Batambuze

Decisionofthe DisputeResolutionChamber passedon30October2023 regardinganemployment-relateddisputeconcerningtheplayerShafikBatambuze BY: AngelaCollins(Australia) CLAIMANT: ShafikBatambuze,Uganda RepresentedbyKaganzi&CoAdvocates RESPONDENT: SingidaBigStarsFootballClub,Tanzania I.Factsofthecase 1.On29December2021,theUgandanplayerShafikBatambuze(hereinaftertheClaimantorthePlayer)andtheTanzanianclubSingidaBigStarsFootballClub(hereinaftertheRespondentortheClub)concludedemploymentagreement(hereinaftertheEmploymentAgreement),validfor“twofootballseasons”.InaccordancewiththeTransferMatchingSystem(TMS),theEmploymentAgreementranasfrom30December2021until29December2022. 2.BasedontheClaimant’ssubmission,theEmploymentAgreementwasvaliduntilDecember2023:“ThefirstparagraphoftheContractindicatesthatthecontractcommencedinJanuary2022meaningthatthetwocompletefootballseasonswillexpireinDecember2023.Tosupporttheabovefacts,theClubfieldedtheplayerfromJanuary2022andfurtherrequestedtheplayertoreportondutyforthe2023/24seasontocompletehiscontractandPlayerreportedbacktotheClub.(BoththeoriginalletterinKiswahililanguageandautotranslatedEnglishversionareattachedandmarkedAnnex“B”).” 3.InaccordancewithTMS,theseasonsinTanzaniarunasfollows:Season2022/2023:1July2022–31May2023; Season2023/2024:15June2023–31May2024. 4.InaccordancewithClause3oftheEmploymentAgreement,theClaimantandtheRespondent(jointlyreferredtoastheParties)agreeduponthefollowingfinancialbenefits: USD3,000/monthasasalary; USD40,000“asafeefortwoseasons”; TZS20,000“asallowanceforparticipatingincompetitivefootballgamesfortheclubplus4additionalfriendlygamesandsubmittedbythecoach”; “transportcosts,mealsandotherrelatedexpenseddirectlyconnectedwiththeprovisionoffootballservicesbythePlayertotheClubforoutstationmatches”. 5.TheClaimantallegedthattheamountofUSD15,000fromthesign-onfeeremainedoutstanding,and“withoutanyjustification,theClubpaidthePlayeronlyUSD2500forthemonthsofJanuary,February,March,April,MayandJuly2022insteadoftheUSD3000agreedintheContract”.TheClaimantfurtherarguedthatsalariesofJune2022andJune2023remainedunpaidandthattheAugust2023salarywaspaidonlyintheamountofUSD2,400. 6.On2August2023,theClaimantsentadefaultnoticetotheRespondent,remindingaboutoutstandingpaymentinthetotalamountofUSD24,000,correspondingtopartsofoutstandingsalariesaswellasthesignonfee.Inthesaidnotice,theClaimantgrantedtheRespondent15-daystocomplywithitsfinancialobligations. 7.Bycorrespondenceof23August2023,theClaimantsentafurtherremindertotheclub“topaytheoutstandingsalariesofUSD9000andoutstandingcontractsign-onfeesofUSD15000”.Inthesameletter,theClaimantinquiredregardinghisconcernsthathemightnotberegisteredforthe2023/2024season. 8.On11September2023,theClaimantunilaterallyterminatedtheEmploymentAgreement. 9.DuringthependingproceedingsbeforeFIFA,thePlayerinformedtheFIFAgeneralsecretariatthatheremainedunemployed. II.ProceedingsbeforeFIFA 10.On22September2023,theClaimantfiledtheclaimathandbeforeFIFA.Abriefsummaryofthepositionofthepartiesisdetailedincontinuation. a.PositionoftheClaimant 11.TherequestsforreliefoftheClaimantwerethefollowing: “I.AdeclarationthattheContractwasterminatedbytheClaimantwithjustcause II.AnorderthattheRespondentpaystheClaimantthetotalamountofUSD9000asoutstandingsalariesplus5%interestp.a.onUSD6000asof31stJuly2022whenitbecamedueuntilthedateofeffectivepayment.i.e. a)5%p.a.asof31stJuly2022ontheamountofUSD3000(thetotalunpaidbalanceofUSD500eachmonthforthemonthsofJanuary2022,February2022,March2022,April2022,May2022andJuly2022)and5%p.a.asof30thJune2022ontheamountofUSD3000 III.AnorderthattherespondentpaystheclaimantthetotalamountofUSD600asanoutstandingbalanceonthesalaryofAugust2023. IV.AnorderthattherespondentpaystheclaimantthetotalamountofUSD15000correspondingtothebalanceonthesign-onfeeplus5%interestp.a.asof29thDecember2021untilthedateofeffectivepayment. V.AnorderthattherespondentpaystheclaimantthetotalamountofUSD12000ascompensationforbreachofcontractplus5%p.a.fromthedateofthedecisionuntilthedateofeffectivepayment.” 12.TheClaimantbaseditsclaimonart.14and14bisoftheRegulationsashearguedthattherewereatleasttwosalariesoutstanding.TheClaimantfurtherarguedthatithadjustcausetoduetohis“non-registrationofthePlayertoplayfortheClubfortheseasonof2022/23”. 13.Regardingthecalculationofthecompensation,theClaimantarguedasfollows: “(…)officiallyterminatedthecontracton11thSeptember2023,thecontractwouldhaverunfor4moremonthsofSeptember,October,NovemberandDecember2023duringwhichthePlayerwouldhaveearnedthetotalamountofUSD12000.” b.PositionoftheRespondent 14.Despitebeinginvitedtodoso,theRespondentfailedtoreplytotheclaim. III.ConsiderationsoftheDisputeResolutionChamber a.Competenceandapplicablelegalframework 15.Firstofall,theSingleJudgeoftheDisputeResolutionChamber(hereinafteralsoreferredtoastheSingleJudge)analysedwhethershewascompetenttodealwiththecaseathand.Inthisrespect,theSingleJudgetooknotethatthepresentmatterwaspresentedtoFIFAon22September2023andsubmittedfordecisionon30October2023.Takingintoaccountthewordingofa