CYPRUS: Public broadcaster must slash 100 jobs, €105 mln pensions shortfall

The state broadcaster CyBC needs to cut back its payroll by at least 100 people, experts have advised government, with Interior Minister Socratis Hasikos trying to calm nerves among the revolting workers by suggesting that job cuts does not necessarily mean layoffs.
PwC has submitted a restructuring plan for the permanently-in-deficit CyBC tht calls for further cutbacks as well as enhancing the state-guaranteed pension fund that shows a shortfall of about 105 mln euros.
It seems that the black hole was created by previous boards that kept on dipping into the fund in order to finance other purchase and projects, including supporting the over-inflated payroll.
The broadcaster’s budget for 2014 of 24.3 mln will not be enough to close the year, and the government has asked parliament to approve a supplementary 2 mln euros, while the same budget has been proposed for 2015, which will, once again, have a shortfall before the year is over.
From his earlier militant stance that often in the past fell short of demanding CyBC shutting down completely, Hasikos seemed to backed down when on Tuesday he told a morning radio talk show that the job cuts could also mean transfer to other public services or voluntary redundancies.
Union bosses brought the example of the public slaughterhouse whereby workers there were transferred or re-employed in similar posts or other abattoirs. They added that the CyBC permanent staff are a mere 90, with the balance being part-timers, contractual workers and non-broadcast workers (clerical, carpenters, electricians, gardners, etc.)