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Commission staff survey – 2014

Newsletter #9 - Nov 2014, Surveys, z Newsletter article Print This Post

G2004 Newsletter #9

During the meeting, Commissioner Georgieva encouraged all colleagues to participate in the ongoing Staff Survey being conducted by the Commission for 2014, emphasising her wish to hear directly the views of staff as a precursor for future actions. In the recent days you received several reminders from DG HR as well. For once we would like to support such a call.

Whilst Generation 2004 is and will continue to be the primary voice of the post-2004 generation in EU institutions, it is very important that you yourself use this opportunity to speak in order to give an individual face to our collective message. We are not attempting to put any words in your mouth, but simply provoke your brains with a couple of reflections whilst urging you to complete this survey: Continue reading Commission staff survey – 2014 →

Full mobilisation to defend the weakest in Luxembourg

Contract Agents, Luxembourg, Newsletter #7 - Jul 2014, Staff Regulations Reform, z Newsletter article Print This Post

G2004 Newsletter # 7

See here the STRIKE NOTICE by all unions and OSPs (including the FULL and UNEQUIVOCAL support of Generation 2004) concerning the precarious and grave situation of our contract agent colleagues in Luxembourg; again something to be proud of dear Commission. But of course, when you get too high in the ivory tower, the view down below easily becomes obfuscated by clouds, fog etc … especially in Luxembourg!

Legal assistance in Luxembourg

Generation 2004 Luxembourg Section is happy to announce the arrangement with a lawyer who agreed to provide free legal advice to members. If you need help, please contact us:

Ius est ars boni et aequi … but not in the European Commission – IMPORTANT NEWS for AST/SCs

Administrators, Assistants, Certification, Newsletter #7 - Jul 2014, Secretaries and clerks, Staff Categories, Staff Regulations Reform, z Newsletter article Print This Post

G2004 Newsletter # 7

In January 2014 many AST colleagues surprisingly found their posts reclassified as AST/SC without any prior notice or justification. Not surprisingly, Generation 2004’s initiative to propose a template for an Article 90 appeal also adopted by a majority of the unions (see here) was received with enthusiasm and many AST colleagues used this opportunity to demonstrate to the Commission’s HR services their frustration and dissatisfaction.

The long-awaited reply to their appeal is now just out. Surprise, surprise, in their reply the HR services keep trying to convince us that the reclassification of posts is simply a technical detail which does not affect – de facto or de jure – the real situation of AST colleagues. Continue reading Ius est ars boni et aequi … but not in the European Commission – IMPORTANT NEWS for AST/SCs →

…… and finally some lighter moments

Newsletter #7 - Jul 2014, z Newsletter article Print This Post

G2004 Newsletter # 7

An alle deutschen Kollegen:

Herzlichen Glückwunsch zur gewonnen Fußball-Weltmeisterschaft J

Summer is here …

Well maybe not much applicable to greyish Brussels, but in your home country or wherever you might be heading for your well-earned summer holidays (see/hear also below). Enjoy & relax to the max …. and don’t look out for our Newsletter in August … as it will be on holiday too; although our Offices will remain open all throughout.

Continue reading …… and finally some lighter moments →

Cabinet appointments for common (but deserving) mortals

Newsletter #7 - Jul 2014, Professional mobility, z Newsletter article Print This Post

G2004 Newsletter # 7

When the 5-year legislature of a Commission comes to an end, many Commissioners return to their home country whilst dozens of temporary agents that were once brought to Brussels by these Commissioners grab at any possible straw in order to secure a permanent and ideally high-paying position in Brussels. Of course, if possible, without the unsavoury and demeaning obligation of having to pass an open competition just like any other common and inferior European mortals.

