NFA expects arbitration successLabour battle going to the wire The Namibia Football Association (NFA) and Namibia Football Players Union (NAFPU) are both prepared to appeal against the verdict of the arbitrator at the labour commissioner''s office. The Namibia Football Association has expressed confidence that the arbitration decision in a case between them and NAFPU will swing in their favour today.NAFPU dragged the football association to the labour commissioner for refusing to recognise the players'' union.
NAFPU also accused the NFA of having failed to establish a players'' status committee and a dispute resolution chamber.
Therefore, NAFPU demanded that the NFA meet its request or face legal consequences.
Arbitrator Nicholas Mouers will have to decide whether to dismiss the case or allow NAFPU to continue with the case.
NFA and NAFPU will be given a chance to appeal within 30 days if they feel that the arbitrator''s decision was biased and not made on the facts presented by both parties.
NFA president Frans Mbidi and his secretary-general have been representing the NFA, while Olsen Kahiriri has represented NAFPU in the arbitration procedure.
Mbidi said: “I believe that we do have a strong case here because none of the players NAFPU is representing are known by the association.
“Things went well last week and I am confident that they will go well today because we are not here to be shoved around by an outsider.
“However everything that comes out of the decision will be in the best interest of the country''s football.”
NFA has been arguing that the players represented by NAFPU are not employed by the NFA, but by their clubs.
The NFA further claimed that NAFPU was not an authentic players'' representative and aimed to cause havoc in the sport.
NAFPU''s Kahiriri, on the other hand, feels that they have presented enough facts for the case to swing in their favour.
In an interview yesterday, Kahiriri said: “We expect a fair and unbiased verdict because we believe in the proficiencies of arbitrator Mouers.
“I do believe that the NFA did not give any concrete arguments on why this case should not continue at the labour commissioner.
“If the decision is not in our favour, we are also going to appeal until our voices and the voices of the players have been heard in court.”
JESSE JACKSON KAURAISA