Sir, - Take note: the present Government is, day by day, facilitating the closing down of RTÉ. My own department, television outside broadcasts, which brings the All Ireland Championships, rugby and soccer internationals as well as Fair City, Eurovision and other events to family screens in Ireland and abroad is being sold off to private enterprise.
As we all know, privatisations here and in the UK have been anything but successful, leaving many ordinary people to pick up the financial and human cost. In the UK there are moves to rationalise the number of public utilities introduced during the Thatcherite privatisation era.
A year ago employees of RTÉ thought they were in permanent and pensionable jobs in a commercial State organisation trying to provide a quality TV service to the nation. It would now appear that such security of tenure is under attack.
Such a strategy, we feel , will create a precedent for all State employees which will allow the Government to undermine all such positions in the public service generally. We are in little doubt that RTÉ is being used as a stalking horse for other State organisations.
At this stage it may be already be too late for RTÉ workers, but other public service workers should remember when voting next Friday that they may be hammering the first nail in your their coffin if they vote for such policies. Finally, if the above sets off warning bells, we would suggest you contact RTÉ workers directly, rather then talk to your unions. - Yours, etc.,
JIM JACKMAN,
Television Outside Broadcasts,
RTÉ,
Dublin 4.