Jockeys ask for racecourse support
Racecourses are being asked by the Jockeys’ Association to support RaceTech and safeguard the future of their stalls handlers.
The 19 full-time staff and 36 casual workers face redundancy in November, their future being in doubt since Arena Leisure recruited their own team.
That led to a boycott by senior jockeys at the first meeting using in-house handlers at Wolverhampton on August 22.
Jockeys’ Association chief executive John Blake said: “We remain committed in our support for the RaceTech handlers and urge the racecourses to back the company now to enable this key workforce to be secured through fair, contracted terms for next season.
“The threat of a significant number of 50-plus staff deciding to leave the industry is still very real, as all are redundant from early November.”
Blake is hopeful a meeting on Monday between RaceTech management and their stalls handers will be fruitful.
“We are supportive of a successful conclusion to the meeting involving RaceTech and the handlers’ representatives next week and that the continuity and commitment of these proven teams can be guaranteed for next season,” he went on.
“We are still hopeful Arena Leisure may offer sufficiently attractive terms to the current handlers to involve many of them in the bulk of the winter schedule, which is beneficial to everyone in the sport.”
Arena, who own all three of Britain’s all-weather tracks currently in operation, plan to use their team at two meetings in one day on Saturday week when a lunchtime card at Southwell starts at 11.10am and Wolverhampton’s evening fixture concludes at 9.30pm.
“In the meantime, we will be monitoring the situation with regard to Arena’s use of their one team to cover two fixtures in a day,” Blake added.
Arena are presently recruiting a team for Lingfield Park in Surrey to start at the meeting on October 24.
