Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
ORGANISERS IN SIPTU have said the union will oppose efforts by RTÉ to outsource and privatise portions of the production of the Late Late Show and Fair City as it believes structural changes are being “forced on staff without consultation”.
On Tuesday RTÉ published its future planning strategy which will secure the broadcaster a €20 million State bailout after months of scandal. The plan proposed 400 job cuts, a limit on presenter pay and the outsourcing of production work.
But workers’ union Siptu has said it will oppose the outsourcing plans by RTÉ and believes that the station moving towards private ownership while “eroding conditions of employment”.
The ‘New Direction Strategy’ was drafted after number of previous reviews into the broadcaster, a Government probe after the presenter payment scandal last year and a number of in-house ‘town hall’ meetings conducted by Director General Kevin Backhurst.
However, SIPTU member and RTÉ Broadcast Engineer Ciaran Kelly said the proposals amount to a “kick in the teeth to the ordinary workers at the station”, who have “gone the extra mile” to ensure programmes made it to air during the scandal.
Kelly said: “This is a company that staff have given their working lives to. If management believes that it will be allowed to erode conditions of employment that were long fought for and hard-won it is seriously mistaken.”
The 400 jobs cuts will be achieved by the station through a voluntary exit programme, and is estimated to cost €50 million. The strategy also seeks to reduce the percentage of operating costs RTÉ spends on employing people to 51% by 2024 and 45% in 2029.
The strategy also seeks to invest in more productions outside of Co Dublin.
Chairperson of Siptu’s RTÉ Committee, Zac Sloper, said the union does not have confidence in the current management and that it opposes the proposed changes under the strategy as it believes they do not serve the interests of RTÉ staff.
Sloper said that Siptu is be seeking to meet with RTÉ management to raise these objections. “SIPTU members will not be left to pay the price for problems created by RTE management,” he added.
The issue was discussed in the Dáil yesterday by People Before Profit TD Richard Boyd Barrett, who lashed out at Tánaiste Micheál Martin over the proposed changes.
“The net result of [the] scandal, of the bad behaviour and excessive pay to a tiny group of people we learn, is the outsourcing and privatisation of the two flagship programmes of RTÉ, Fair City and The Late Late Show,” he said.
Speaking on RTÉ’s Radio on Tuesday, the station’s boss said that both programmes were made in buildings that needed maintenance which would be too costly to complete and the plan was to close the facilities for good.
Bakhurst claimed that RTÉ “won’t be able to maintain” the studios after another five years and said the the station would be considering all of the options at it’s disposal, including the outsourcing of both shows to independent contractors.
The strategy includes plans to cut down facilities in the station’s HQ in Donnybrook, Dublin 4 and build new studio facilities will be made in Co Cork.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
As far as I can see. The corporate governance has left the state broadcaster in this current situation. And instead of calling in the Gards when corporate laws where broken. The government did what it does best, sweep it under the carpent.Have a hearing. The board all git payed for absolute failure and the workers got laid off.
@Jimmy Donovan: Anyone from SIPTU on the Board?
‘Flagship Show’ Fair City…lololol.You would see better acting at a Secondary School Musical.
@Sean Buckley: So you don’t know what ‘flagship show’ means? “lololol”.
Go pay per view would sort all the problems
@Tony McGrath: Or just stop paying crazy salaries to the likes of Duffy and that twopenny presenter, Ray D’Arcy. How he got a job, in RTE, beats me
@Patrick MC Dermott: totally agree, D’Arcy is utterly talentless but also full of ego
Both those shows should be scrapped. In fact RTE should be scrapped or made pay per view. Journal do a poll, let’s see how many watch RTE or listen to RTE radio.
@Dave Barrett: a poll would prove nothing unless you believe the majority of the population read the journal.
That’s right SIPTU, don’t let anyone derail the gravy train!
If their programs are as good as they say they are, why are they dead set against subscription? Is it because they know their output is painfully awful?
@Brian Hunt: Subscription puts the final nail in RTE Coffin.
@Dave Barrett: GOOD!!!
No Comments about the latest Homeless figures, another increase, another excuse from D.O.Brien. This man wouldn’t be able to build a House from LEGO.
@Martin Finnerty: ffg say the plan is working
RTE wants to outsource programming? What’s the point of them then? They’re given state funding to produce programs.
Siptu is the poor man’s union….most companies invite them in to keep the workers in line and poor…how many teachers, nurses gaurds, train drivers, pilots, doctors and so on are represented by Siptu…no they have there own strong union which fights for decent pay , holidays, pensions , sick and lump sum pension on retirement, unlike the company friendly siptu
Would outsourcing not cost more than in house? Though I wouldn’t put it past them to assign it to one of their own ‘private production companies’.
land is premium sell off some
To fund them instead, they will spend more building in Cork. Outsourcing was always more expensive. No joined up solutions and still no clear answers on the corruption or fraud at RTE.
Doof, doof, doof-doof, doof, do-do-do-doof
A shining Flagship alright!
It might be for the better & a different presenter
have your say