The social dialogue is a procedure, through which general implementing procedures affecting staff are decided in the Commission. It should not be confused however, with the staff representation, who is responsible to control and verify that adopted rules are followed by the administration. Continue reading Ever heard of social dialogue and how important it is for the Commission Staff?
z Newsletter article
Families at the time of coronavirus
After nearly three weeks homeschooling and teleworking families are already settled into a new, unexpected routine. Families, as the living cells of society, are the first who (must) adapt to the crisis, and must carry much of the weight of it. Continue reading Families at the time of coronavirus
United against Covid-19 – please sign and share the petition
We are currently seeing unprecedented measures in Europe to fight Covid-19. However, we are missing a true European response; instead, each Member State is doing its own thing, with little coordination. Continue reading United against Covid-19 – please sign and share the petition
Free (public) transport in Luxembourg: should I be bothered?
*Update 24.10.2024 We’re aware of OIB now accepting cross-border commuter passes reimbursement requests via myPMO, but Luxembourg-based colleagues are to use the same method as before (instructions here).*
*Update 14.10.2024 Luxembourg-based colleagues, the maximum reimbursement (‘ceiling’) for cross-border commuter passes has been doubled to €500 from 01.10.2024.* Continue reading Free (public) transport in Luxembourg: should I be bothered?
Cycling allowance
*Update 28.10.2024: the Commission proposes to pay Brussels-based colleagues who cycle €100 per year as part of its green commuting plan. We asked about provision for other sites, but the response was negative.*
Original article: EASME , one the Commission’s Executive agencies has started offering its staff a financial contribution for cycling to work. Congratulations to the agency and its enlightened director! Continue reading Cycling allowance
Crocodile tears at the Court of the Queen of Hearts
When Cersei Lannister, the evil queen of plotting and scheming in the popular Games of Thrones franchise, was slapped in the face by her husband Robert Baratheon, King of the Iron Throne, she uttered the defiant words “I shall wear this as a badge of honour.” She later exacted her revenge on him through a cunning plan, leading to his premature death. Continue reading Crocodile tears at the Court of the Queen of Hearts
Is Staff Representation a Fake?
A reasoned (and partly smiling) opinion on a recent conference organised by the local section Brussels of the Commission Staff Committee
On 17 October 2019, under the trendy and self-explanatory (or Freudian?) title “#staffrepresentation&you” (of course, one thing are staff representatives (i.e. the Elected), another is you (i.e. the mere Staff), the Chair of the local section Brussels of the Commission Staff Committee pushed the organisation of a 3 hours lunchtime debate. The event enjoyed the presence of the DG HR’s Director responsible for social dialogue, Mr. Moricca and these were the debated questions: Continue reading Is Staff Representation a Fake?
Generation 2004 welcomes Commissioner Hahn
With the start of the Ursula von der Leyen Commission on December 1st 2019, Johannes HAHN also took up his appointment as the new Commissioner for Budget and Administration. This appointment concerns staff enormously since he is in charge of Administration, which includes HR policy.
On 16 January, Generation 2004 sent a welcome letter (EN version) to Mr. Hahn. In this letter, we not only welcomed the Commissioner but we have also raised some of the most important aspects of our policies as a staff representation organisation:
- the principle of equal pay for equal work at the same place and;
- the heavy decline of the conditions of employment and the consequent increase of the precariat for some categories of staff.
We closed the letter by offering Commissioner HAHN to constructively and positively work with him on these and other staff related matters.
The Social Dialogue is coming to the Executive Agencies
The big day finally arrived. On 23 January 2020, the until now severely neglected social dialogue in the Executive agencies (EAs) was finally resuscitated through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) by all the Directors of the EAs and all the trade unions and staff associations of the Commission.
The MoU was achieved in a relatively short period and following numerous meetings and discussions where the input from the Staff Committees (SC) of the six EAs: EACEA, EASME, ERCEA, CHAFEA, INEA, and REA was particularly important. Continue reading The social dialogue is coming to the Executive Agencies
Are unpaid services received to be considered part of income?
Art. 2 of Annex VII of staff regulations provides for an allowance for dependent children to be paid to officials. The allowance is granted automatically for children under 18, and on application for children between 18 and 26 in education or training, with supporting evidence, and provided the child is deemed to be dependent on his/her parents within the meaning of the same Article. If the child has his/her own income, this must be below a given threshold in order to be regarded as dependent. PMO decides whether the child fulfils income requirements according to Revised Conclusion 223/04 by the Heads of Administration. Continue reading Are unpaid services received to be considered part of income?
