Talks on wage cuts at an impasse

TALKS between the IRFU and Rugby Players Ireland (RPI) will roll into a third week after both parties failed to agree a resolution on proposed pay cuts yesterday. Irish rugby chiefs and RPI — the union which represents professional rugby players in Ireland — have been locked in negotiations in recent weeks but they once again reached an impasse yesterday and will reconvene for a fourth round of negotiations next week. A joint statement released yesterday read: ‘The IRFU and Rugby Players Ireland jointly confirm that representatives of the two organisations met again on Wednesday 24th June to discuss the financial implications of Covid-19 on the IRFU and the player group. ‘No decisions were made and the two groups will meet again next week.’ The IRFU and RPI agreed a wage deferral scheme in mid-March — ranging from 10 to 50 per cent based on players’ earnings — when the financial impact of Covid-19 was becoming apparent. It is understood that the IRFU intend to end that scheme at the end of this month and implement a 20pc pay cut on wages across the board in light of the grave financial losses incurred during the current global health crisis. RPI expressed their dismay when details of the proposed salary cuts were leaked to a newspaper before formal negotiations had begun a fortnight ago. Philip Browne — the IRFU chief executive — had previously stated that the union is facing losses of up to €20million due to loss of matchday revenue this year while warning that wage cuts were a very real possibility.