ANN WON’T BUDGE
@Record_Sport
ANN BUDGE vowed Hearts would plough on with pay cuts as she revealed the club would be placing all players on furlough. The Jambos have been locked in talks with PFA Scotland this week, with union chiefs urging Budge to use wage deferrals rather
BY FRASER WILSON AND MICHAEL GANNON than cuts to help ride out the coronavirus crisis.
But the Tynecastle supremo released a statement last night outlining plans to put all players on the government’s job retention
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scheme – similar to Hibs – while stating most cuts affecting players fall below a 30 per cent reduction.
Ross County also last night announced they would furlough their players and staff.
Budge says a number of players have followed Steven Naismith’s lead and now agreed the terms – adding that one younger member of the squad was taking no wages at all.
Hearts stars had been given until Wednesday to respond to an initial request from Budge to accept a 50 per cent reduction. The club could have invoked contract clause 12 and suspended salaries had they refused.
Last night Budge said: “We are also planning to furlough all players and while discussions are still ongoing with the first-team squad, we would like to make it clear that since the introduction of the job retention scheme, no player has been asked to take more than a 30 per cent reduction in wage.
“A number of players have already agreed to our proposed terms. Steven Naismith is standing by his original offer to accept a 50 per cent cut and indeed one of our younger players is refusing to take any wages at all over this period.
“We thank every player for their support and hopefully we will conclude all discussions very soon.”
Budge insists the temporary wage cuts are the only way for Hearts to ride out the storm – due to a payment model of higher basic wages less reliant on bonuses.
She added: “In the same way that the impact of wage cuts impacts every individual differently so too does this current crisis impact differently upon different clubs.
“For example, we do not all have the same wage structure. While some clubs choose to pay lower basic wages topped up by bonus payments, other clubs pay higher basic wages and make less use of bonuses.
“Hearts fit into this latter category which, in this current situation, means we have a bigger challenge.”
Hibs and County have joined the list of Scottish clubs to use the furlough scheme to plot a path through the financial crash.
Easter Road chief executive Leeann Dempster saluted all staff after agreeing a reduced payment package where the majority of employees – including players and coaching staff – will be moved on to the government’s job’s retention scheme.
Only a core group who will be left running the club will remain – and high earners agreeing wage deferrals of between 20 per cent and 50 per cent.
Furloughed players and coaches will be on the 80 per cent salary scheme rolled out by Westminster and while Hibs will top up a percentage, the squad have agreed to defer percentages of payments until football returns.
Dempster said: “Our main aims through this crisis are to look after our people and our community, and to protect this club for the future.
“We have spoken with staff and our players. They have all been superbly supportive and committed through this whole issue and we have agreed that we should furlough.”
County also made a move to fend off the meltdown. A spokesman said: “Ross County have begun the process of implementing the furlough job retention scheme across the whole club.”
Celtic have also furloughed non-playing staff, with Hamilton Accies doing likewise.
And Dave Cormack today hopes to announce his plan to get Aberdeen through the cash crisis.
The Dons chairman has been helped by Derek McInnes and his staff agreeing to take major wage deferrals.
Cormack is expected to announce more investment is also set to come in to help the club.