Consumer Affairs Victoria has informed Professional Footballers Australia (PFA) that the alterations to the PFA Rules carried by special resolution at the PFA Special General Meeting (SGM) held 12 June 2013 have been approved. The alterations are effective from 8 July 2013.
The 50 players in attendance at the SGM approved the alterations to the Rules when meeting to consider the proposal to vary and extend the A-League Collective Bargaining Agreement for two more seasons to 30 June 2015.
PFA President Simon Colosimo explained that there were five reasons for the Rule changes:
1. the passage of the Associations Incorporation Reform Act 2012 (Vic) has changed the mandatory requirements regarding the content of the Rules of the PFA. Whilst the Rules of the PFA have always ensured player control over the affairs of the PFA through the PFA Congress and General Meetings, the changes further enhance this accountability;
2. to further enhance the control of the players over the affairs of the PFA through the PFA Executive regarding:
a) the appointment of the Chairman, the President, the Chief Executive and employees and contractors of the PFA; and
b) the appointment and involvement of the person who is to represent the PFA with FIFPro, the world players’ union;
3. further enhancing the powers of the Socceroos and the A-League Delegates’ Committees regarding proposed variations to their Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBA);
4. ensuring Australian players presently playing overseas in emerging leagues in Asia such as the United Arab Emirates and Qatar are eligible to be members of the PFA even if they are not national team players; and
5. formatting and administrative changes, including the deletion of transitional provisions which are now obsolete.
The special resolution was unanimously carried.
