Players earning less than £2,500 per month will be paid in full; the 25 per cent reduction must not take any player below £2,500 per month
Tuesday 14 April 2020 20:09, UK
The EFL and PFA have recommended a 25 per cent wage deferral for April for League One and League Two players earning more than £2,500 a month, as they attempt to help clubs mitigate the cost of the coronavirus pandemic.
In a joint statement released on Tuesday, the bodies clarified that the deferral is not "a directive", meaning that clubs who do not currently need to take action should continue to pay their players in full.
Players at all League One and League Two clubs earning less than £2,500 a month will continue to be paid in full, while the 25 per cent reduction also must not take any players below that figure.
The EFL and PFA have also formed a working group, which will feature six player representatives from League One and League Two clubs, who will be involved in discussions over wages going forward.
"While the working group will not be a formal negotiating body, it will help to ensure that players are fully informed as they continue to hold discussions with individual clubs," the statement said.
"In establishing the new group, the EFL and PFA acknowledge the common problems faced by the league and member clubs, and the need for all parties to be part of a solution.
"Dialogue with the working group will enable the league both to listen to the concerns of players and to explain the extent of the financial challenges. It will focus not just on the short term (May and June) but will address the medium-term position from the start of July onwards and into next season."
The EFL also governs the Championship, but said that second-tier clubs would be left to continue wage negotiations at a "local level, while making financial information available to support their position".
In response to the recommendations made by the EFL and PFA, Tranmere chairman Mark Palios said that players must share some of the financial pain their clubs are facing.
Palios said: "The focus is on the end product which is to keep the EFL full of financially healthy and self-sustainable league clubs.
"There is a short term problem which is can we get through this gap without paying gates and to do that you're going to require everybody to take a bit of the pain - as everybody is right throughout society.
"That's why the focus at the moment is on the players sharing some of that pain - the owners are certainly taking pain, I can tell you that."
