RTÉ aims to save €7m with wage cuts of 5-17%

RTÉ HAS confirmed to its 2,300 staff some of the cuts it needs to make in order to bridge a deficit this year of €68 million…

RTÉ HAS confirmed to its 2,300 staff some of the cuts it needs to make in order to bridge a deficit this year of €68 million.

In an internal e-mail, RTÉ director general Cathal Goan told staff that they would face wage cuts of between 5 per cent and 17.5 per cent this year leading to savings of €7million.

A further €3 million will be needed in, what he called, “personnel-related operating costs” which were not specified but will probably involve cuts in overtime and so-called “privilege days”.

RTÉ has already identified €27 million in savings it is making this year, but it needs to make a further €40 million as it cannot, by law, run a deficit.

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The proposals will now be the subject of negotiations between management and unions at RTÉ.

Mr Goan told staff that management had met the RTÉ group of trade unions on Monday to discuss the “serious financial position”.

A pay cut of 5 per cent for those earning under €50,000 a year is likely, rising to 7.5 per cent for the next €50,000 and over 10 per cent for those earning more than €100,000 a year.

Ronan McGreevy

Ronan McGreevy

Ronan McGreevy is a news reporter with The Irish Times