Delegates attending SIPTU's biennial conference in Galway have passed an emergency motion voicing opposition to plans by RTÉ to close its in-house TV documentary unit.
Last week, the organisation announced that the department will cease production in 2026.
Impacted staff will be re-assigned across RTÉ.
At the SIPTU conference, delegates were told that RTÉ's outsourcing plans and redundancies are driven by government funding demands rather than a genuine vision for creative renewal.
"Conference calls on SIPTU’s Arts, Culture, Print, Media and Sport Sector to work in solidarity with the RTÉ Group of Unions to oppose this decision and urges ICTU to renew its campaign in defence of public service broadcasting as a vital part of Ireland’s democratic and cultural life," the motion stated.
In response, an RTÉ spokesperson said that as a modern media organisation, it needs to adapt and change to survive.
"As previously stated, RTÉ remains committed to Irish documentary-making and audiences will see as many documentaries next year as this year," the spokesperson said.
"The reassigning of some people to different production roles and to commissioning some additional documentary content from the independent sector is due to voluntary exits from RTÉ and the ongoing need to meet changing audience habits, including growing demand for podcasts," they added.
