Row over jobs in RTE
Staff angry at plan for Prime Time
‘It’s just madness’
Attempts to save €60million
RTÉ is on a collision course with unions over plans to recruit outside talent for the new Prime Time host job.
A well-known national journalist has completed a screen test and is favoured to take the job vacated by David McCullagh who has moved to the Six One News.
The individual is not currently employed as a broadcaster at the station. The Irish Daily Mail has learned that the Dublin broadcasting branch of the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) has written to the managing director of news and current affairs, Jon Williams, expressing their concerns about the move.
Three internal broadcasters, Louise Byrne, Mark Coughlan and former Washington Correspondent Richard Downes have all deputised in the role since Mr McCullagh
left. One RTÉ source said: ‘It’s crazy, with the levels of talent we have, to be bringing someone in from the outside at a time when we’re told we’re in serious financial trouble.
‘It’s just madness. Louise, Mark and Richard have all shown they can do the job, but even outside of them there are others internally you could look to.’
Separately, senior management held a crunch meeting with RTÉ producers yesterday after 50 producers signed a letter protesting about the lack of transparency in the recruitment process.
The move has been described as ‘unprecedented’.
It comes after two producers were hired from outside RTÉ, during the summer, without any competition. ‘There’s no clear pathway for progressions. The issue isn’t about the people who have been brought in, it’s about the process,’ said the source.
‘If they are the best people for the job, fine. But there has to be a competition and transparency.’
Researchers at RTÉ Radio are also said to be ‘up in arms’ over the recruitment of outside talent.
A statement sent to the Trade Union Group, which represents unions at RTÉ, claimed management had ‘broken their promise’ to hold an open competition for radio producer roles.
‘During the summer period, individuals from outside the organisation have been appointed to producer roles in RTÉ Radio 1 in the absence of an open competition,’ the statement read. ‘This contradicts assurances given by RTÉ management after a similar breach in 2015 – a breach which then led to the introduction of a producer and assistant producer panel and associated training.
‘We believe that this pattern of recruitment practices – without consultation, without competition, without transparency – seriously affects the development and future potential of those within the radio researcher grade.
It added: ‘This issue needs to be addressed immediately.’
The statement went on to say that the lack of open competition and boarding of these posts also undermines the morale of researchers who want to progress to the producer grade.
Earlier this year, unions at RTÉ strongly condemned the decision of management to impose a freeze on annual pay rises for workers who have not reached the top of their pay scale.
The move affecting 491 employees was confirmed in March as talks on cost reductions were suspended at the request of the company to allow management to focus on a strategy to deal with the Covid-19 virus.
It is believed that the cuts would apply to staff earning salaries of over €40,000, as the national broadcaster attempts to save €60million.
A spokesman for RTÉ yesterday said about the recruitment row: ‘We have no comment.’