Features

Modernisation of HR: the experiment goes on

Features, Newsletter #27 - Feb 2018, z Newsletter article Print This Post

Once upon a time, there was an administration which struggled to reform and modernise…

Let us take a trip back in time. The main character of our story is the EU Commission. The year is 2002. The drive for administrative reform after the resignation of the Santer Commission has already given birth to the Kinnock Reform programme enshrined in the White paper of 2000. Put aside the well-known dramatic consequences for the new recruits and the fragmentation of the workforce, this reform also suggested a decentralisation for the administrative and financial services of the Commission. The underlying idea was that such a decentralisation would lead to modernisation and more efficient use of resources. Continue reading Modernisation of HR: the experiment goes on →

Voting rights to all Brussels residents

Features, Newsletter #27 - Feb 2018, z Newsletter article Print This Post

Generation 2004 supports the campaign launched by some of our colleagues to get voting rights in the regional elections in Brussels.

On 7 February a campaign calling for the right for all Brussels-Capital Region (RBC) residents to vote, #1bru1vote was launched. It has been met with huge support from Belgians and non-Belgians alike. The campaign is of direct concern to those of us who do not have Belgian citizenship and who reside in the RBC. Continue reading Voting rights to all Brussels residents →

The multiannual financial framework, MFF, 2021-2027

Features, Newsletter #26 - Jan 2018, z Newsletter article Print This Post

2018 is the year for the Commission to draft and negotiate the next multiannual financial framework starting on 1 January 2021 for a 7-year period.

Commissioner Oettinger is working with his team and with the involved Commission services to present the proposal officially to the Member States in May 2018. In the first working week in January a conference with the involvement of the Member States’ highest political level took place in Brussels to set the scene. Continue reading The multiannual financial framework, MFF, 2021-2027 →

Pascal Le Grand appointed as new Chair of G2004

Features, Newsletter #26 - Jan 2018, z Newsletter article Print This Post

The Management Board of G2004 has appointed Pascal Le Grand as the new Chair of the organization.

Born in France, Pascal has spent most of his professional life abroad, including working for the Commission in Brussels during the past 10 years. He is a scientist by training. Being one of the founding members of Generation 2004, he will ensure continuity of our action and use his experience of the institutions to make sure that the gap between privileged staff and staff recruited after 2004, including temporary staff, does not grow further. Pascal and the Board of Generation 2004 thank the former Chair, Lyubomira (Mira) Nesheva for her contribution to the organisation. Mira will remain on the Board of Generation 2004 and an active member. Continue reading Pascal Le Grand appointed as new Chair of G2004 →

We are visiting Ispra & Seville staff this February!

Features, Newsletter #26 - Jan 2018, z Newsletter article Print This Post

We are visiting ISPRA staff on 1 & 2 February!!

G2004 aims to achieve a unified European Public Service that is based on fair, just and motivating employment conditions and that is respected for its efficiency, effectiveness and the equal opportunities it offers to all employees of the EU institutions. We denounce the systematic legal and practical discrimination of post-2004 staff and post-2014 staff vis-a-vis their pre-2004 peers. Continue reading We are visiting Ispra & Seville staff this February! →

Sustainable mobility in Brussels

commuting, Environment, Features, Mobility and Climate, Newsletter #25 – Nov 2017, z Newsletter article Print This Post

OIB and DG HR released earlier this month the results of their latest staff survey on mobility. Some interesting results, albeit somewhat disappointing: the number of cyclists and people walking to work has increased but this seems to be at the expense of the number of people using public transport rather than at the expense of private cars. This suggests that the institutions could do more to encourage people to give up their private cars. The current incentive is limited to a 50% subsidy on season STIB and SNCB passes, basically a few ten euros per month. Cyclists also get access to free parking and showers (in most buildings) but no lockers (with a few exceptions) to store spare clothes and a towel. Pedestrians get nothing, despite having to pay presumably higher rents/mortgages in order to live close to their office. Continue reading Sustainable mobility in Brussels →

Family Budget Survey starts this week in Brussels

Features, Newsletter #25 – Nov 2017, z Newsletter article Print This Post

The following calculation is used to compute the above-mentioned JBLI:

  • Sub-indices of the official inflations rates (Belgian Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices and Luxembourgish Consumer Price Index) are aggregated together using a weighting of approximately 80:20 according to how many staff members are based in Belgium and in Luxembourg.
  • The sub-indices are then aggregated together using expenditure structures (share of the total expenditure that can be attributed to each sub-index) for staff families working in Brussels.

Continue reading Family Budget Survey starts this week in Brussels →

Annual Salary Adjustment 2017

Features, Newsletter #25 – Nov 2017, yearly salary update, z Newsletter article Print This Post

Eurostat has recently published the Report on the 2017 annual update of remuneration and pensions of EU officials. This year’s pay rise will amount to 1.5% according to the so-called “method” for salary adjustments, calculated for 1 July 2017 retroactively. This increase consists in 1.1% compensation for inflation in Belgium and Luxembourg (Joint Belgium-Luxembourg Index – JBLI) and 0.4% aggregated increase in real net remuneration of civil servants in a basket of 11 Member States. Interestingly, one of these Member States is the UK, who contributed with -0.2 %. Continue reading Annual Salary Adjustment 2017 →

Who represents the staff and for how long: Staff representatives secondments and the 6-year rule

Central Staff Committee, Elections, Features, Local Staff Committee, Newsletter #24 - Sep 2017, z Newsletter article Print This Post

Existing rules provide for the Commission to ensure sufficient resources for staff representation activities. This includes a number of reserved posts outside of the DGs dedicated for full-time staff representation activities – the so-called detachments or secondments. At present, there is a well justified limit to a maximum of 6 years to occupy such a post after which one must return to a regular job in a DG (There is no limit to how many times you may be elected as Staff representative though!). There are in total 41 Full Time Equivalents available for staff representation secondments, distributed to each staff organisation proportionally to the percentage of votes received in staff elections (only the organisations that pass the 5% threshold benefit from these secondments, which explains why organisations tend to merge just before the elections). Continue reading Who represents the staff and for how long: Staff representatives secondments and the 6-year rule →