Officials of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) and the West Indies Players' Association (WIPA) will now pursue arbitration, following the break down of mediation talks aimed at solving the long-running dispute between them.

WICB vice-president, Dave Cameron, disclosed at a news conference yesterday at Kensington Oval that the failure to find a solution to the dispute follows 10 days of tough negotiations - under mediator Sir Shridath Ramphal - throughout the month of August.

"No agreement could be reached at the conclusion of the mediation process and the next option that is provided under the dispute resolution clause of the Memorandum of Understanding and Collective Bargaining Agreement with WIPA is arbitration," said Cameron.

Commercial terms

"What is keeping us apart? Fundamental to the issues is that we have an MOU and a CBA by which we have been operating and the players have changed essentially how they want to be represented and viewed in commercial terms."

He added: "But we are saying to the players, that while we accept and may accept what they are suggesting, there is a process for it. We have had agreements in the past, let us continue to operate under those agreements, negotiate new agreements and we shall take into consideration all that has been proposed.

"The reaction has been 'accept us now without contracts and let us play while we determine the best way forward'. Well, we have done this long enough and that approach is unacceptable."

boycott

The dispute, arising out of issues over players' contracts, resulted in the top West Indies players boycotting the recent home series against Bangladesh and missing out on the ICC Champions Trophy scheduled for later this month in South Africa.

Part of the problem has also stemmed from the creation of the West Indies Players' Management Company (WIPMC), which now controls the image and intellectual property rights of many of the leading West Indies players.

"This is at the centre of the issue," said Cameron. "WIPA is demanding that this company is now introduced into our negotiations.

"We do not know anything about this company. We do not know the shareholders. We do not know the directors. We do not know what is their status. We do not know what is their intention. So before we can work with any company all of this has to be cleared up.

"In the agreement, they are now suggesting that previously the WICB got a royalty-free licence to use its players to play cricket and be photographed as a team. It's been suggested now that WIPMC be paid a fee for such."

Cameron also disclosed that the contentious playing contracts which have also been a source of dispute have not been modified for the last three years by the WICB.

"The only modifications have been at WIPA's request, but we have not requested any modifications," he said.

"The only thing we have negotiated from year to year is the sums offered to the players, so we are not asking for anything more from the players than we have gotten in the past.

"At every juncture, we have said, 'sign the contracts, let's proceed to the next step, get whatever issues they are arbitrated or mediated upon and if you are entitled to more, we will make this available to you'."

He continued: "For years, we have always been putting a bandage over what's been happening and each time we have been giving and giving and giving.

"Then our own stakeholders tell us we have not been strong enough about running West Indies cricket. At some time, we had to take stock of this and move forward."

Cameron emphasised the WICB was saddened - like many others - that the best players were not available for West Indies to choose from for the ICC Champions Trophy.

"We still view them as our players and we want the players association, but we want to be able to sit down and negotiate terms and we do not want to do it with 99 or 100 players across the Caribbean," he said.

"So it is in our best interest to have one body representing them. But right now, we view the players in the light of having taken bad advice. We believe they are not advised of all the issues and that they do not receive all of the information. If they speak to us, we will be more than willing to share it with them."

Cameron indicated that the revolting West Indies players were available for selection for the ICC Champions Trophy, but they were not eligible for selection.

"The squad terms for the Champions Trophy have to be signed and again we issued it to WIPA on their behalf and we have had no response," he said.

"The players who have been selected signed those squad terms and are, therefore, eligible for selection."