FUTURES of the highly successful T&TEC football and cricket teams are in jeopardy.
Azccording to a reliable sources both teams are at a competitive standstill since T&TEC management have decided to stop their funding with immediate effect from April 30.
This follows a recommendation by the Industrial Court to settle wage negotiations with the Oilfield Workers Trade Union (OWTU) at nine percent.
The Commission initially offered five percent, which the union rejected before Labour Minister Errol McLeod intervened and referred the matter to the Industrial Court. It is also claimed that contracted players have not yet been paid for the month of April.
Added to this, the contracted players have not been given a clear indication as to when they would be paid the monies owed. In Friday’s Digicel Pro Bowl fixture against DIRECTV North East Stars, T&TEC fielded a weakened team.
The footballers and cricketers feel they are “being targeted” because of the wage hike.
Reports also indicate that 90 percent of the cricket team are T&TEC workers while the football team entails an approximate 80 percent.
One of the major concerns of the footballers is whether theywould still be able to compete in the CFU “Champions of Champions” 2013 tournament, which they qualified for by finishing runners-up in the 2011-2012 Pro League.
And the future of the cricketers face a similar dilemma. But T&TEC communications officer Annabelle Brasnell stated that, “we are not sending home anybody neither are there plans to. (Soon). We should address this issue.”