligations that bind the employer and the employee in the footballing sphere.”
Mr Vassallo hailed today’s meeting as a historic milestone for local football “not only because all the stakeholders engaged themselves in a debate around the same table but because, in the last months and thanks to the direction of the Malta FA, the clubs and players are understanding and accepting that they have to meet each other’s expectations and that this must be a constant process”.
“As general secretary of the MFA, I would like to thank all those who are responding well to the changes,” Mr Vassallo said.
“Some of the proposals will be submitted for the approval of the MFA council around March before coming into effect on June 9, the first day of the 2015/16 season,” Mr Vassallo said.