116 layoffs at Flemish public broadcaster: “big shock” for unions, minister defends plan

Flemish public broadcaster VRT has announced a “transformation plan”. Among other things, VRT wants to lay off 116 employees, not replace 50 ‘natural leavers’ and outsource the production of popular soap opera ‘Thuis’ to an external company.

In an announcement earlier today, CEO Frederik Delaplace said the public broadcaster needs “a multimedia growth leap”, within a “challenging” financial framework. “The plan is far-reaching, but only this way can VRT live up to its public service mission in the future”, he stressed.

At VRT, an employment guarantee agreed with the trade unions runs until the end of this year. Eighty percent of the 116 naked redundancies will be carried out next year, says ACV trade unionist Carlos Van Hoeymissen.

VRT wants to let an external production house take over ​ production of the long-running soap opera ‘Thuis’ (‘Home’). All seventy VRT employees who are mainly working on the soap, could go to work for this new employer.

Trade union ACOD: “We had always been told that naked redundancies were out of the question”

The announced plan comes as “a big shock” for socialist trade union ACOD, reacts union leader Wies Descheemaeker. “We had always been told that naked redundancies were out of the question.” The unions will negotiate with management about the plan. Whether there will be any actions is not yet clear. Far-left opposition party PVDA showed itself equally displeased: “The Flemish government’s cuts make a strong public broadcaster impossible. VRT is already one of the most efficient public broadcasters in Europe. This demolition policy serves only one purpose: to give all the space to private broadcasters, at the expense of VRT", Flemish PVDA leader Jos D'Haese says.

Both VRT and Flemish political majority parties have stepped in to defend the plan, however. “Doing nothing is not an option”, says Frieda Brepoels (N-VA, Flemish nationalists), chairman of VRT's board of directors. Brepoels added that the transformation plan “ensures that in the future the VRT can become even more decisive and can focus more on digitalisation.”

Media minister Dalle acknowledges that the plan does contain “difficult choices” but says it also responds to a number of important challenges.

According to Flemish minister of Media Benjamin Dalle (CD&V, christian democrats), VRT has put a “good and well-founded” plan on the table, with a radical digital approach which should ready the public broadcaster for the future. Dalle acknowledges that the plan does contain “difficult choices” but says it also responds to a number of important challenges such as growing (international) competition and changing media consumption.

“I understand the concerns of the trade unions”, adds Dalle, who points out that the elaboration of the plans will be further discussed in the form of social dialogue. The minister is being criticised by the left-wing opposition for saying in 2019 that no layoffs would be necessary.

(BRV)

Photo shows the transmission tower of Flemish public broadcasting company VRT in Brussels © BELGA PHOTO THIERRY ROGE