SRG has to save 50 million because of Corona and cuts 250 jobs
The effects of the Corona crisis are increasing the pressure to save at the Swiss Radio and Television Company SRG. The company has therefore announced a savings plan of CHF 50 million. The plan is to cut 250 full-time positions by 2024.
SRG expects commercial revenues to be around CHF 65 million lower than last year, it announced on Tuesday. The Corona crisis has accelerated the trends of declining advertising revenues and increased, digital media use, it said.
A new savings plan of 50 million Swiss francs is therefore to be implemented from 2021 to 2024. Across the company, around 250 of the current 5,500 full-time jobs are expected to be cut.
The areas in which the jobs will be cut have not yet been determined. The enterprise units in SRG's four language regions will implement and communicate appropriate measures in the coming weeks, an SRG spokesperson told the Keystone-SDA news agency in response to an inquiry.
Layoffs unavoidable
The job cuts are to be made mainly through natural attrition. However, redundancies cannot be avoided. In consultation with the social partners, SRG is providing for special accompanying measures such as retraining or early retirement in addition to the social plan.
At the same time, SRG wants to drive forward the transformation of the public service in order to meet changing media consumption habits. For example, the new streaming platform Play Suisse is to be launched in November, offering Swiss films, series and documentaries.
Nathalie Wappler, director of Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen SRF, provided information about cost-cutting measures at SRF at the end of August. Several long-running programs will be dropped from the schedule, and jobs will be cut.
Imprint demands preservation of journalistic positions and inclusion
The journalists' association Imprint writes in a statement that the Corona crisis is an example of how much society depends on independent information. For this reason, the SRG, as a public service company, must not restrict journalistic quality and diversity.
In addition, the association has not yet been consulted by SRG - and thus the journalistic industry has not yet been included in a representative manner. Therefore, Impressum expects a comprehensive consultation on the downsizing measures and the inclusion in the social plan negotiations. (SDA/pd/swi)
