Victorian jockeys could stop participating in jump outs at five of the state’s major training centres, escalating a long-running fight to be paid for the more than $1 million in free labour they provide in the unofficial barrier trials.
The planned strike action will come into effect from Sunday, with jockeys asked to stop taking unpaid rides in jump outs at Cranbourne, Pakenham, the Melbourne Racing Club’s racecourses at Mornington, Balnarring and Caulfield as well as Ballarat and Flemington.
The riders’ representative body, the Victorian Jockeys Association, estimates the unpaid rides totalling about 17,000 per racing season at those venues alone totals more than $1.7 million in labour.
Jockeys who participate in official barrier trials - the number of which have been doubled in Victoria from about 24 to 48 in the past season - receive $110 per ride plus superannuation.
The VJA has about 160 members made up of senior jockeys, about 40 apprentices, picnic jockeys and jumps jockeys and their chief executive Matt Hyland told The Straight that his members will present a united front ahead of next week’s jump outs.
“They can ride in barrier trials at Cranbourne and then they turn up at the very same event the next week, but it's called a jump out because it's a club event, but it replicates an official trial … and they don't get paid,” Hyland said.
“And we say (to Racing Victoria), ‘you need to convert all those trials that occur at those five major training centres into official trials, and if you convert them, then our members get paid’.”
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Riders have ridden for free in jump outs for trainers in return for race rides.
Some jockeys have an arrangement with certain trainers to receive payment for their jump out rides to help supplement their income such as Nathan Punch and Madison Lloyd.
Apprentices who are paid a weekly wage by the stables they are indentured to will also be exempt from the withdrawal of service action.
“What we ask them to do is not ride for other trainers, thus filling the void, which compromises the position of the majority of members,” Hyland said.
“We've got 80 per cent of our members that are providing unpaid work. That's a massive amount.
“We acknowledge that we've got 20 per cent of our members that are doing work where they are remunerated.”
“We've got 80 per cent of our members that are providing unpaid work. That's a massive amount." - Matt Hyland
Hyland says the VJA has been lobbying for the past eight years to have their members paid for riding in jump outs and he is no longer interested in continually going around in circles, particularly with the Australian Trainers’ Association.
The issue was again raised with Racing Victoria in September but the VJA delayed taking action in order for it to not become “the story of the spring”.
“I'm not interested in talking to the ATA, I’m interested in talking to Racing Victoria,” Hyland said.
“They're clear on our position and we are happy to come to the table, but we're not interested in getting a history lesson on why our members shouldn't be paid.”
The proposed withdrawal of services does not impact racecourse jump outs conducted at venues such as Wangaratta, Warrnambool, Geelong and Wodonga, which account for about 8,000 rides annually.
About 140 horses are scheduled to jump out at Ararat on Thursday, drawing trainers from Ballarat and Warrnambool and other smaller centres in the western district.
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The VJA has also been consulting with the Thoroughbred Racehorse Owners Association (TROA) about the issue.
Hyland still holds out hope that a resolution could be reached before the action comes into effect.
“As long as you provide that free service, there's no appetite to change,” Hyland said.
“Once you withdraw that free service, and I think that's the key line here, this is free service. We're not talking about withdrawing (despite being) paid.
“It’s not that we're not satisfied with our pay rate or what we're paid, we're withdrawing our services from free work, work that should be remunerated.”
Racing Victoria was contacted for comment late on Tuesday night.
