Thu, Mar 19, '09
By Dinanath Ramnarine, WIPA president/CEO
As you are all aware, I have been a member of the West Indies Cricket Board for the last two years.
As a result, when the invitation was extended, I felt this was a great opportunity for both parties to work together in the interest of West Indies cricket and develop the game in the region.
• Retainer Contracts and First-Class Fees
• Scheduling of regional and international tournaments
• Injury Payments
• The updated anti-doping policy that was promised ages ago but is still outstanding
• The Bangladesh series
• The India series
• The non-payment of players for the recently concluded New Zealand series
• Outstanding payments for 2008 Retainer Contracts
• The finalisation of contract fees for the current series versus England
• The forthcoming tour of England
• The West Indies ‘A’ Team’s fees for the match against England and…
• The Provident Fund which provides for pensions for players after their playing days are over.
All of these are critical issues that WIPA has raised with the Board to no avail.
Let me expand on one or two of these issues.
I shall deal first with the issue of Retainer Contracts and First-Class Fees.
WIPA understands that contrary to what was agreed between the Board and our Association, contracts have been sent directly to players without the concurrence of WIPA and the players’ rights holders, the West Indies Players’ Management Company Limited.
In other words, we have taken two steps backward.
It is also important to note that players who received injuries while representing the West Indies have not been paid contrary to the terms and conditions of the very Retainer Contracts. Despite this non-payment, the Board is expecting players to sign new Retainer Contracts.
Haven’t we been down this road before?
As far as First-Class Fees are concerned, while Board members have recognised and publicly acknowledged that these fees are extremely low, nothing has changed since we were forced to take industrial action in 2003, some 15 years after the previous increase.
From then to now, the fees have remained the same to the detriment of the players concerned.
How long is this going to continue? Are we going to be forced to take industrial action again?
The next issue with which I shall deal is the scheduling of regional and international tournaments.
The Board continues to unilaterally schedule matches, dates, venues and accommodation without the agreement of WIPA as required under the Memorandum of Understanding between the WICB and WIPA.
That agreement also deals with minimum standards for venues at which matches are to be played.
Remember the recent embarrassment in Antigua. Need I say more?
As far as the scheduling of matches is concerned, players have found themselves in compromising positions when, after schedules have been agreed with WIPA and players have planned accordingly, the Board arbitrarily changes the schedules without any consideration for, or discussion with, the players.
The result of this is that players are often forced to make difficult decisions as to whether they should put aside any contractual arrangements into which they may have entered merely to satisfy the whims and fancies of a Board that seems unable to properly plan its affairs.
Another critical issue is the question of a number of matters that are currently before an independent arbitration panel.
Among these matters are Sanctioning Principles on the Stanford 20/20 tournament that had been agreed upon between the parties… the unauthorised use of the players’ Intellectual Property and Image Rights which had been the subject of a previous arbitration… and breaches of the Collective Bargaining Agrement and Memorandum of Understnding.
These matters have been the subject of arbitration since June 2008 and it appears to us that the WICB has been using delaying tactics in a bid to ensure that these matters are not resolved in a timely fashion.
As a result, WIPA has decided to seek advice from its attorneys on other avenues that can be pursued to deal with these matters.
Let me emphasise that unless these issues are resolved in a timely fashion, there will be an impact on the future contractual relationships between the Board and WIPA and the Board and the players.
The last straw has to be the issue of payment of our players who represented the West Indies on the recent tour of New Zealand.
Here a major issue arises.
Despite written confirmation of agreed-upon fees that WIPA has in its possession, the Board has denied that any such agreement exists. We have been informed that the players will only receive a small portion of the figures contained in the agreement, which was sent by e-mail from the WICB’s Chief Executive Officer confirming the discussions between the two parties.
This, my dear friends in the media, is the almost untenable situation in which WIPA finds itself today in its relationship with the West Indies Cricket Board.
It is a situation that cannot continue.
As a matter of fact, WIPA’s membership has directed the Executive to take whatever action it deems necessary to achieve a speedy resolution of all outstanding matters which, unfortunately, we have been unable to resolve over the last 12 months despite all our best efforts and acting in good faith.
Let me point out that in light of whatever action or actions WIPA may be forced to take in the near future, my own position as a member of the Board becomes somewhat untenable.
Under the circumstances, I wish to advise that this morning, I submitted the following letter to the President of the West Indies Cricket Board, Dr. Julian Hunte which reads as follows:
“Dear Mr. President,
I wish to advise that with immediate effect I am tendering my resignation as a member of the West Indies Cricket Board.
My decision to do so is as a result of a series of issues of which you are well aware.
In the circumstances, I believe that my position at the Board has become untenable, given the direction in which the Board seems to be heading but the opportunity to serve West Indies cricket as a member of the Board is much appreciated.
Despite my decision to resign, I firmly believe that a representative of WIPA should always be a member of the Board of Directors. However, that representative would only be able to be effective if and when the structure of the Board is changed to facilitate the best interests of all stakeholders of West Indies cricket.
In closing, let me point out that in my short term on the Board, I was able to develop a close working relationship with, and mutual respect for, some of the members.
All the best in your future endeavours.”
