Recent reports of Premier Soccer League (PSL) players earning a pittance do not point to isolated cases, as a more widespread level of exploitation from some PSL clubs of young or unexposed players surfaces. While marquee PSL players can earn as much as R400000 a month, at the other end of the scale players, often from a poor background and who almost always support entire families, can find themselves being paid as little as R5000.Roggert Nyundu this week came forward in a report in Sowetan and revealed he earned that much from Polokwane City. The 27-year-old striker, on loan last season at National First Division club Black Leopards, spent a number of years in obscurity in the lower leagues.Nyundu's story apparently matches the plight of players who, desperate to make it to a PSL club, sign for slave wages.Players promoted from youth structures can also be strong-armed. Sunday Times has learnt that Ajax Cape Town, allegedly in some cases, pays promoted youth players low wages, then exercises extension clauses at the same salary regardless of whether the player has become more high profile.story_article_left1"Ajax always do that," a club source said. "They pay about R6000 or R7000."They cheat players and give them long contracts. You come from the development and they get you to sign a contract. If you do not sign it, they [threaten] legal action."Another report this week told of the plight of Ajax youth product Ndumiso Vezi, 24, who alleged he was dumped, not released from his contract, after surviving a hit-and-run accident. Allegedly slapped with a R339000 hospital bill by the club, he was paid R5600 and his contract had options to renew until 2016.The South African Football Players Union (Safpu) announced in 2012 it would hold talks with the PSL to introduce a R15000 minimum wage, but nothing has come of it.PSL chief executive Brand de Villiers said no such agreement existed for a league that claims to be among the top 10 richest in the world, with a R2-billion TV rights deal with SuperSport International and sponsorships from Absa and cup backers MTN, Telkom and Nedbank.He said even though the PSL paid clubs a R1.5-million monthly grant - R18-million a year - it had no means of controlling the minimum player wage.block_quotes_start We must call these soccer bosses to book, especially those we know block_quotes_end"And I can tell you with the R18-million, any Premiership club is still R25-million to R30-million short. The budgets are R40-million-plus to run a PSL team," De Villiers said.Congress of SA Trade Unions president Sdumo Dlamini said they were aware of the horror stories and were planning to take steps to address "unacceptable" work conditions."We must call these soccer bosses to book, especially those we know," Dlamini said. "For instance, we mention the example of Polokwane City."It is a very notorious type of treatment and we have heard many stories about that club."story_article_right2Player agent Tim Sukazi said when players signed from the amateur ranks, they often did not have representation."You find there are no agents involved, or people who are not necessarily agents," he said."A player is desperate to get a job. He believes in his talent and sees opportunity. And the great hope is once he establishes himself, he will be in a position to negotiate a new deal."Sukazi added that he did not believe Safpu has enough clout to make a difference. "To be honest, I'm not sure if the league takes Safpu seriously."I'm not sure Safpu have the constituency. If there is not a compelling membership, the league will not entertain them."block_quotes_start To be honest, I'm not sure if the league takes Safpu seriously block_quotes_endSukazi believes the problem is widespread. "If you do a due diligence on each club, I'm sure you'll come across such cases."Safpu vice-president Tebogo Monyai said club bosses had ducked and dived on the minimum wage issue."Club bosses are running away because if you sign five or 10 youngsters on the minimum wage of R15000, it's a lot of money," said Monyai."A boy comes from the village and a club owner wouldn't want to deal with agents. So, the boy ends up signing because he does not want the club boss to change his mind. There are other players in similar situations but they are afraid to come out. The problem for us is we only see contracts when there is a dispute."Monyai revealed that Nyundu's contract did not even have a salary figure in it. "You will be shocked. We got the contract from the PSL and it was blank on issues of figures ."Nyundu told Sunday Times he knew of at least one other Polokwane player being paid R5000, as much as an academy player earns at Mamelodi Sundowns.story_article_left3"They [City] just gave me a contract without telling me how much I am going to earn," the striker, currently training with Leopards, said. "They did not even negotiate. I tried to get the chairman [Johnny Mogaladi] and ask about it, but could not."I have two kids and a wife. Every month is difficult and I sacrifice to get what they need. [Ex-City player] Benson Mhlongo helped me a lot. He provided soccer boots and accommodation. He bought us food, petrol and drove us around."Polokwane chief operating officer Tincy Tema said Nyundu had the right to negotiate with the club."He could have sat down with his representatives and say we should negotiate. Now they advise him to go public," Tema said. "I don't think the PSL would have approved it if there were no figures on the contract. That's not possible."Ajax communications manager Milo Boer said chief executive Ari Efstathiou was not available for comment...