The disclosure that The Irish Times has agreed to pay former editor Conor Brady €100,000 (£69,000) annually until April 2014 has been criticised by the NUJ.
The union’s Irish secretary, Seamus Dooley, said it was a “secret deal” which the NUJ knew nothing about.
Dooley claimed the manner in which the deal was carried out illustrated a management style which contributed to the financial crisis which the company had suffered.
The Irish Times explained that the agreement between the company and Brady, who was editor of the newspaper from 1986 to October 2002, had been negotiated early last year as part of a major restructuring of the company and was subject to a confidentiality clause.
By Des Cryan in Dublin
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