Australian Players Dispute: Log of Claims

23 October 1997

This is a summary of the 25-page log of claims that the Australian Cricketers Association (representing the majority of first-class cricketers in Australia) has submitted to the Australian Cricket Board. The ACB rejected these claims at a meeting with ACA representatives on 22 October 1997:

Player contracts: To be allocated by a committee of three members of the ACA (Australian Cricketers Assocation) and three members of the ACB (Australian Cricket Board). A minimum of 24 contracts to be offered by the ACB and twenty by each of the six States. The ACA to have exclusive power to determine the breakdown between players' retainers and match payments.

Promotional appearances: No more than six individual appearances per year, an appearance being deemed to be any period of two hours or part thereof. The ACB and the States to give the players one moth's notice prior to the required appearance.

Auditor: The ACA to have the right to appoint an auditor of their choice to examine the accounts of the ACA and the State Assocations.

Player payments: The ACB to guarantee players the greater of $A 12.5 million in total payments next year, or 35% of all revenue, whichever is the greater. The following year this figure to be $15 million or 40%, rising to $17.5 million or 45% in the year after.

Tours: The ACA to have a say in the programming of any future overseas tours made by the Australian team.

Tickets: ACB and State Associations to provide tickets for partners and families of players at a separate area at each venue, plus ten premium reserve seats for the ACA to the members' area of all cricket venues in Australia for all cricket matches.

Attendance at Board meetings: The ACB to allow two members of the ACA to attend ACB meetings and one member to attend meetings of all State associations.

Career-training scheme: The ACA to establish a career training scheme to assist players in pursuit of a career after cricket. The scheme to be jointly funded by the ACA, the ACB and the State Associations.

Superannuation, medical, insurance, travel costs: The ACB to pay a regulatory percentage of each player's earnings into a superannuation fund of the players choice. The ACB and State Associations to be responsible for the cost of players being financial members of a health fund at the top level of medical cover. ACB to pay for players' travel to ACB training camps, any promotional, marketing or advertising engagements plus business-class travel for trips over three hours. ACB and the States to provide insurance for work-related injuries.

Personal copyright: The ACB to obtain the approval of the ACA when using any player's image in a commercial activity.

Grievance procedures: The ACB and State Associations to establish with the ACA a grievance procedure whereby player disputes can be settled by the Australian Commercial Disputes Centre.

Contributed by: Rick Eyre (rick@cricinfo.com)