Nine senior Rangers players are insisting that they are free agents and can leave the club in the wake of its liquidation. The Charles Green consortium is taking an uncompromising position, well aware that the club’s depleted assets would shrink further if it loses the players’ transfer values. The club said that it would be filing claims for breach of contract.
Nine senior Rangers players are insisting that they are free agents and can leave the club in the wake of its liquidation. The Charles Green consortium is taking an uncompromising position, well aware that the club’s depleted assets would shrink further if it loses the players’ transfer values. The club said that it would be filing claims for breach of contract.
A big legal battle is in prospect. Under the transfer of undertakings (protection of employment) rules, known as Tupe an employer is required to consult employees in advance of the transfer of contracts to another company. Many of the players were abroad at the time and did not receive formal notification, although one might argue that sending it was sufficient.
While employees can object to the transfer of their contracts under the Tupe regulations, the grounds are weaker if the objections are raised after the transfer of assets.
It now looks increasing likely that Rangers will not survive in the Scottish Premier League. However, the compromise solution of them playing in the first division has met objections from clubs there. Rangers may end up playing the likes of Annan Athletic in the third division after all.
If Rangers do drop to a lower division, this might strengthen the players’ case as they could argue that it represented a substantial change in working conditions to the detriment of the individual concerned.