Basketballers’ Association secures better deal for players

After four years of negotiations, the Australian Basketballers’ Association, an initiative of the Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance, has an approved three year agreement for its National Basketball League players that improves player salaries, improves a player’s ability to sign to another club when they’re released from a club and increases notice periods for training and promotional appearances.

The agreement lifts the minimum player salary from $37,000 to $40,000 then $45,000, increases the salary cap from $1 million to $1.1 million, introduces a minimum spend for all clubs which guarantees the club’s minimum spend each season on the players, as well as abolishing the player points system.

Other significant wins include maintaining six weeks annual leave, commitment to genuine consultation between clubs and players over issues affecting employment conditions and providing delegates adequate facilities, provisions and time for industrial bargaining.

Chief executive of the ABA, Jacob Holmes, said, “It is the first big steps towards putting basketball and basketballers back on the sporting map in Australia. We’ve increased the professionalism of the ABA and, as a result, are pushing the NBL and the clubs to be and do better.

“We had been playing under the same system since 2010 and it was hurting players every year, we’re now in a much better position and the registration of our Agreement allows us to have a strong, secure basis to take the next steps.” He said.

Now that the NBL agreement is signed off, ABA will be working with Basketball Australia to negotiate agreements for WNBL, Boomers and the Opals.
Furthermore, the ABA will be working with players to establish the ABA Player Development Program.

The three year NBL Agreement was approved by the Fair Work Commission on June 24, 2016.

The ABA is a MEAA initiative that is run by players for players.