Television producers in RTE have accepted a productivity deal which yields pay increases of up to 9 per cent in addition to the 5.5 per cent of the first phase of the PPF.
This is one of the first settlements under RTE's new Transformation Agreement accepted by all 2,000 RTE staff last year.
The overall agreement provides for greater flexibility in work practices and cost savings of £15 million. It also includes 330 redundancies.
The increase of up to 15 per cent for the station's 50 TV producers has set a headline for other groups. Each group must, however, generate major savings to finance pay rises. Journalists recently rejected an 8 per cent offer made in return for video self-editing. The issue has been referred to the station's industrial relations tribunal.
Negotiations with each group are based on workers receiving a third of savings made within their category.
Television producers have a scale ranging from £22,330 to £30,958 over a seven-point scale. Senior producers earn between £25,198 and £33,566 over an eight-point scale.
The RTE union group secretary, Mr John Paul Coakley, said the company had to respond to strong external competitive pressures in the labour market and on the production and marketing fronts.
It also underlined the need for proper State funding, including a higher licence fee. "The public has to ask itself what they want from RTE," he said.