Local Staff Committee

Breaking Barriers: AST/SC colleagues may change function group?

Assistants, Brussels, EPSO, Newsletter - 2023-10-10, Professional mobility, Promotions, Secretaries and clerks, Staff Categories Print This Post

*Update 26.08.2025 the updated time estimates for internal competitions are available under ‘planning’: please note some will take place SOONER than originally stated: don’t miss your chance!*

Original article: While we are thrilled to announce that our efforts have contributed to the announcement by DG HR, that in future, colleagues might have the opportunity to change function groups through internal competitions, it remains to be seen whether this inclusiveness is genuine or something which exists in theory only.  The wording of the announcement is for movement ‘within each function group’ but it does also mention specialised competitions which might include a ‘wider mix of staff categories and function groups’; a measured success.

Continue reading Breaking Barriers: AST/SC colleagues may change function group? →

Grange childcare follow up

building closures, Childcare, Commission services, Local Staff Committee, Newsletter - 2023-10-10, OIB, Social Dialogue Print This Post

*Update 06.12.2023: here are building closures and alternatives in Brussels, but we don’t (yet) see equivalent information for other places of work e.g. Grange or Luxembourg. Remember you have the right to work from the office 100% if you so wish (and you are prepared for the temperatures there).* Continue reading Grange childcare follow up →

Walking away when things go wrong? Sudan

Local Agents, Newsletter - 2023-09-08, Outside the Union Print This Post

*Update 17.04.2024 Disappointingly, we have not yet received a response to our August 2023 note. We are following up with those responsible.*

Original article: The situation in Sudan is undoubtedly difficult, with the ongoing conflict affecting the lives and well-being of the population. Our local agent (LA) colleagues in the delegation there are Continue reading Walking away when things go wrong? Sudan →

Grange childcare: loss of trust!

additional teleworking costs, Brussels, building closures, Childcare, Commission services, Local Staff Committee, New HR strategy, Newsletter - 2023-09-08, OIB, Social Dialogue, Working conditions Print This Post

The European Commission has many sites, some bigger ones, like Brussels, Luxembourg and Ispra, some smaller ones like the smaller JRC sites (Karlsruhe, Geel, Seville) or the satellite site in Grange, Ireland (technically part of Brussels) – home to directorate F (‘Health and food audits and analysis’) of DG SANTE and some colleagues from DGT – not to forget the support staff from the different Offices. Continue reading Grange childcare: loss of trust! →

Making informed decisions: Luxembourg

Assistants, Contract Agents, Cost of living Luxembourg, Luxembourg, Newsletter - 2023-09-08, Secretaries and clerks, Temporary Agents Print This Post

*Update 24.10.2025, while the compliance with the national minimum wage has improved, EU institutions are still doing it differently meaning that those in the Commission might still get less than their counterparts elsewhere. We’d like to see the rules to converge where these, some of the lowest-paid staff, get the most.*

Original article: Have you considered that your competition may include roles in Luxembourg? Continue reading Making informed decisions: Luxembourg →

Minimum wage in Luxembourg for contract agents – Parliament shows the way

Contract Agents, Luxembourg, Newsletter - 2023-06-30 Print This Post

*Update 04.01.2024, our Contract Agent petition at the European Parliament is still open, please sign it!* *Update 01.09.2023: the social minimum wage for Luxembourg is now 3085.11 EUR gross (or 2570.93 EUR for unskilled workers).*

Original article: In March we wrote about a glimmer of hope for Contract Agents in Luxembourg, who are earning less than the national minimum wage and need a special allowance just to touch this very minimum. The problem is that the Commission includes a number of EU allowances when comparing the salaries to determine the amount of this special allowance (see Commission decision C(2015) 4907 and the administrative notice 07-2017, March 2017): most notably, the expatriation allowance is included in the calculation. Continue reading Minimum wage in Luxembourg for contract agents – Parliament shows the way →

Meeting the Head of Cabinet: it’s all about the money

Cost of living Luxembourg, EPSO, Luxembourg, New HR strategy, Newsletter - 2023-04-20, Social Dialogue, Teleworking, Working conditions Print This Post

*Update 09.10.2023 please participate in the Commission survey on the environmental impact of teleworking: deadline 11.10.2023. These emmissions must also be counted in greening the Commission!* Original article: Here are the issues we  raised at the OSPs meeting with David Mueller, the Head of Commissioner Hahn’s (budget and administration) Cabinet (15.03.2023). We are all aware that we are reasonably consistently in a series of difficult situations which require additional financial resources and which put the EU Budget under pressure. But we did get an earworm during that meeting: Continue reading Meeting the Head of Cabinet: it’s all about the money →

Signature authentication and certified true copies: yes and no

Brussels, Luxembourg, Newsletter - 2023-05-10, Services Print This Post

*Update 04.03.2024 Luxembourg charges removed, see below.*

Original article: In spite of our increasingly digital existence we do sometimes still have to resort to paper-based transactions. Unfortunately, while the Brussels Welcome Office of the European Commission can offer a signature-authentication or certified-true-copy service (almost like a notary!) free of charge, other sites, such as Luxembourg, offer no corresponding service, free or otherwise. The Brussels welcome office even checks rental contracts, great, eh? (For those able to use the service, of course). Continue reading Signature authentication and certified true copies: yes and no →

Ongoing difficulties for Local agents in Delegation Türkiye

EEAS, Local Agents, Newsletter - 2023-04-20, Outside the Union Print This Post

*Update 29.09.2022 Local Agents in Türkiye are now being paid in euro, thank you all for your support!* Original article: Generation 2004 finds the situation for Local agents in Delegation Türkiye frustrating. We urge the administration to do the right thing: uphold the rule of law and principle of equal treatment.  Abide by the outcome of the court case and comply with the instructions of the court.  The pretext/excuse of a “lack of administrative” budget does not hold water. Losing a court case is not a daily operational business and therefore no institution should expect to be able to meet the financial liabilities under that business-as-usual budget item. Continue reading Ongoing difficulties for Local agents in Delegation Türkiye →

Council request to further reduce spending on staff II

Cost of living Luxembourg, Luxembourg, New HR strategy, Newsletter - 2023-03-30, Pensions, Social Dialogue, solidarity levy, Teleworking, Working conditions Print This Post

*Updated 07.08.2023 in response to feedback, thanks! See footnotes*

Original article: Generation 2004 is closely following this latest Council request to further reducing spending on staff (Budget 2024: Council agrees on its guidelines for the establishment of next year’s EU budget, 14.03.2023, see quote below). The Commission appears to have provisionally lost 75 posts, the only institution to have lost any posts (Draft General Budget of the European Union for the financial year 2023, Working Document Part II, 2022, p. 67) Continue reading Council request to further reduce spending on staff II →