Unions will shut down VRT on Tuesday if plan approved

Unions representing the staff of the Flemish public broadcaster VRT have threatened to shut down all services next Tuesday if a planned meeting of the board on Monday approves the restructuring plans leaked earlier this week. The document contains notice of the loss of 286 jobs over the course of five years, as part of an effort to save €25 million by 2020. 

The board met yesterday for the first official reading of the plan. At the same time, the three unions set up an action committee. “It looked more like a staff meeting, there were so many people present,” said Luc Vandenhoeck of the socialist union ACOD. “The readiness for action is huge; nobody has anything good to say about the plan.”

Should the board approve the proposal without changes, unions says they will shut down the broadcaster on Tuesday. VRT’s outlets include TV channels één, Canvas and Ketnet and radio stations Radio 1, Radio 2, Klara and Studio Brussel. One union representative promised “no substitute programmes will be aired, with as much silence as possible on the radio”.

If, on the other hand, the board sends the plan back to management for amendments, “then we will try as far as possible to direct those changes,” he said.

“We as a board find that certain changes need to take place, but that the core tasks that form the mission of the public broadcaster must absolutely remain untouched,” commented VRT chair Luc Van den Brande (pictured) after Thursday’s meeting. “This plan is more than an exercise. It’s very important for us to achieve these aims via social dialogue, with respect for all those involved. I hope everyone can be effected together.”

Photo: Paul Van Welden/Wikimedia