RTE's group of unions is to publish a detailed response to the review of structures and operations, but has said that any changes will have to be founded on a partnership based on consultation, negotiations and agreement.
The unions have already warned that redundancies are not in themselves the answer to any problems faced by the station and that an offer of a redundancy programme must only be made in the context of a vision of the future.
Union sources also said that such a programme would have to be applied carefully, so that it did not simply mean talented people taking the package, leaving RTE and then turning up the next day as independent producers.
The secretary of the group of unions, Mr J.P. Coakley, welcomed the recognition from the project team which drew up the report that there was a "significant lack of trust between management, staff and unions at RTE".
He said an early agreement on a partnership structure for advancing the process of change would be a useful start in building such trust.
Although individual unions were not commenting on the report yesterday, it is believed that the National Union of Journalists is opposed to the recommendation that the news and current affairs divisions be merged.
After a meeting yesterday morning, the RTE Authority welcomed the review as a major contribution to the debate about the future of the organisation.
It also welcomed the commitment to partnership and the sense of optimism in both the review body's report and the submission from the group of unions published earlier this week.
Last Wednesday the executive board of RTE held a special meeting to consider the report and its implications. The director-general, Mr Bob Collins, and the board supported the thrust of the project team proposals as the basis for tackling the challenges now facing RTE.
Mr Collins is to present detailed proposals arising from the report to the next meeting of the RTE Authority on July 24th.
The five-member project team was set up last November, but really got down to work in January.
The team, under the project manager, Mr Eugene Murray, was charged with producing a fundamental review of the structures and operations of RTE as it faces a future of decreasing revenue and increased competition. The team was also to draw up a financial projection to 2005.