The VRT wants to part with 116 of its employees while 50 departures will not be replaced. The production of the “Thuis” series, for which 70 employees work, will be outsourced. A job guarantee is guaranteed until the end of this year. Some 80% of the 116 redundancies would be implemented next year, said ACV trade unionist Carlos Van Hoeymissen. The unions hope to reduce the impact of these dismissals during negotiations with management.
In an announcement about the public broadcaster’s “transformation plan”, CEO Frederik Delaplace said VRT needed a “multimedia growth leap”, in a “challenging” financial environment.
The Flemish broadcaster, however, reportedly intends to create thirty new jobs for people with digital expertise. The VRT also wants to invest in targeted digital training for its employees.
In addition, the channel has not yet specified which external production company could take over for its “Thuis” series. The 70 VRT employees assigned to the production of this series could go to work for this new employer, according to the first elements.
The media is facing a complex economic situation due, in particular, to the 2020-2025 management agreement which stipulates that it must operate with 25.1 million euros less in regional funds. However, the Flemish government has released 16 million euros to finance the digital transition of the VRT.