Social Dialogue

100% hot-desking at the new POST-Mercier building

Cost of living Luxembourg, Health, Luxembourg, Newsletter - 2023-03-30, Open Plan Office, return to the office-new normal, Social Dialogue, Working conditions Print This Post

*Update 17.09.2024 anything non-IT that’s broken can be reported by email/phonecall.*

*Update 21.02.2024 OP staff can request noise-cancelling headphones.*

Original article: It is confirmed that the new POST-Mercier building will be the first Commission building to be 100% ‘dynamic and collaborative’. Phew! At least it’s not hot-desking, right? Unfortunately, this is indeed hot-desking albeit (here at least) in a limited fashion. It is first come, first served within the area assigned to your team: Continue reading 100% hot-desking at the new POST-Mercier building →

Social Dialogue, or the big hypocrisy: do as I say, not as I do!

COVID-19, EPSO, Newsletter - 2023-02-22, Social Dialogue Print This Post

The Commission recently presented an initiative to strengthen social dialogue with actions at both national and EU level. Generation 2004 agrees that this is necessary (long overdue) and we agree also with the inspiring statements reproduced below. Unfortunately, we observe that, in spite of all these nice words and good intentions, the corresponding follow-up action appears to simply vanish when it comes to social dialogue within the Commission itself: the dialogue with the staff committee (CSC/LSCs): the statutory body elected by staff and the trade unions and staff associations (OSPs).  Continue reading social dialogue, or the big hypocrisy: do as I say, not as I do! →

DG GROW: Reorganisation? Maladministration? Or how to pave the way for…what?

Internal Competitions, Junior Professionals Programme, New HR strategy, Newsletter - 2022-12-19, Social Dialogue Print This Post

Our institution as well as our working and private lives have, in the recent past, undergone substantial change. So much so that the word reorganisation stopped soliciting any surprise. We are used to it and it happens everywhere and at reasonably regular intervals, such as before the arrival of a new Commission or Cabinets: the outgoing one might look to perhaps reshuffle things in order to accommodate their loyal staff within the services of the Commission. Continue reading DG GROW: Reorganisation? Maladministration? Or how to pave the way for…what? →

High time for the Commission to show flexibility!

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*Update 14.12.2022 list of buildings closed Dec/Jan* We, the Commission staff, have shown (and continue to show) outstanding flexibility, especially during the recent crises: whether that’s the pandemic and the lockdowns, war in Ukraine, energy resources or skyrocketing inflation. In spite of all this and the exceptional workload these crises created for many DGs, staff made every possible effort to continue to deliver business continuity in the interest of the European people we serve.  Continue reading High time for the Commission to show flexibility! →

Follow-up survey on teleworking utility bills

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*Update 09.01.2023: the original survey had >1200 participants, this follow-up is not yet half way, please help to make this comparison survey representative! We need you!* As promised in October, we ask you to participate in this, our follow-up survey on the utility costs related to working from home in order to make a comparison with the answers you provided to our original survey (January 2021 – January 2022). We want to demonstrate any further change in costs: our first survey related to an expected increase in the consumption of energy but the issue now is related to Continue reading Follow-up survey on teleworking utility bills →

Don’t forget to use your 10 days of teleworking from outside the place of employment!

Leave, New HR strategy, Newsletter - 2022-11-07, Social Dialogue, Teleworking, teleworking from anywhere Print This Post

If you still haven’t used up all your days of teleworking from anywhere (TWA) do not forget to file the request in Sysper as soon as possible. We have no information on any extension to the end-of-year deadline (the 2021 days could be used until 15.01.2022) and so conclude that there is unlikely to be any extension: best to use the 2022 quota of days rather than lose them! Continue reading Don’t forget to use your 10 days of teleworking from outside the place of employment! →

Annual Salary Adjustment 2022 +4.5%

Cost of living Luxembourg, Local Agents, Luxembourg, Newsletter - 2022-11-07, Social Dialogue, Working conditions Print This Post

*Eurostat update to the Correction coefficient can be found on p. 34 of their report and it is now official on MyIntracomm (13.12.2022)*

*Update 08.11.2022 to clarify: this 4.5% is in addition to the general intermediate salary update announced in June 2022. For correction coefficient updates and SNEs please check below [1].* Almost everyone, unfortunately with the exception of our local agent (LA) colleagues, will receive a 4.5% salary increase, with retroactive effect from 1 July 2022, to maintain equality with the developments in the Member States. For more info, check the Eurostat Report on the 2022 annual update of remuneration and pensions of EU officials (28.10.2022). Continue reading Annual Salary Adjustment 2022 +4.5% →

Commission to respect expected salary adjustment for some, but not for all

Cost of living Luxembourg, Local Agents, Luxembourg, New HR strategy, Newsletter - 2022-10-14, Social Dialogue, solidarity levy, Teleworking, Working conditions Print This Post

*Update 03.11.2022: Eurostat has published the final figures on the increase for Commission staff in its report.* Against the backdrop of increasing prices and rising inflation and during a period that is, for many staff, the summer break, the Council requested the Commission analyse how to further cut expenditure on staff, asking for a response by the end of September 2022. The Council was specifically targeting the salary updates intended to address inflation. Continue reading Commission to respect expected salary adjustment for some, but not for all →

The future of our survey on the rise in teleworking energy bills

additional teleworking costs, Cost of living Luxembourg, New HR strategy, Newsletter - 2022-10-14, return to the office-new normal, Social Dialogue, Surveys, Teleworking, Working conditions Print This Post

*08.11.2022 we have republished this survey to enable a comparison, please participate!*

*Update 07.11.2022 we add a list of all available state aid in Luxembourg.*

*23.10.2022 the teleworking costs court case has been unsuccessful.*

It’s the perfect storm of costs: increased consumption of utilities and higher bills due to teleworking meets increased energy costs due to the political situation and even higher bills. We intend to show the compounded effects of these two hits by comparing the snapshot we took at the end of 2021 with a new pic from now: we will republish our survey and ask you again to contribute. Continue reading The future of our survey on the rise in teleworking energy bills →

Council request to further reduce spending on staff

Cost of living Luxembourg, Luxembourg, New HR strategy, Newsletter - 2022-09-15, Pensions, Social Dialogue, solidarity levy, Teleworking, Working conditions Print This Post

*Update 22.03.2023: see our article on the latest council request to reduce spending on staff. *Update 21.09.2022 : all representatives OSPs met with the Cabinet on the Commission response to the Council.* Continue reading Council request to further reduce spending on staff →