All RTÉ staff earning over €40k a year face pay cuts of 3%-5%

In a letter to affected staff, RTÉ director-general Dee Forbes said fairness has been central to RTÉ’s considerations throughout the talks with the union. Picture: RollingNews.ie

All RTÉ staff earning over €40,000 a year are facing pay cuts of between 3% and 5% under the revised terms of a "stability agreement" which is now set to be put to staff for ballot.

The pay cuts are part of a raft of measures the broadcaster says it needs to introduce in a bid to reduce costs by €60m over three years.

Cuts in rostered allowances, as well as changes to benefits and sick pay schemes are proposed, a voluntary exit scheme will be introduced to reduce the workforce by between 60 and 70 people, and staff leave arrangements are to be standardised under the terms of the proposed "temporary alterations to the terms and conditions of employment" scheme, which has been under discussion between management and the RTÉ Trade Union Group (TUG) for some time.

The proposed cuts are temporary and are to be restored “to the level that applied immediately before the agreement began after April 30, 2023”.

In a letter to affected staff yesterday, RTÉ director-general Dee Forbes said fairness has been central to RTÉ’s considerations throughout the talks with the union, and had been preceded by a number of other measures relating, in particular, to higher earners in the organisation.

RTÉ gave a commitment to reduce the fees to our top contracted on-air presenters by 15% and, as recently announced, that overall reduction has been achieved.

“From January 2020, the Executive Board agreed to take a 10% reduction in pay and the RTÉ Board agreed to waive their fees.” 

But she said the stability agreement recognises upfront that RTÉ is experiencing ongoing financial difficulties that require immediate measures to ensure its continued viability.

“I am very conscious that measures that affect the pay and conditions of all staff are difficult, particularly at this time,” she said.

“But they are necessary as part of a series of measures to return RTÉ to a sustainable financial position.

“I believe the measures are proportionate and fair and crucially, as the agreement states, they reflect RTÉ’s continued commitment to the principles of protecting employment, content and output.” 

TUG said following the conclusion of negotiations on the proposed temporary alterations, it was now in a position to put management’s revised proposals to ballot.

It is understood that RTÉ will brief its staff on the issues over the coming weeks before the vote.

“In the event that our members accept this proposal in an effort to secure the long-term viability of the organisation and the protection of public service broadcasting, it is only one part of this essential process," it said.

TUG also called on Government to provide the necessary funding required for public service broadcasting in recognition of the essential role RTÉ has played in providing this service, in particular during the Covid-19 pandemic.