Following a strike action by Royal AM players over unpaid salaries, KickOff spoke to a sports lawyer on the available recourse for the players, should the situation persist.
Royal AM are under curatorship from SARS, after the club's assets were attached last year in November, as part of the raid made to all assets belonging to businesswoman and club owner Shauwn Mkhize.
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As a result, players have not pitched to training since their last match towards the end of December, due to salaries not being paid for the last month of 2024, as acknowledged by the club in an official statement.
Royal AM players are currently in limbo even though the outfit suggested in their statement that: "The club's management team, led by our CEO and General Manager, has been working diligently with the curator to secure the necessary permissions to release funds for salary payments."
In case the players don't receive their salaries, as Royal AM funds are locked by SARS, what would be the remedy?
"At the heart of the Royal AM crisis is the hardship endured by players who are left without timely remuneration for their services. The non-payment of salaries constitutes a breach of contract," Sports Lawyer Tyrel Singh told KickOff.com in exclusive interview.
"And [this] can be deemed an unfair labour practice, directly contravening the players' contractual rights and adversely affecting their livelihoods.
"The psychological and financial stress placed on players is immense, with ripple effects extending to their families and dependents."
Singh went on to reveal legal action options available to players as per the NSL Handbook, should their situation continue.
"Under the National Soccer League (NSL) Handbook, the Dispute Resolution Chamber (DRC) has the authority to address such disputes.
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"Specifically, Section 23.8.4 empowers the DRC to order any party to pay damages, compensation, and salaries. Players of Royal AM could file grievances with the DRC for unpaid salaries, seeking enforcement of their rights under the NSL Handbook.
"Additionally, players could terminate their contracts and seek legal compensation due to the breach of contract by the club," Singh explained.
Singh is a qualified Sports Mediator and Executive committee member of the SA Sports Law Association.