Report on RTÉ pension dispute due within weeks

THE facilitator appointed to adjudicate in the pensions row between management and employees at RTÉ is expected to give his recommendations in the next two weeks.

According to their unions, the NUJ and SIPTU, 1,200 of the 2,000 national broadcaster’s staff want the abolition of the defined contribution pension scheme which has been in place for them since 1989.

That is the type of pension which Bank of Ireland is trying to introduce for its employees, a position which has led to a major industrial dispute.

RTÉ workers want their employer to revert to a defined benefit scheme which the unions say would not carry the same financial risks for the individual employees.

However, RTÉ says it will not bow to pressure because the financial cost of making up the difference after 18 years would be “impossible”.

In an attempt to introduce a compromise, RTÉ management earlier this year put forward what it described as an enhanced offer, though still under the defined contribution model. This was rejected by the workers.

Both sides agreed to the appointment of an independent facilitator, Sean Healy, a former chairman of the Industrial Relations Tribunal.

“We do not see any cogent reason why people working for commercial and semi-state organisations cannot maintain defined contribution pensions. These workers seem to be one of very few in that position,” said Jimmy Jordan of SIPTU. “It was not hard for RTÉ management to go from defined benefit to defined contribution in 1989.

“We are adamant that the company must re-instate the defined benefit scheme.”

However, one obstacle which the workers face is that during talks on Towards 2016, the Department of Finance indicated it was against defined benefit schemes in the semi-state sector.