‘The stress and fear became too much’ – ex-RTÉ newsreader on being treated as casual worker for almost 20 years

Union representatives attended the joint Oireachtas Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sports and Media yesterday to discuss the ongoing governance and culture issues at RTÉ.

Speaking outside Government Buildings, former newscaster and continuity announcer Angie Mezzetti said she left RTÉ because of the stress her lack of employment contract had put her under.

“My father who had been a painter in RTÉ died in September 2001 and in the October I said, ‘I can’t take this any more’ and I left,” Ms Mezzetti said.

"I got a package. Nothing huge, nothing on the scale of the most recent ones, but the stress is too much and the fear is too much and it takes its toll on you. So, I moved on.”

The former RTÉ worker said while it was too late for her, she wanted to support current staff in RTÉ and she said the current situation should not be allowed.

"RTÉ cannot be allowed to get away with this,” she said.

“It’s unfair competition as well and they are not supporting their own workers.”

According to some workers, the contracts they were on also affected life outside of RTÉ.

Joey Kelly said being put on a sole trader contract back in 2012 meant it was impossible to borrow money to buy a home.

"Everything that my colleagues got that I should have got as well I didn’t get,” Mr Kelly said.

"I couldn’t go for a mortgage. The banks wouldn’t even look at me because I was a sole trader.”

Maebh Keary Di Lucia began working at RTÉ in 2004 in a freelance capacity.

She remained a freelancer for six-and-a-half-years before eventually being made an employee at the Dublin-based broadcaster.

Ms Keary Di Lucia said RTÉ would not pay her a pension or holiday pay that she missed out on during those years as a freelancer and would not backdate her contract to 2004.

She is now urging Social Protection Minister Heather Humphreys to take action.

"What we want really is for the Minister of Social Protection to take some action and to prosecute RTÉ for breaking the law because there can’t be one law for one company and another law for another company,” Ms Keary Di Lucia said.