Newsletter – 2024-04-29

Newsletter editorial – 29-04-2024

Editorial, Newsletter – 2024-04-29 Print This Post

Welcome to the fifth edition of the Generation 2004 newsletter for 2024! In this edition,  we express our concern on Local agents and the need to adapt their salaries. We are happy to share one positive story from the many stories we received about our PMO colleagues. Moreover, stay informed with update on the issue of the use of your personal phones for business continuity purposes.  Don’t miss our state of play on the twelve actions for Luxembourg and the learning opportunities on internal competitions oral test. Finally, you will read clarifications on the intermediate salary update and on the AD5 internal competition and our concern regarding the well-being of colleagues in TAXUD as per the HR Survey 2023.  So, that’s all for now.  Enjoy the reading and get in touch if you believe we can help!

 

18% salary increase and other fever dreams

Intermediate salary update, Newsletter – 2024-04-29 Print This Post

Let’s start with bursting the bubble immediately: No, we will not have an 18% intermediate salary adjustment in summer. Sorry, but you will have to stop looking for this new villa of yours… 

Of course, we are aware of the (quickly removed and no longer accessible) Politico snippet about this alleged adjustment: our inbox pays testimony to it right now. This doesn’t change reality, though. Unfortunately, we now need to give you a bit of background about salary adjustments in the EU institutions. Please bear with us.  Continue reading 18% salary increase and other fever dreams →

Learning sessions on internal competitions – Oral test

Education, Events, Internal Competitions, Newsletter – 2024-04-29, Training Print This Post

We are organising further training with our partners Yasemos Europeos to help you on competition processes, but in the meantime here is what is on offer under “career related training” in EU LEARN, for candidates who are through to the ‘ORAL TEST’ stage of an EU competition having already passed any required Written Test and/or Presentation.

If you appreciate our work, please consider becoming a member of Generation 2004.

Locals Agents Salary Method – Time to adapt to the reality on the ground!

EEAS Special Edition Newsletter June 2024, Local Agents, Newsletter – 2024-04-29, Outside the Union Print This Post

It is clear that the current salary method, and the idea of “One system fits all” in some 140 Delegations all over the world is not working. Here are some insights and suggestions.

The idea behind any salary update in the world is to make sure that the organisation’s salaries are competitive, keep employees satisfied, and do what they can to attract and retain the best people. This is also the case for the European External Action Service (EEAS). Continue reading Locals Agents Salary Method – Time to adapt to the reality on the ground! →

Lunchtime conference: the implementation of the Picard decision in the Commission

CA screening, Contract Agents, Events, Newsletter – 2024-04-29, Pensions Print This Post

The European Commission has recently published the Conclusion 287/24 on the Picard judgement about pension rights and how it wants to implement it. During a Generation 2004 lunch-time conference on 29 April we explained what this conclusion means for you and which category of staff must consider taking actions. Continue reading Lunchtime conference: the implementation of the Picard decision in the Commission →

A positive PMO story

Newsletter – 2024-04-29, PMO Print This Post

Apologies for the time taken in publishing your positive PMO stories. Here we share the first of the many stories received: one highlighting where the complex  landscape of the PMO  could easily work against the well-being of anyone who has to interact with it, particularly in situations which are already stressful. Here we take the time to appreciate how much the good functioning of those systems can depend Continue reading A positive PMO story →

Oops … the Commission did it again! Illegal request on private phones

Data Protection, Health, New HR strategy, Newsletter – 2024-04-29, Staff Regulations Reform, Teleworking, Working conditions Print This Post

It’s not even a month since the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) ordered the Commission to suspend illegal personal data flows and we see another such order coming.

Last December, the Commission launched a ‘business continuity’ exercise asking most colleagues (if not all, it was never clear) to provide their private mobile phone numbers to create Signal private messenger groups where they could be contacted for work matters. Continue reading Oops … the Commission did it again! Illegal request on private phones →

Two years on, what’s happening with the 12 actions for Luxembourg?

Cost of living Luxembourg, Luxembourg, Newsletter – 2024-04-29 Print This Post

*Update 02.10.2025 we’re aware of the recently-announced agreement to have bills for hospitalisation sent directly to the JSIS (‘prise en charge’) instead of having the patient pay them and then request reimbursement.  While this change is welcome, this item is not one of the 12 actions, nor does it relate to the unofficial 13th item, we’d like to see a progress report on all of those.* Continue reading Two years on, what’s happening with the 12 actions for Luxembourg? →

Internal competition – clarification COM/AD5/2023

Internal Competitions, Newsletter – 2024-04-29 Print This Post

*Update 19.02.2025: ‘By default, all [internal] competitions will be cross-category.’ (Stay tuned: A new approach for internal competitions) This is excellent news and should now put the Commission on an even footing with the Parliament and other EU institutions. We hope that this inclusion is genuine and that the competitions are not  otherwise skewed to reduce participation.* Continue reading Internal competition – clarification COM/AD5/2023 →

TAXUD’s Alarming Decline in Staff Well-being: A Call for Immediate Action

Health, Newsletter – 2024-04-29, Social Dialogue, Surveys, workplace bullying and harassment Print This Post

*Update 06.06.2024: our efforts have paid off.*
The recently published 2023 staff survey results paint a bleak picture of the state of affairs within DG Taxation and Customs Union (TAXUD), particularly concerning the prevention of psychological harassment (‘bullying’ or ‘mobbing’) and sexual harassment. Continue reading TAXUD’s Alarming Decline in Staff Well-being: A Call for Immediate Action →