RTE (Pravda) Strikes Again‏

national | worker & community struggles and protests | press release

Monday September 12, 2011 13:50

by Paddy Healy

paddy.healy at eircom dot net

086-4183732

A report arising from a statement by the Restaurant Association of Ireland was carried on several RTE news bulletins to-day and was also discussed on Morning Ireland on which a spokesperson was interviewed. The content of the statement is totally misleading. The news item and the interview provide examples of the uncritical broadcasting by RTE of employer propaganda.

The RAI had claimed that the Irish restaurant sector had created 490 new jobs in the months of July and August and that 164 of these had been due to the abolition of JLC/ERO system by the courts on July 7. It went on to argue that the JLC/ERO system should not be restored as it was an obstacle to job creation.

The full statement from RAI can be found by clicking on the link below.
http://www.rai.ie/news-irish-restaurant-sector-has-crea....html

The survey was conducted by RAI not by a professional polling company.

Only 148 of the 700-plus restaurants in membership of RAI were surveyed. No information is provided by RAI on the manner in which the 148 restaurants were chosen. The “results” are based on answers given by the restaurant owners. 60.9% of these employers said that the abolition of the JLC/ERO system was “a factor” in hiring new staff. To paraphrase Mandy Rice Davies, “they would, wouldn’t they?” RAI has not provided the text of the questions asked.

In fairness, the interviewer on Morning Ireland did point out that many extra staff are normally employed in the months of July and August at the height of the tourist season. But the issue was not pressed further and the RAI spokesperson was allowed to continue to make uncontested propaganda against the JLC/ERO system.

RAI claims that there are 64,000 people employed in the sector. This is probably correct. On that basis, the number of additional people employed during the tourist season is probably far greater than 490. But this increase is totally unconnected to the abolition of JLC/EROs. A professional survey would be expensive.

Instead, RAI contacted 148 of its members and presented the results as facts. RTE then presented the employers answers with attendant propaganda on several news bulletins.