RTÉ staff are set to face pay cuts following the announcement by director general Cathal Goan that the broadcaster is facing a €68 million shortfall in advertising revenues for 2009.
In a letter to staff Mr Goan said €10 million in savings must come from “personnel related” operating costs. The level of pay cuts has yet to be determined. However a spokesman for RTÉ said the cuts would be based on the graduated scale of earnings, with the higher paid taking a larger percentage cut.
It had not yet been decided whether high profile presenters, who were asked to take a 10 per cent cut earlier this year, would be asked to take further cuts, the spokesman said.
“That hasn’t arisen yet. Only if the highest earners were asked to take a cut for more than 10 per cent, then that issue would arise,” he said.
RTÉ last October announced cutbacks of €27 million including a pay freeze, a freeze on all bonuses, the non-replacement of staff and the curtailment of foreign travel. These reductions were already being implemented, but Mr Goan said the station now needed to save a further €41 million to cope with falling advertising revenues.
In addition to pay cuts the station is considering a reduction of freelance rates, a reduction in overtime rates and no productivity payments for work practice changes.
The proposed cuts were yesterday put to the RTÉ Trade Union Group (TUG). The TUG said the proposals presented to it by RTÉ will be the subject of intensive discussions over the next two weeks.
In a statement the TUG executive said it made clear to RTÉ that any proposed changes to existing agreements will be handled through the normal industrial relations processes.
Its priority in any discussions would be the protection of jobs in RTÉ, the union said. It is due to meet RTÉ management again in two weeks’ time, when the levels of cuts are likely to be known.
