RTÉ have four weeks to reveal Gender Pay Gap, but should come clean now- Bacik

24 July 2017

Labour spokesperson on Communications, Senator Ivana Bacik, has called on RTÉ to come clean on their gender pay gap before they are required to do so in response to a request she has lodged under the Freedom of Information Act.

The spotlight has been on the state broadcaster after the BBC revealed many of its female broadcasters are not earning as much as their male colleagues, with concerns raised that a similar gender pay gap may exist within RTÉ.

Senator Bacik commented:

“That a gender pay gap exists in this country is not ‘news’, and is something we have known for some time. We have published legislation that would require all organisations with more than 50 staff to publish information on pay scales and levels so as to establish if any gender pay gap exits within their organisation. This legislation has passed second stage in the Seanad, and I will be pushing for it to become law in the autumn.

"In the meantime, the issue has once again been brought into the spotlight in recent days, following revelations that women broadcasters at the BBC are paid significantly less than their male colleagues. Over recent days, we have heard from senior women working in RTÉ, who have made clear that in the interests of transparency, RTÉ should publish the necessary information to disclose whether a similar gender pay gap exists.

"Today, I have lodged a Freedom of Information request asking for a breakdown by gender of RTÉ staff earning different amounts. Under law, RTÉ have four weeks to release this information, but I would call on them to come clean now. Inequalities can only be tackled when there is transparency. As a publicly funded body, RTÉ have an obligation to be fully transparent on these matters, and to put plans in place to rectify any gender pay gay that is revealed.

"It is important that in every large organisation we develop a culture of transparency regarding disparities in pay scales, so that any gender pay gap can ultimately be eradicated."

ENDS

Notes for editors:

The freedom of information request lodged with RTÉ today requests the following information:

1. To outline in tabular form, the number of staff (whether directly employed or contract staff), broken down by gender, earning:

- under €50,000;

- from €50,000 to €100,000;

- €100,000 to €150,000;

- €150,000 to €200,000;

- €200,000 to €250,000;

- over €250,000.

2. The difference between the mean hourly rate of pay of male employees and that of female employees

3. The difference between the median hourly rate of pay of male employees and that of female employees

As the RTÉ website notes, the Freedom of Information Act 2014 applies to RTÉ in its capacity as the primary public service media organisation in Ireland.