*Update 20.12.2024, Here’s our Note to HR on European Court of Auditors Special report.pdf.*
Original article: Many of you will have recently received a message from a ‘contract agents collective’ and lots are reaching out to us for more details on this initiative and to ask whether we recommend signing the petition. Despite some informal, last-minute communication, this petition has come a little out of the blue to us.
Based on what we have seen, we believe that the communication raises more questions than it provides answers for, leaving many colleagues, ourselves included, scratching our heads.
Do we agree with the message shared by ‘the collective’?
In large part, yes. At Generation 2004, we have always fought for better working conditions for all colleagues, especially those at the bottom end of the salary scales and with less job security. Obviously, we welcome any and every initiative consistent with this. Having said that, we are a bit puzzled by the communication which appears to mark a sudden resurrection of a 2013 ‘collective’. It seems that the upcoming elections to the local staff committee in Brussels might have had a reviving effect on otherwise-long-dormant activities.
Revising a past initiative: what have they done in the intervening time?
What actions has the ‘collective’ taken since its 2013 launch? The corresponding webpage refers to long-obsolete directorates-general or events held as far back as nine years ago. What has happened since then? What is there to show for the intervening time? We believe potential petitioners deserve clear and up-to-date information, including the track record of the ‘collective’ listing action taken at least since the last website updates. Has the collective been working in the background? We’d like to see it share the gains made and the work done: this is really the minimum expected before asking for your support once more. We also observe that the last conferences referenced on ‘the collective’ webpage are from 2015, that just happens to coincide with the Brussels Local Staff Committee elections taking place that very year… a coincidence, or making a salad out of old lettuce?
Pre-election practices lacking fairness and transparency
The petition calls for trade unions and staff associations (OSPs) to act together to achieve certain general objectives. However, we’d like first to know who is truly behind this initiative and what its next steps are to be: we’re all about informed decisions, after all. You’d be forgiven for assuming that this is a common, agreed and coordinated initiative of independent staff (e.g. thousands of contract staff as mentioned by the EU Survey) or all trade unions, but what evidence is that assumption based on? While we welcome all OSP support for Contract Agents, we believe those behind the petition should officially ‘put their name on it’ as the way the initiative is presented is at best unclear and at worst misleading. The communication might (inadvertently?) capitalise on the work uninterruptedly carried out by others… to say nothing of duplicating terrain already covered. We call for more transparency!
Who is the petition addressed to?
It is unclear to whom the petition is specifically addressed. It appears to be open not only to Commission staff, but also staff in other institutions or agencies, as well as those not working for the European Union. The latter raises concerns about the usefulness of the petition’s results and the as-yet-unspecified follow-up action.
Why now?
The sudden ‘resurrection of the collective’ has perhaps been triggered by the ongoing discussion on the revision of the decisions on temporary agents (TAs). Naturally, this is where Generation 2004 has been also seeking opportunities to prolong the career and improve the job security of all non-permanent colleagues. A topic where we’ve taken a very active and constructive role in the ongoing discussions: we pointed to regulatory-provision modification which could achieve the stated objectives. The timing is also potentially significant for several elections, but is that maybe another coincidence?
Our position
Generation 2004 always makes every effort to tells you ‘How it is’: we push for transparency and informed decision-making. We are also convinced that the Commission decision on TAs can effectively open CA access to TA positions, however extending the career of those with non-permanent contracts in general (‘structurally’) beyond seven-years (to 12 years) might require further changes to the 7-year rule. Offering the possibility to structurally (and internally) improve the length of service of non-permanent contract agents (CA3Bs) requires first at least the renegotiation of the rules stating the fundamental conditions of service and the basic rights, duties and obligations of staff, that is the general implementing provisions (GIPs)(Article 13), and perhaps also the staff regulations (CEOS, article 87 § 4).
Our loyal and uninterrupted advocacy for contract agents
The 2004 Kinnock reform of the Staff Regulations significantly affected working conditions, especially for those engaged by the institution after 2004. We have consistently called for a diminishing of these inequalities between different generations of employee. The fragmentation of staff into different groups with different rights is damaging to morale. You can bring your dog to work for a day but it will not compensate for the inequalities in a workplace where there is no equal pay for equal work.
Contract agents emerged as a new category following the 2004 staff regulations reform to carry out auxiliary and non-core tasks. Unlike most currently operating trade unions, Generation 2004 was not present in these negotiation as it was created only in 2012 in response to aftermath of these changes. We have supported contract agents since our inception and continue with our actions as we watch the CA population continuously grow, now reaching almost 25% of staff and outnumbering ASTs.
Our European Parliament petition for Contract Agents, for which unfortunately no adequate follow-up was delivered upon its closure earlier this year, was first done as a Staff Survey petition with as many as 1415 signatures!
Generation 2004 took a strong stance on the occasion of the negotiations of General Provisions (GIPs) and given the recent feedback we received from contract agents we believe it is high time we renegotiate the GIPs to fight, among other elements, for reinforced potential to change post or DG (‘mobility’) and fairer classification on grade upon recruitment (giving reasonable credit for experience). We encouraged dialogue pinpointing discrepancies between responsibilities and CA contracts and organised a series of events on CA matters. We also called for better chances for contract agents thanks to the access to internal competitions but also exposed frustrations of those registered for CAST testing and never invited to sit CAST. We advocate for the reinforcement of these measures.
These are just examples of our actions. We encourage you to consult our past articles on contract agents for a more detailed and continuous account of our actions.
Our most recent 2024 interventions supporting contract agents
Generation 2004 is committed to addressing the unique challenges facing contract agents. Apart from the extended career opportunities mentioned above and our participation in the social dialogue on the decision on temporary agents in that respect, in 2024 we have continued to advocate for quicker career advancement, better pension security, fairer contributions to the unemployment fund, reinforced mobility, improved flexibility in the application of rules linked to unpaid leave or allowances and better information. We have advocated for faster reimbursements of public transport costs, crucial for those on lower salaries, and raised concerns for CAs whether those relate to the security of their place of work or the 2021 closing of an agency. We listen to staff. Our interventions are based on testimonies and requests received directly from you our members and the Commission staff!
Where we stand
We are confident in our work and achievements, and we always favour a proactive and constructive approach to issues. We publish this article for two reasons: the timing of the initiative of the ‘collective’ coincides with our October newsletter and this article can provide a quick response to any further e-mails we receive on the topic of the petition.
We rely on our official newsletters to provide structured communication (with an invitation to respond or correct the information there) and avoid spamming. Our actions are based on thorough research and well-documented proposals.
What else sets us apart? We do not ‘offer’ one-off initiatives but continuous support evident in our articles and the number of CA colleagues who keep on contacting us for advice.
To sign or not to sign?
For the reasons mentioned above, we are ambivalent about signing the petition: we don’t see a structured plan for follow-up and it duplicates terrain already covered very recently. We give you the information we have and we leave the decision in your hands.
At the same time, we give you the guarantee, whatever the outcome, of our ongoing commitment in supporting contract agents in all areas, many of our actions coincide with those mentioned by ‘the collective’.
Next steps
We will keep you updated. Social dialogue discussions remain confidential until decisions are finalised. We anticipate holding a conference in late November to inform of outcomes related to the TA discussions and their impact on CAs which will also inform on Generation 2004 main actions for contract agents in 2024.
As always, we would love to hear from you. Please do not hesitate to get in touch with us or leave a comment below.
If you appreciate our work, please consider becoming a member of Generation 2004.
