RTE staff required to work over the millennium have been offered lump sums of between £200 and £800. About a quarter of the station's personnel are expected to benefit from the payments for working on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. Most will receive £600 if they vote to accept the package.
It is the first millennium negotiation to be completed in the Irish media, and compares well with the £500 flat-rate payment agreed by the BBC for its staff. The assistant general secretary of the National Union of Journalists, Mr Eoin Ronayne, said yesterday that he was "reasonably happy with the result of the negotiations". The RTE group of unions is recommending it for acceptance.
Negotiations with other stations in the Irish broadcasting sector are still at an early stage, and the only major newspaper where negotiations with the NUJ are advanced is The Irish Times.
Proposals will be presented to editorial staff next week. Talks have yet to begin at the Irish In- dependent. An opening offer of £75 by the Examiner has been rejected by the NUJ.
Only a few RTE staff are expected to receive £800, as it would require them to work up to 18 hours over the two-day period. Everyone working on either New Year's Eve or New Year's Day will receive at least £200 on top of their standard pay. Those working at any time between 9 p.m. on Friday, December 31st, and 9 p.m. on Saturday, January 1st, will receive an additional £400.
The best packages negotiated so far have been in the banking sector by the Irish Bank Officials' Association. Selected staff on call at Ulster Bank will receive £2,000 and could earn up to £135 an hour if required to work. Bank of Ireland staff will receive £500 to £950 and treble the weekend attendance rate if actually required to work. Allied Irish Banks employees rejected an offer of £1,000 and are now balloting on an improved package.