Newsletter – 2023-03-15 EEAS

Newsletter editorial – 15-03-2023 EEAS

Welcome to this EEAS edition of the Generation 2004 Newsletter which coincides with the ongoing elections. You have until Friday 17 March (11.00, Brussels time); please exercise your right to vote!  We present ourselves in this, the year of our 10th birthday, we give you a summary of the last 12 months in the context of International Women’s day, and we outline our proposed action on the difficulties encountered with the new EPSO competitions. We also provide a two of our EEAS-specific website articles: the laissez-passer renewal, the return to the office in Kyiv and the work-life balance (or lack thereof) in delegations.

So, that’s it for this special edition, thanks to all of you for your support, ideas and feedback: please keep it coming! If there’s a topic you’d like to see us tackle, whether as an article or as an event, please get in touch!

Take care, stay healthy and enjoy reading!

*etranslation is available within the Commission*

International Women’s Day: more than just words?

*Update 24.07.2023 evidence shows UK fathers being denied the leave and flexibility ostensibly available to them.* *Update 07.03.2023 Women were disproportionately impacted by the pandemic, slowing and even reversing  gains, showing just how vulnerable any gains can be. Generation 2004 continues to push for international women’s day (IWD) to be about action, evaluation and noting what still needs to be done.  It’s something to be done year round. What have we done in the last year? Continue reading International Women’s Day: more than just words?

Colleagues in Kyiv to return to the office II

Since our last update on our Kyiv colleagues, we have been reaching out to colleagues of all categories in Kyiv. Hardship there continues: a situation ongoing since the outbreak of war (February 2022). Kyiv has been frequently shelled, there are power cuts many hours throughout the day; there are water shortages; sirens are going off frequently. The situation on the ground is extremely unsettling and it is impossible to have predictability on how long this will continue. Continue reading Colleagues in Kyiv to return to the office II

10 years: look how far we’ve come!

Generation 2004 is 10 years old! What started with a petition in 2011 is, since at least 2020,  the largest single trade union or staff association (OSP) in the Commission. Thank you for the trust you have placed in us with your engagement and with your votes! You have given us the encouragement, support and energy to be your voice and to raise your issues in all possible discussions and domains.  We could not have come this far without you and we appreciate your input, examples and ideas on how to make the European public service fair, just and motivating. Our mission remains unchanged, we’re here for you! Continue reading 10 years: look how far we’ve come!

Laissez-passer renewal unnecessarily complicated and expensive?

Generation 2004 has been contacted by many colleagues serving outside the territory of the European Union regarding the issue of renewing their service passport (‘laissez-passer’ (LP)). While for the issuing of this document (e.g. for a new start in a new country (‘posting’)) the associated travel costs are met by the services, the same is not true for the renewal. Continue reading Laissez-passer renewal unnecessarily complicated and expensive?

No work-life balance for colleagues in Delegations?

While the flexible working arrangements such as offsetting and recuperating working hours (‘flexitime’) and working from home are implemented for Member States and headquarters (HQ), as of today, colleagues in 144 Delegations around the world still have no legal basis to telework.  This issue has been flagged multiple times in different meetings with management and a social dialogue was planned to be concluded in September 2022.  As of today, still, nothing. Continue reading No work-life balance for colleagues in Delegations?