By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
The Spanish ACB (Association of Basketball Clubs) held an important meeting today with the ABP (Association of Basketball Players) with the aim of reaching a mutual solution regarding a new collective agreement.
After five hours, the negotiations reached a stalemate and this development will lead to a players’ strike during the upcoming Copa del Rey held from 15th to 18th of February.
ABP president Alfonso Reyes asked for “respect”, stating that they shouldn’t be “deceived” because “it is a constitutional right”.
The ACB general secretary Esther Queralto said that:”Unfortunately, we broke the negotiations because, despite the effort made to please the conditions of the union, it has not been possible get an agreement on the social fund“.
The official statement by ABP is the following:
The president of the ABP, Alfonso Reyes, explains that the call for the strike, this “hard and firm decision” comes because the ACB has not accepted a minimum package of claims to take the collective agreement forward. It is about demands and rights that, for three decades, basketball players and several generations have defended in order to enjoy the rights that we have today”.
Therefore, it is considered nonsense that, at the last minute, an amount of money that the players understand as insufficient to maintain the activities of defense and representation, has been offered.
The players consider it unfortunate not to have reached an agreement with the ACB in a negotiation that was simple and they regret the damage they can cause to the fans.