Paperjam.lu

RTL City on Kirchberg. Some 69 of 111 employees of RTL Group SA face redundancy and 39 have been offered a move to Cologne under an agreement reached with staff delegation and unions. Photo: RTL Group 

According to Delano’s sister publication, Paperjam, some 69 RTL Group SA employees, out of 111, will now lose their jobs, rather than the 94 feared when plans to drastically reduce staff at its Luxembourg office were being discussed in October. The move is part of a global restructuring of the company that had been unveiled in August.

Paperjam cites Pit Schreiner, secretary of the FLTL union which represents employees in the media, print and culture sectors as saying they had managed to obtain “honourable” conditions for the employees who will lose their jobs. “We were determined to take into account age, seniority and family situation,” Schreiner said. “We wanted to obtain worthy financial compensation, but also outplacement opportunities.” Many of the employees who are facing redundancy are of a certain age, Schreiner explained, and it will be difficult for them to find new employment, even in Luxembourg. “We are always looking for young people with a lot of experience, much less often older people with a lot of experience.”

In a statement released on Tuesday afternoon, RTL Group said it “welcomed the agreement with the staff delegation and unions on a social plan for employees of RTL Group S.A. during the conciliation process.”

The company has offered 39 employees a position at its Cologne headquarters, which they will have five weeks to consider. “Most of the employees accepting such an offer will be expected to start work in Cologne during the first quarter of 2020,” RTL Group said.

RTL Group says it will continue to have more than 600 employees in Luxembourg, mainly at RTL Luxembourg broadcaster and internet news service and at technical service provider BCE. “In addition, new jobs are to be created at RTL City in Luxembourg, for example at Majorel, the joint venture between Bertelsmann and Saham Group,” the statement concluded.