(UDHAYAM, COLOMBO) – Cricket Australia (CA) has rejected a players’ union demand for mediation in the pay dispute which could derail the Ashes series.
CA Chairman David Peever says it’s “Extraordinary” the players’ body, the Australian Cricketers’ Association (ACA), want mediation before negotiations begin on CA’s latest offer.
Informal discussions were held on Wednesday but there was no formal meeting with the ACA.
Peever, in a letter to ACA president Greg Dyer, says the players’ union request for mediation is “Unacceptable”.
“They may be genuine issues of contention from the ACA’s perspective, however they should not be an insurmountable barrier to even commencing good faith negotiations,” Peever wrote in his letter, published by ESPN on Wednesday (17).
” … The approach the ACA has taken in demanding certain preconditions be met before it is prepared to begin negotiations is the fundamental reason why no progress has been made to date.
“Surely a more constructive and conventional approach would have been to work through CA’s MOU proposal to agree all possible items, leaving issues where the parties may be further apart to be resolved towards the end.
“Such an approach generally leads to a greater understanding between parties and reduces potential conflict.”
The current Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) expires on June 30 and there has been little meaningful discussion between CA and the ACA on a new deal.
The dispute is centred on CA’s wish to ditch the revenue-sharing model that has shaped players’ salaries for 20 years since the first MoU.
Peever’s response comes after CA Chief Executive James Sutherland wrote to the ACA last week warning players would not be paid past June 30 should the impasse continue.
Players including David Warner have warned the pay stand-off could impact on this summer’s home Ashes series.
Peever said “The present impasse needs to be broken and a mechanism found that allows good faith talks to finally start and move forward as quickly as possible”.
“In that spirit, I suggest we instruct our respective negotiating teams to recommit to the negotiation calendar, beginning at the earliest opportunity with a full day of structured talks, without preconditions,” he wrote.
