WICB Lashes Back at WIPA President
The public back-and-forth between the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) and the players' association is showing no signs of letting up.
In a statement issued Thursday, the WICB announced it has has sent a signed copy of the Collective Labour Agreement to WIPA and criticised president Dinanath Ramnarine for several statements made in a recent correspondence that was released to the public.
In the letter accompanying the signed copy of the CLA, WICB chief executive Roger Brathwaite said the board had proposed that the parties sign the Collective Labour Agreement since the negotiations on that document had already been completed but claimed this was rejected by WIPA at the time.
"[It] is therefore surprising that ?as yet another act of good faith? you are now prepared to sign this agreement some 2 months later,? Brathwaite said.
"In keeping with our proposal, Clause 5 and the issue of whether the Individual Sponsorship Agreements are compliant with Clause 1k of the Match/Tour contract, should be referred to Justice Saunders immediately. To that end, we have forwarded a copy of Clause 5 to Justice Saunders. All other issues except the disclosure of the Digicel Agreement and related issues should be referred to mediation,? the WICB letter stated.
The WICB is asking WIPA to outline the issues which it wished to be mediated upon and also to work with the Board in identifying a mutually acceptable mediator who could begin work immediately.
The board also made it clear that the cost of mediation "should be met equally by the parties."
Regarding the events leading up to the selection of a replacement team for the tour of Sri Lanka, Brathwaite said the board had to put plans in place to avoid "brinkmanship."
"I left no doubt in anyone?s mind that the Board having sent letters of invitations to the Players directly, to which it had received only three responses, was prepared to exercise the option of selecting another team to tour Sri Lanka. Indeed I advised that the Board would proceed to do just that. I must in the circumstances treat your ?profound disgust [?..] at the decision of the West Indies Cricket Board to proceed to select ?another group of player? as feigned indignation,? Brathwaite added.
The WICB CEO said that WIPA rejected the Board?s proposals during the talks with Mr Justice Saunders on 17 June, only to bring back the very same proposals to the discussions on 29 June together with a financial proposal of US $125,000, which the Board could not accept.
?I suggested to you that a proposal in the region of US$80,000-90,000 might be a figure that the Board would give some consideration to but this was rejected out of hand."
The WICB says it is now seeking a meeting during the period July 28-29 "to finalise a Code of Conduct and asked WIPA to submit its comments and recommendations on the document by 26 July to facilitate discussion."