ANN BUDGE has warned Hearts players to take 50 per cent wage cuts by next week or she will SUSPEND their salaries.
The Tynecastle chairman sent an email to first-team stars telling them of her plan to invoke controversial clause 12.
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Hearts chief Ann Budge has threatened to suspend players’ salariesCredit: Getty Images – Getty
It came just hours after SPFL lawyer Rod McKenzie told all clubs his judgement was they CAN use it if players refuse to drop their wages.
And now stars at other clubs are terrified their bosses will follow suit.
SunSport revealed last week how a little-known section of a standard, off-the-shelf SPFL deal makes provision for chairmen to halt agreements if the SFA suspend football.
McKenzie is clear that now that has happened, clubs have the contracts weighted in their favour and can suspend them if they need to.
And Hearts immediately jumped on his advice in a bid to force wavering players into accepting cuts.
In an email sent today, Budge said: “This suspension by the SFA automatically suspends the agreement between you and the club governing your employment as a player.
“The precise effects of the suspension of the agreement are an extremely complex matter which the club is considering carefully.
“In the meantime, the club has decided that up until 31 March 2020 it will continue to pay your remuneration under the agreement.
“However, any continued payments of remuneration will be paid under the express condition that this is without prejudice to the question of whether you are entitled to receive them under the agreement following its suspension.
“It may be that, as we have discussed previously, the continued payments mentioned above will need to be adjusted.
“We reserve the right to make those adjustments if and when it becomes clear that this is necessary for the future sustainability of the club.
“If you do not agree with the express condition mentioned above, then by Wednesday 1 April 2020 at the latest you should (1) inform the club in writing that you do not agree and (2) instruct your bank to return any payments received after 1 April 2020 from or on behalf of the club.
“If we do not hear from you by 5pm on April 1 2020, we will take it that you do agree with our express condition.”
PFA Scotland were contacted by concerned players when Hearts first asked players to take cuts and they looked at their own contracts.
They have a QC looking at clause 12 and have vowed to fight it in the courts.
And in a statement they urged clubs to avoid slashing wages before holding proper negotiation.
They said: “The union is firm in its position that clubs and players can more effectively face the challenges ahead by working together and ensuring that decisions are reached by agreement only.
“The union will assist in negotiating agreements between clubs and players.
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“Clubs must not and should not be unilaterally imposing contractual changes such as wage cuts.
“Further, the pandemic cannot and should not be used as a reason for terminating contracts – time consuming and costly litigation in the civil courts and disputes before the League will not be in anyone’s interests at this difficult time.
“The union believes that the welfare of clubs, players and Scottish football is best served by all interested stakeholders coming together now to work through the formidable challenges presented by these extraordinary testing times.”
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
