The Arena presenter was never classed as a presenter despite presenting the Art and Culture show for more than 16 years, leaving ‘significant financial implications’ for his widow and sons
RTÉ Sean Rocks
RTÉ’s treatment of Seán Rocks pay has had ‘significant financial implications’ for his family the Oireachtas Media Committee heard this week.
Yesterday it was revealed that the family of late RTÉ presenter Seán Rocks will reportedly have to leave their home within weeks, after his unresolved battle over his pay classification with RTÉ bosses left his widow and sons struggling financially.
The longtime Arena presenter, who died last year after a short illness at the age of 64, was put on a producer salary with a top-up for on-air role, this was despite presenting the arts and culture programme for 16 years, beginning in 2009.
Speaking in the Oireachtas Media Committee yesterday, chair Alan Kelly revealed Mr Rocks’ widow will have to leave their home in July, saying: “I have to mention Seán Rocks. I spoke to his widow, Catherine Bailey, and that, I’m sorry, that is a horrendous situation. He paid for his loyalty, he paid for his love of his work,” reports the Irish Daily Mail.
“The fact that he was actually categorised wrong for 16 years, they’re going to have to leave their house on the 13th of July. That is not a situation that should have ever been allowed to happen – over 16 years – and as an organisation, you have a duty of care there”, Alan went on.
“I’m saying that quite directly. I’ve spoken to people who worked with him, I’ve spoken to his friends, and to be honest with you, a lot of people are not happy… it’s almost going to be symbolic.”
“It won’t be Derek Mooney will be the symbol, but his [Rocks’] treatment is symbolic of where this organisation needs to move to.”
Labour Party media spokeswoman Marie Sherlock told The Irish Times that she has been in contact with Rocks’s widow, Catherine Bailey, for some time.
She said that when Rocks took over as presenter of Arena he was put on a producer salary with an additional allowance covering off his on-air role.
His pay arrangement had “significant implications” for his partner and two young children upon his passing, she revealed, adding that Sean had repeatedly tried to resolve the situation and have himself classified as a presenter and RTÉ had refused this.
She added that recent revelations about the structuring of pay at RTÉ had prompted a “fundamental question as to how RTÉ treats all its staff and whether it treats all its staff fairly”.
“I suppose, in regards to the case of now-deceased Seán Rocks and how his pay was structured – he was paid as a producer but with a top-up for being a presenter.”
“I raise that case not just for Seán’s sake but for every other worker in there, particularly those who have been forced into bogus-self employment over many years.”
She went on to note that she felt Sean’s bargaining power had been minimal as he loved his job too much to leave, saying: “there are people who love their jobs within RTÉ who have tried to fix their situation”,
“And Sean was one of those who tried to fix the situation many times over the years with RTÉ management.
“And yet, it never came to any conclusion simply because, of course, everybody knew that Seán loved his job and was never prepared to walk away, and that’s the long and the short of it.”
“I think everybody would have understood Seán to be a presenter, not a producer, and yet how his pay was structured was very different.”
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