The Scottish First Division club's players have been experiencing delays in payments for several months and only received the final part of their January wages earlier this week.
And PFA Scotland said there was "little prospect of payment in full in the immediate future" for this month's wages.
Chief executive Fraser Wishart said in a statement: "Our members have shown a great deal of patience and understanding in recent months. Players at that level are not highly paid therefore any delay in payment of wages can lead to hardship, inconvenience and upset.
"As professional footballers they understand the importance that a football club has in the eyes of the fans and the community and they thank those who have sent messages of support.
"There comes a time however when as a squad they have to make a stand and invoke their statutory rights.
"In addition to the late payment of salaries there are outstanding win bonuses and appearance monies due for quite some time.
"The club has advised our members that they are unable to provide an undertaking that the outstanding sums will be paid and so appear not to be able guarantee a remedy to the contractual breaches.
"PFA Scotland has therefore been instructed to intimate a formal complaint to the SFL for illegal deduction of our members' salary and for breach of contract by the club."
Wishart called for a speedy response from the SFL to help players, who were reported to be considering strike action ahead of Saturday's scheduled clash with Partick Thistle.
"I am sure the SFL board will recognise the importance of this matter both to our members but also to helping the club through this difficult time by ensuring that it can complete its fixtures for the season," he said.
"Given the unique circumstances of this matter, and the hardship being caused to our members, we have requested that the SFL board set up an adjudication panel to hear our members' complaints as a matter of considerable urgency."
He added: "Dunfermline is a proud club with a great history within Scottish football and our members will continue to assist with its survival.
"What cannot go on however is that our members, who are not highly paid, are asked to turn up for training when they cannot justify the travel costs and then put themselves at risk of injury on a weekly basis without any sign of being paid."
Pars manager Jim Jefferies on Thursday expressed fears that there was no light at the end of the tunnel after being told of the latest delay.
Jefferies said: "The players have taken advice and gone through the proper channels but it is getting to the stage now where you are just hoping that they are sensible but what can they do except take drastic action? I just hope that it doesn't come to that."
The Scottish Football League said they would ask Dunfermline for their response before the board consider any potential action.
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