Crunch meeting for Seagulls
SIPTU officials were due to meet Bray Wanderers stakeholders last night over unpaid wages.
A representative of SIPTU was expected to meet with Bray chairman Gerry Mulvey last night (Tuesday) to discuss the ongoing pay dispute at the club which has resulted in its players voting for strike action.
Speaking before the meeting SIPTU Sport Sector Organiser, Denis Hynes, said: ‘SIPTU representatives, and those of our affiliate the Professional Footballers Association of Ireland (PFAI), have worked closely with our members at Bray Wanderers FC in relation to the pay dispute at the club.
‘ The completely unacceptable situation of players being left without wages for several weeks resulted in them voting for strike action in a ballot overseen by SIPTU representatives last week. We will be discussing the situation with the management of the club this evening with a view to finding a just resolution to this dispute.’
‘Our members in Bray Wanderers FC have been treated in a very poor manner and it is our hope that actions can now be taken which will allow them to return to playing football in an atmosphere which respects their rights as workers.
‘Without such a solution being found they will have no alternative but to undertake the industrial action for which they have voted in favour.’
Earlier this week the players issued notice of their intention to strike.
It comes as a result of the players going 54 days without receiving wages and leaves their proposed match against Cork City on July 27 in jeopardy, as players have confirmed that they will not fulfil the fixtures unless they receive the monies that they are owed.
In announcing their intention to strike, Bray Wanderers’ players it has been a difficult decision to make but felt that it was the only option available to them.
Having missed numerous self-imposed deadlines, the club were ordered to have settled debts to players by 5 p.m. on Monday.
They failed to do so and, as punishment, the FAI have removed the Seagulls from the IRNBRU Scottish Challenge Cup and the club will also not be able to register any new players for the remainder of the 2018 season.