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Strike by trainers causes cancellation at RWITC

By: Our Correspondent   February 24 , 2017
   

The refusal of trainers to put entries for races scheduled to be held on Wednesday, March 1 has resulted in Royal Western India Turf Club cancelling the day`s races. The trainers refused to put entries in support of their demand with regard to the management of benevolent fund.

The RWITC Press Release said that: ``The entries put in by the trainers, who are part of WITA for the races to be held on March 1 have subsequently been withdrawn obviously owing to the matter concerning the Benevolent Fund. This is despite the assurance given by the Chairman of the Club when he met a few senior trainers and WITA Committee yesterday that the matter regarding the Benevolent Fund has been referred to a Working Group comprising of three Committee Members and the final decision to be taken by all the three members of the Working Group unanimously will be accepted by the Committee of the Club. The Stewards of the Club have had to perforce cancel racing on Wednesday, March 1, due to no entries made by the trainers for the day.

The club reportedly informed the trainers that those retiring after March 1 will not be entitled to any retirement benefit. The trainers are upset that the club has abruptly resorted to this measure when the fund for this purpose has not been used to the benefit of the fraternity. ``The club has about Rs 50 lakhs of our money but it is refusing to hand it back to us citing financial crisis,`` said a spokesman of the trainers association. ``Also the benevolent fund has been used to pay out as a retirement benefit for a trainer retiring at Delhi,`` he added.

Chairman of the RWITC Vivek Jain regretted that the trainers have resorted to the extreme step when the matter was under the active consideration of the club. In a statement, he said: ``The issue concerning the management of the Benevolent Fund, which has been granting retirement benefits to trainers and meeting accident and death claims of jockeys has been brewing for some time, and discussions have been held with WITA from time to time.

``There are several issues involved, with varying points of views, and hence the Committee formed a Working Group consisting of Khushroo Dhunjibhoy, Milan Luthria and Ram Shroff to come up with a recommendation to resolve the points of dispute. At the last Committee meeting on February 16, a note was put up on behalf of this Working Group, but it transpired that the meeting with the trainers was held only by Mr Dhunjibhoy, with two of the three WG members absent. The Committee deliberated on this note of Mr Dhunjibhoy and did not accept it in its entirety, more so as two of the three WG members appointed were not even part of it.

Major proposals of the Trainers Association:

1. The fund should have an opening balance of Rs.50 lakhs. The trainers` licence fee should be Rs.1,000 per trainer, per year, which will be credited to the fund.

2. Trainers would pay Rs.50 per horse, per month, which should be credited to the fund effective April 1, 2017.

3. The 10% deduction from the trainer`s commission be stopped and the amounts so far deducted, be refunded.

4. The fund should be bifurcated for the jockeys and trainers.


``The merits or demerits of the claims of the trainers and a counter view of the Committee is not of immediate importance as much as letting the negotiation process run its course in a friendly, rather than in a charged atmosphere which is what a strike will entail,`` Vivek Jain said.

Surely this sudden development at RWITC has shocked the racegoers. RWITC is beset with many problems with the club staring at its worst financial crisis. The GST is on the horizon and if racing does not get a favourable tax regime, the survival of the sport itself comes under serious strain. The club lease needs to be renewed. The internecine quarrel at the club is sure to have a lasting negative impact, much to the detriment of the sport. Nothing seems to be going right for the club which is facing a threat to its very existence. With the professionals also stopping racing by their trade union type of act, the ruination of the sport appears imminent.

Sunday`s racing which is highlighted by the running of the Gr 1 Poonawalla Multi-Million is expected to go through without any hitch.

Surely there is a need for people who thrive on the sport to sit across the table and sort out the issues rather than take tough postures. The sport will be the loser.

The trainers association has said that they had no intention to sabotage the Poonawalla Multi-Million day racing. It has now transpired that the trainers have agreed to a negotiated settlement and that the cancelled Wednesday`s racing will be restored. Entries for races which were originally scheduled to be held on March 1 have been re-opened and they close by 4 p.m. on Saturday.

 
 
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