The Labour Court has recommended that RTÉ should improve pension provision for around 1,200 of its 2,000 staff.
Traditionally, RTÉ staff belonged to a defined benefit pension scheme guaranteeing a proportion of final salary on retirement.
However, in the late 1980s, that scheme was closed off to new entrants.
Instead new recruits were offered membership of a defined contribution scheme, which carries no guarantee of the amount of pension payable on retirement.
RTÉ staff recently balloted for industrial action because they say the defined contribution scheme is inferior to the guaranteed scheme applicable to around 600 older employees.
In a ruling released this morning, Labour Court chairman Kevin Duffy noted that RTÉ and the trade union group have agreed to implement a hybrid pension scheme.
He proposes that the first €48,000 of a worker's salary should be subject to a guaranteed defined benefit pension scheme that could deliver up to 50% of final salary.
He says salary above that threshold should be subject to a defined contribution scheme, which carries no guarantee of final outcome.
He says that €48,000 threshold should be increased in line with national wage agreements or the percentage increase in basic pay within RTÉ overall.
RTÉ had proposed contributing a lump sum of €3.75m to meet a shortfall in pension funding but had wanted that amount to be put only into the existing defined contribution scheme.
The Labour Court recommends that the lump sum should be increased to €5m but that the benefit should be spread equally between staff remaining in the existing defined contribution scheme and those opting for the proposed new hybrid scheme.
Kevin Duffy also recommended that RTÉ's pension contributions for staff should be increased from 7.2% to 8.75%.
The Trade Union Group meets next week to consider this ruling.
RTÉ management said it will consider the recommendation in the context of maintaining commitments to their audience, the significant financial implications of the current economic climate, and the awareness of the very good employment conditions of RTÉ employees.
