RTÉ staff split over pay cuts plan designed to save ailing broadcaster

RTÉ could be facing a battle to persuade staff to agree to a package of pay cuts and voluntary redundancies.

The broadcaster says its proposals would reduce costs by €60m over three years.

The proposals will now be put to staff over the next few weeks. But sources at Montrose are reporting a lukewarm response from staff.

One said the timing of the announcement of the package, just two weeks after the salaries of its ‘top talent’ were released, will not help management’s cause.

According to an agreement between management and RTÉ trade union group (TUG),

‘Everything in RTÉ is cut to the bone already’

announced this week, the organisation is seeking pay cuts ranging from 3.5% to 5.35% plus reductions in allowances.

Those earning less than €40,000 a year would be exempt and, crucially, the cuts will only be in place for two years.

Siptu, which represents 1,200 of the 1,800-plus workforce, is supporting the package.

Its representative Graham Macken told the Irish Mail on Sunday the proposed cuts and job losses were ‘unfortunate but made against a realistic background’. However, some of its members don’t agree.

‘It’s just a bit rich coming on top of the announcement of the whack of money they give to the presenters,’ said one camera operative. ‘I mean did they time that on purpose?

‘The reality is if you’re earning €50,000 a year, these cuts will be harder to take than if you’re earning €150,000. I will not be voting for them.’

Another Siptu member said she would also vote against the package.

‘Everything is cut to the bone in RTÉ already,’ they said.

‘We need to look at the top. The DG gets an allowance of €25,000 for her car for God’s sake. Let’s cut from the top.’

Two lay members of the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) have also signalled their opposition to the pay cuts.

Union rep Paul Murphy, who works on Prime Time Investigates, confirmed to the MoS he would be opposing the cuts.

He said that he and another member of the union negotiating team were opposing the cuts. He added: ‘The NUJ as a union is not opposing the cuts.

‘I am currently in a process of consulting with NUJ members in RTÉ and don’t have any public comment to make until that is well progressed or completed.’

All staff with salaries under €40,000 would be exempt from pay cuts. After that, the cuts would depend on salary scales:

• €40k-€70k: 3.35%

• €70k-€100k: 3.85%

• €100-€130k: 4.35%

• €130k-€160k: 4.85%

• €160k+: 5.35%

This means, for example, a staff member earning €45,000 per year would see a reduction of €800, while someone earning €250,000 would have their pay cut by €12,575. If accepted, the agreement would take effect from May 1 this year and operate until April 2023.

Despite the organisation lurching from financial crisis to crisis, figures released to the MoS under the Freedom of Information Act show that in 2018, 126 people in RTÉ were paid over €100,000.

According to the most recent figures available, the station’s top broadcaster Ryan Tubridy was paid just under half a million. Ray Darcy received around €450,000, while Joe Duffy was paid €392,494.

All of the so-called ‘top talent’ were due to take a 15% pay cut in 2020.

The director general of RTÉ, Dee Forbes, receives a salary of €250,000, a €25,000 car allowance and pension contributions of €63,000 – bringing her total remuneration package to €338,000.

126 people in RTÉ are paid more than €100k