RTÉ: SIPTU vows to fight against RTÉ 'slash-and-burn' policies

Story from RTÉ:

SIPTU has passed an emergency motion at its Biennial Delegate Conference in Galway vowing to fight against what the union described as the "slash-and-burn" policies being pursued by RTÉ management.

The motion called for the protection of jobs and quality public service broadcasting.

It was tabled in response to today's publication of RTÉ's new strategic vision, which includes a plan to reduce the workforce at the national broadcaster by up to 400 by 2028.

SIPTU said it amounted to a cost-cutting, outsourcing agenda underpinned by the slashing of jobs and added that the trade union movement cannot and will not stand for it.

"The release of this plan has strengthened our members' resolve to fight against the 'slash-and-burn' policies being pursued by RTÉ management," the motion stated.

Delegates were told that ordinary workers were left carrying the can for poor governance and gross mismanagement.

"This approach must be rejected forcefully by our union with every resource at its disposal," the motion stated.

Earlier, in an address to the SIPTU conference, the union's Deputy General Secretary Gerry McCormack branded the RTÉ cost-cutting plan "an absolute disgrace".

"We are calling on RTÉ to reverse this decision and sit down with our representatives to deal with the issues," Mr McCormack said.

SIPTU Divisional Organiser Teresa Hannick called for the 400 job cuts announced by RTÉ management to be reversed.

"We are also calling for RTÉ to engage with trade unions to find a new approach which defends jobs, working conditions and quality public service broadcasting," Ms Hannick said.

Meanwhile, the National Union of Journalists has said it is gravely concerned at the scale of the proposed redundancies and will require detailed information on how it is proposed to maintain core services and the impact on staff of such drastic proposals.

"Against the backdrop of an investigation into the last Voluntary Redundancy Programme staff will be very sceptical about a new programme," said NUJ Irish Secretary Seamus Dooley.

"Staff will want an assurance that there is a genuine, sustainable long plan based on clearly defined objectives that than a set of announcements aimed at securing government support for short term funding."

"It is vital the government provides clarity on long term funding for public service broadcasting. To date there has not been a sense of urgency and RTÉ workers are now being asked to pay the price for poor corporate governance and lack of political direction."

Chair of the NUJ Dublin Broadcasting Branch Emma O Kelly described the proposals as "bleak".

Although clarification is needed on a number of issues, it would appear that the suggestion is to slash jobs in the organisation and farm them out to the private economy where the money will sustain a gig economy, she said.

Earlier, the secretary of the RTÉ Trade Union Group said losing 20% of RTÉ staff over the next four years seems like "a tall order".

Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, Cearbhall Ó Síocháin said he did not believe that previous voluntary redundancy schemes reached their targets.