There is certainly nothing wrong with a Commissioner exceptionally bringing in an outsider, a person of special confidence into his or her cabinet, but for the rest, cabinets have important jobs to do that often require detailed knowledge and experience of Commission procedures and policies. Overly relying on outsiders on the basis of special recommendations exposes the Commission to the influence of lobby groups and limits the efficiency of the cabinets right from the first crucial months of a legislature. Continue reading Cabinet appointments for common (but deserving) mortals →

Dirty games and money for nothing (or “NEPOTISM REDEFINED” for the more discerning)

Internal Competitions, Newsletter #7 - Jul 2014, Promotions, z Newsletter article Print This Post

G2004 Newsletter # 7

The first results of the internal competitions were published on the Commission intranet. Hey ho! Like every fifth year it is again parachute- jumping season in the European Commission. Our HR pros, who say of themselves: “Our staff are dedicated to making the civil service of the European Union a modern, effective and dynamic organisation, fit for the challenges of the 21st century”, have again found a way to hand out the silken parachutes to the privileged few. Continue reading Dirty games and money for nothing (or “NEPOTISM REDEFINED” for the more discerning) →

Commission President-Designate Juncker endorses raison d’etre of Generation 2004

Newsletter #7 - Jul 2014, Staff Categories, Staff Regulations Reform, z Newsletter article Print This Post

G2004 Newsletter # 7

From the preamble of our by-laws establishing G2004 as an EU civil service staff association, August 2012:

” Generation 2004 commits itself to […] b) strive for the implementation of the principle of “equal recognition for equal work”, including substantially equal professional and career perspectives, both financial and non-financial”

From the speech to the European Parliament of Commission President-Designate Jean-Claude Juncker, 15.7.2014, ” A N E W ST A R T F O R E UR OPE”, Political Guidelines for the next European Commission, Section 4 (” A Deeper and Fairer Market with a Strengthened Industrial Base)”: Continue reading Commission President-Designate Juncker endorses raison d’etre of Generation 2004 →

Report on career equivalence

Newsletter #8 - Oct 2014, Professional mobility, Staff Regulations Reform, z Newsletter article Print This Post

G2004 Newsletter #8

Those of you who were already working for the institutions at the time will probably remember the Commission report on the principle of equivalence published in 2011.

This report made a mockery of the impact of the 2004 reform by failing to compare the (still growing) gap between pre and post-2004 careers. Now that the 2004 staff regulations have come to an end, it would be worth doing a final assessment of the impact of this reform, in order to set the record straight. Moreover, the 2011 report made it clear that Continue reading Report on career equivalence →

Generation Edith Cresson: how to ensure beyond any reasonable doubt that none of the elite suffers any hunger-pains

Administrators, Newsletter #8 - Oct 2014, Professional mobility, Promotions, Staff Categories, Staff Regulations Reform, z Newsletter article Print This Post

G2004 Newsletter #8

Talking about privileged officials (some dare to call them “fat cats”, one wonders why), a transitional measure of the 2014 reform of the staff regulations that has received little attention thus far, is the creation of 2 new steps for AD12 and AD13 grades. AD13s, for instance, will now be able to reach step 7, instead of the maximum of step 5 before 1 January 2014. In financial terms, this will translate into a monthly salary almost €500 higher than what was possible before. As a result, the beneficiaries will be able to reach the same salary as an AD14 step 1 with no need for a promotion. They will mostly be senior AD12/AD13, many of them having already reached the end of career grade of A4/8 before the 2004 reform, in case they are not able to land upon a “Senior Expert” (see above) position. Continue reading Generation Edith Cresson: how to ensure beyond any reasonable doubt that none of the elite suffers any hunger-pains →

Welcome to Candyland: an in-depth look at how DG HR is attempting to circumnavigate the statute as far as the so-called “blockage of careers” is concerned

Administrators, Newsletter #8 - Oct 2014, Staff Categories, Staff Regulations Reform, z Newsletter article Print This Post

G2004 Newsletter #8

You may remember that in our June newsletter we had expressed the hope that the Commission would make positive use of the new provisions in the staff regulations, which (justifiably) limit the career progression of AD12+ staff without any management responsibility. This should come as no surprise when at present; these two grades on their own consume a whopping chunk (see graphs below) of the Commission’s global monthly/annual pay packet!

We had suggested, or rather dreamt naively, that the ‘saved’ promotions should be used to benefit the career-development of post-2004 staff whose careers have been systematically wrecked by the 2004 reform and existing promotion practices. Continue reading Welcome to Candyland: an in-depth look at how DG HR is attempting to circumnavigate the statute as far as the so-called “blockage of careers” is concerned →