PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – West Indies Cricket Board Chief Executive Officer Ernest Hilaire has misrepresented the facts about the payment to the West Indies Players’ Association of a US $450,000 settlement.
This is the response from WIPA to Hilaire’s revelation earlier this week that the regional governing body had avoided another possible showdown with the players’ body over the settlement, which was part of the mediation exercise between the two sides last year.
The details of the dispute were disclosed to the media last week, when a West Indies player anonymously circulated a confidential letter from Hilaire to the players.
Hilaire wrote to the players to explain that the WICB strongly disagreed with WIPA’s demand that the money be paid directly to organization, but the players’ association indicated in a media release that they never demanded anything.
“The agreement was between the WICB and WIPA, and WIPA as the other party requested, [not “demanded”] the agreed payment,” the players’ body said in a media release. “It was, therefore, not a matter of a claim to be deemed justifiable or otherwise by the WICB.”
WIPA added: “Contrary to Hilaire’s view, the players are not employees of the WICB, and especially were not even capable of being viewed as such as at the time the ‘New York Agreement’ was signed, since the players had not been contracted.
“Even after being contracted, they are not employees of the WICB. The WICB had no basis for refusing to pay the money to WIPA, but it did.”
WIPA confirmed that the WICB requested the organization to submit a list of the names of players to whom payments should be made.
Hilaire had contended that the names of several players, which were affected by the grievances, had not been included, and so the battle lines were drawn.
“WIPA’s position, as articulated repeatedly to the WICB, was that the contents of the list was an internal matter and that under the terms of the NYA, the WICB had no authority/jurisdiction to approve or disapprove it,” said the media release.
“From WIPA’s perspective no battle lines were drawn. WIPA merely sought performance of the agreement.”
The media release continued: “Hilaire’s claim that the money was destined for all players ‘affected’ is obviously inaccurate. The NYA uses no such words, and Hilaire was not a party to the agreement, nor was he present at the talks.
“Disputes affect many players, on psychological and other levels. This does not mean that they are entitled to partake in the settlement. The use of the word ‘affected’ is misleading.
“Many of the outstanding issues may have concerned a number of players, but the matters relating to the payment of the [settlement] concerned the 16 players.”
WIPA also termed Hilaire’s assertion that the players were asked to give the organization a substantially higher amount of money as “incorrect”.
“WIPA, naturally, had incurred expenses in representing the players in respect of the disputes,” the media release said.
“Following the NYA, WIPA held a Special Meeting of members on October 29, 2009, in Guyana and advised of the NYA, and of the settlement that had been reached.
“The players agreed that when WIPA received the money that deductions would be made to cover WIPA’s expenses.”
WIPA concluded that the goalposts were constantly shifting with the WICB, the money still has not been paid, and it intends to seek a legal solution to the issue.
