Newsletter – 2024-10-28

‘Contract agents collective’ petition: to sign or not to sign?  

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*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. 

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The Never-Ending Odyssey: Navigating the My IntraComm Platform

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For years, My IntraComm served as a vital tool for European Commission (EC) staff, offering easy access to essential information on work resources, promotions, career development, family allowances, personal matters, and broader staff matters such as talent management, working conditions, buildings, family, and administrative steps.  Continue reading The Never-Ending Odyssey: Navigating the My IntraComm Platform →

Duty Calls: Navigating the Challenges of Standby Duty at EEAS

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Standby duty sounds straightforward enough — a formal, organised service, available to respond to well-defined emergencies within a specific timeframe. But for many staff, including those in the External Action Service (EEAS), the reality is far from simple. Theoretically, within the EEAS at least, those colleagues on standby duty have access to designated Duty Phones—reliable devices meant to keep them connected during emergencies.

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Geel LSC Elections 2024: Thank You for Your Trust and Support!

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Generation 2004 is deeply grateful to all our supporters in Geel. We are honored to have received 36% of the votes in the recent local staff committee (LSC) elections, an increase from the 34% in 2021. This growth in support shows that our priorities resonate with many of you, and we are committed to working even harder for positive change.

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Newsletter editorial – 28-10-2024

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Welcome to the tenth edition of  Generation 2004 newsletter for 2024. This edition highlights several key updates, beginning with a heartfelt thank you to our supporters in the recent Generation 2004 elections in Geel. We also address pressing concerns about the challenging issues surrounding ASTSC career blockages. Furthermore, we explore the certification process. In addition we focus on unpaid leave and the pursuit of longer and sustainable careers for Contract Agents and we discuss whether to sign or not the petition from the contract agent “collective”. We also discuss issues regarding standby duty within the EEAS and voting practice in JRC sites. Moreover, we offer insights into training opportunities for the AST3 EPSO competition. We also did not forget to talk about the difficulties to navigate the ‘My IntraComm‘ platform. Last but not least, we provide a comprehensive FAQ on pension and the transfer of pension rights, as well as details about  the JRC event dedicated to this topic.

That’s all for now!

Enjoy the reading and get in touch if you believe we can help!

From Paper to Digital: A voting practice update is necessary

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The Joint Research Centre (JRC) is one of the largest directorates-general (DGs) in the Commission.  With its scientific profile it takes pride in its innovative and modern endeavours. JRC practices the remote way of working, in line with the Commission guidelines, but also benefits from it to foster cooperation among its multisite structure of 6 locations across Europe.

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Challenges of unpaid leave for contract agents 

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Are you a contract agent or temporary agent who needs time off and annual leave is not enough? Are you considering applying for unpaid leave? Or perhaps you have submitted a request that was denied? Based on feedback from our members, we are examining the complexities surrounding unpaid leave for personal reasons. 

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Longer and sustainable careers for contracts agents 

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*Update 21.11.2024 check out the European Court of Auditors, 2024, Special report 24/2024: EU Civil service–A flexible employment framework, insufficiently used to improve workforce management: it concludes that ‘While the recruitment of temporary staff has proven an effective and flexible way to deal with the shortage of successful candidates on EPSO reserve lists, it carries some risks for business continuity and knowledge management, and as such cannot be a viable long-term solution‘ (Paragraph 100)*

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Training Offer: EPSO competition AST3 – Free-text Essay on EU matters

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Generation 2004, in collaboration with Yasemos Europeos, is happy to offer you online training for the competition EPSO/AST/156/24 Assistants (AST3) in 3 fields (1. Financial management 2. Accounting and treasury 3. Public procurement) with a special discount rate for our members ONLY. All training modules will be in English.

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General pension FAQs

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To supplement our frequently asked questions (FAQs) on pension transfers, we add this FAQ for all of the other questions we receive on pension in general.  If you don’t find your pension question answered in either of the two FAQs or in the Staff Matters FAQs then please contact us, together we can find the answer and add it here if it might be useful to others.

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