FIFPRO Touch For PSSI Who Ignore Player Welfare

Indonesian footballers (Twitter @pssiepark)

JAKARTA - Professional footballers in Indonesia face serious difficulties, some of which have to survive on a minimum wage. Yes, the behavior of the Indonesian Football Association (PSSI) shocked the International Federation of Professional Football Association (FIFPRO).

Despite a very clear message from FIFA and the AFC Asian football confederation to PSSI to work with clubs and players facing financial difficulties due to the Covid-19 pandemic, PSSI failed to answer calls from local players' associations APPI and FIFPRO to discuss how best to cope crisis.

In contrast, two weeks after suspending the top two leagues on March 15, PSSI passed a resolution allowing clubs to reduce player salaries by up to 75 percent from early March. PSSI took this decision after discussions with the league and club, but without notifying the union, let alone inviting it to negotiate on behalf of the players.

“During this crisis, we have seen that in many football associations the governance of football does not serve its purpose. They completely ignore the players while issuing resolutions that affect the basic rights of workers, "said Legal Director of FIFPRO Roy Vermeer on the official FIFPRO website.

"PSSI intervened in work relations without any intention of inviting the footballers' union to the negotiating table."

Most clubs use the resolution to lower salaries. Since April, none of the 18 clubs paid more than 25 percent, while the two teams paid no more than 10 percent. In League 2, all 24 clubs pay between 10 and 15 percent of the deal.

Before the deduction, League 2 players only made US $ 200 (US) or the equivalent of Rp.2.9 million per month, which is already below the regional minimum wage of US $ 300 (Rp.4.4 million). After a 75 percent cut in wages, their current wages are only US $ 50 (Rp.737 thousand), which is about 17 percent of the minimum wage.

"The fact that this move has been in effect since March shows that PSSI does not care about international standards, and even neglects to fulfill the welfare of the players."

FIFPRO is frustrated with the failure to implement standard player contracts in Indonesia. Though, this is supposed to be used on a mandatory basis by all clubs to ensure minimum standards for players. However, clubs that failed to introduce contracts were not sanctioned by PSSI. This made the situation of many players during this crisis even more vulnerable.