Trade unions take action at the VRT: “management engages in demolition policy” | Brussels
SchaerbeekDuring the general strike on Tuesday, the trade unions ACOD, ACVB and VSOA also took action on the VRT. They do not agree with the management’s savings plans, and demands that they are revised. More than 200 jobs are under pressure, activists say.
“We want to send a clear message to the management of the VRT”, says Carlos Van Hoeysen, safe conduct for the ACOD trade union inside. “People want to make public broadcasting with the transformation plan, but in fact men engage in demolition politics. 200 jobs are up for grabs. We’re going from 2000 employees to just over 1800. And that number continues to shrink over the years. In 2006 there were still 2600 people working.”
more support
“Both the government and the management must do more to ensure a stable flow of money,” says van Hoeysmissen. “60 percent of the income comes from grants from the government, the rest has to be provided by the VRT itself. But those grants are decreasing every year. And also the income from advertising and more is declining, because less people watch linear television. That is why the government should support the VRT more. That is the case, for example, at the RTBF.”
It is also difficult to accommodate the ‘Home’ series in a private production house. “In fact, the taxpayer has to pay twice,” explains Wies Descheemaeker, secretary of ACOD-VRT. “On the one hand, they help pay for the subsidies that the government outsources to the VRT. And on the other hand, they also partly pay the costs incurred by the public broadcaster to private production houses. The government should do more to get more government support to avoid such situations.”
Workload
The campaigners also address the effect of job insecurity on the mental well-being of employees. “For many people, this is one drop too much,” says VRT employee Dirk. He has been working for public broadcasting for 30 years. “Due to the high workload, there had been a problem with well-being at work for some time. But because many many passive colleagues keep it up. Due to the announcement of the transformation plan, it is no longer possible for many.”
And that’s a shame, according to Dirk. “Many of us have been working here for years. We are kind of family of colleagues who are passionate about their profession. It is a pity that now there is a risk of losing a job.” According to him, the solution lies in better cooperation between managers and staff.
“Take digitization, for example. We have been asking for more training in this area for years.” Streaming internet reports allows us to create content with fewer resources. That way, one can keep the current workforce as they work. But of course you must first receive training, and apparently the management has already decided that some colleagues are not included in this.”
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