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RTÉ reveals plans to reduce workforce by around 250 employees

Updated: 16.50 The State broadcaster RTÉ has released details of plans to reduce its ...
Newstalk
Newstalk

08.13 31 Aug 2017


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RTÉ reveals plans to reduce wo...

RTÉ reveals plans to reduce workforce by around 250 employees

Newstalk
Newstalk

08.13 31 Aug 2017


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Updated: 16.50

The State broadcaster RTÉ has released details of plans to reduce its workforce by 'around 250' staff.

It is to seek the cuts through redundancy and early retirement.

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It says this is part of a "voluntary exit programme", with RTÉ staff informed of the details at a meeting earlier today.

It is understood that under the redundancy scheme, staff with more than 10 years of service will be offered four weeks of pay per year of service - as well as the statutory entitlement of two weeks' per year. This is to be capped at two years' salary.

Those with less than 10 years of service will be offered two weeks' pay per year.

Meanwhile, RTÉ has also revealed details of "internal restructuring at the broadcaster".

The broadcaster says it will create a "unified content structure" which will bring together 'content makers' across radio, television and digital.

The RTÉ News & Current Affairs team - which already works across platforms - will continue to operate as normal.

The broadcaster is also set to create dedicated 'Audience, Channels and Marketing' and 'Operations & Production Services' operations.

RTÉ Director-General Dee Forbes says that "sitting still is not an option in what is a radically changing market".

She explained: “There's no disguising that alongside what I believe is an exciting future, there will also be some painful choices. Our financial situation requires us to reduce costs and employee numbers.

"We need to become a smaller, more efficient organisation. That will mean that we will lose some colleagues. It will also affect the scope of what we are able to do. Critically, we must ensure that we are investing in the programmes, reporting and content valued by our audiences.”

It was announced back in March that the broadcaster was expected to cut up to 300 jobs.

In July, it also announced a deficit of €19.7m for the past year.

It blamed this on "external factors", such as the UK's decision to leave the European Union, which it says "greatly reduced" its commercial income in the second half of the year.


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