After a long and arduous day of negotiations, the SA Rugby Football Union and the SA Rugby Players’ Association have finally reached a settlement.
Leon Levy, from the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration, said on Thursday evening that the agreement would be put to the players on Monday.
”The parties have reached a settlement,” he confirmed. ”It has been a long hard day, but we managed to get through all the issues and it was quite positive.”
Sarfu and Sarpa started their negotiations at 9am on Thursday and only emerged from behind closed doors after 5pm. The ongoing dispute on Springbok contracts and other related matters between the two parties now seems to have finally been put to bed.
Levy refused to speculate what would happen should the proposal be rejected by the players next week. ”I can’t say anything about that, but I think we have been thorough enough that the decision will be accepted by all involved.”
Sarpa had requested the Commission to mediate on issues such as a collective agreement between the players’ union and Sarfu, the funding of Sarpa and Sarfu’s unilateral decision making.
According to Levy, all these problems had been ironed out after nearly nine hours of arbitration.
It seems a decision regarding the four Springboks — Victor Matfield, Richard Bands, Danie Coetzee and Dale Santon — promised contracts by former coach Rudolf Straeuli — had also been reached. Levy, however, refused to be drawn on specifics.
”Everything was talked about and eventually we managed to get a decision.”
Two weeks ago the two parties failed to reach agreement and the hearing was postponed until Thursday.
Sarpa CEO Piet Heymans said shortly after emerging from the meeting that he could not comment, and added: ”I could do with a glass of nice red wine now.”
CCMA rules prohibit the parties from commenting until a ruling has been made.
The final decision will be made public on Tuesday. – Sapa