WICB sticking with WIPA

Thu, Oct 16, '14

The West Indies Cricket Board says it fully endorses WIPA as the sole body to negotiate on behalf of the region’s players, and says it will only get involved in the ongoing impasse between the players union and the West Indies squad in India, if invited to do so.

This comes against the backdrop of pronouncements by the West Indies one-day squad currently in India, that the Wavell Hinds-led WIPA no longer had the authority to speak on their behalf.

However, in a letter to players’ representative Dwayne Bravo, WICB president Dave Cameron said that according to the recently signed Collective Bargaining Agreement and Memorandum of Understanding, WIPA remained “the sole and exclusive collective bargaining representative recognised by the WICB” for all persons contracted to play for any West Indies team.

“What this effectively means is that we will only engage in discussions relating to the welfare, working conditions and remuneration of Cricketers with WIPA,” said the letter, a copy of which was obtained by CMC Sports.
The Windies team had written the WICB last week indicating they had lost confidence in WIPA and would seek an alternative bargaining agent. The players are upset with the terms of the CBA/MOU which they have argued will result in a 65 per cent decrease in their earnings.