November 08 Friday 2002
NZC has not violated ERA: Snedden

AUCKLAND: Conflicting opinions on the employment status of the 128 New Zealand cricketers in the pay dispute have been expressed. The Council of Trade Unions has offered its support to striking players and suggested New Zealand Cricket's (NZC) withdrawal from bargaining process may have violated the Employment Relations Act (ERA). 

However, NZC clarified the status of the players who had previously been under contract to NZC and the major associations. 

"Under the terms of their previous contracts with NZC and the majors, the players were independent contractors and not employees," chief executive Martin Snedden, a lawyer, said. "At the beginning of the bargaining process with the CPA (Cricket Players Association), NZC took the express position that the negotiations were taking place under contract law and not the ERA. 

"It is NZC's stance that the ERA does not apply to this process. We agreed on a bargaining protocol with the CPA at the beginning of negotiations process and we have complied with that." 

The CPA believed NZC had breached the protocol earlier in the dispute when making its first settlement offer public but a mediator ruled in favour of NZC. NZC spent Thursday formulating its strategies for assembling a Black Caps team to play India next month which could be the 12th 11 if all CPA members stand firm. 

Snedden said that was not the preferred option but would be done if necessary.