WRC ruling allows former Fair City photographer’s employment claims against RTÉ to proceed

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

A Workplace Relations Commission preliminary ruling found that former Fair City photographer Beta Bajgart had employee status and could pursue employment rights complaints against RTÉ. Her claims will proceed to a full hearing; the ruling did not decide their merits.

The adjudicator said Bajgart’s working arrangements, including regular set attendance, personal performance of the work and a fixed weekly rate, did not match the description of her as a supplier. She had worked on repeated fixed-term contracts for 12 years. RTÉ had argued that she was an independent contractor and that the WRC lacked jurisdiction.