Parties head to mediation in NZ pay dispute

The pay dispute between New Zealand Cricket and the country's first class and Test players will be put before a mediator on Thursday.

The players have effectively been on strike since October 1 and, as the season looms, they have been instructed by their representatives, the New Zealand Cricket Players Association, not to contact their provincial coaches.

The NZCPA are seeking a pay increase of about 60 per cent -- or 2.8 million New Zealand dollars ($1.35 million) -- for the contracted players plus a $NZ300,000 annual funding and a say in the administration of the game.

In response NZC offered an increase of $NZ140,000 -- three per cent -- and nothing for the NZCPA for funding or expenses.

NZC chief executive Martin Snedden said on Thursday that three hours of negotiations had resulted in no progress and a mediator from the Department of Labour was being sought in an attempt to break the deadlock.

"We just want to try and find a resolution," Snedden said. "We are so far apart and it is a difficult issue to resolve, so we will go through the process tomorrow and see if we can reach a resolution finally."

The New Zealand season is due to begin with the annual Cricket Max competition -- a mini version of the one-day game -- on November 16, with the first round of first class four-day matches beginning a week later.

The Max tournament is in serious jeopardy and if this is cancelled the players would be out of pocket even before the season proper began.

NZCPA chief executive Rob Nicol said arranging the Max competition would be "extremely premature considering the state of negotiations".

India arrive for a tour on a December 4, with the first test due to begin on December 12.

Mail Cricket Editor