*Update 22.12.2022 EEAS wants to increase the number of staff present in Kyiv, pushing staff evacuated to Brussels to return for 2 weeks at a time, starting in January 2023. We have asked for clarification and flexibility in this.* Against the backdrop of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine (24.02.2022), colleagues in Kyiv are to return to being present in office starting from 31.10.2022. Local Agents (LAs) are provisionally required to be present four days per week and official (generally expatriate) colleagues are required to be present for a minimum of 2 weeks (we have asked for clarification of this part of the instructions, since the plan for presence suggests that the 2 weeks can also be teleworked). For context, teleworking in Ukraine and abroad was made available also for LAs by Admin decision (2022)20, initially for a period of 3 months. Continue reading Colleagues in Kyiv to return to the office
Staff Categories
Inflation and rising energy cost impact in delegations
Generation 2004 is closely following the financial impact of inflation and rising energy costs to all staff in 144 Delegations around the world. We noted that especially for Delegations which are paid in local currencies (whether legally or not, we hear you Turkey!), colleagues are severely harmed by growing inflationary pressure and are experiencing deteriorating purchasing power. To illustrate (this is not an exhaustive list, information is based on available internet figures of inflation statistics [*] and the latest available information of salary review status) with a few examples: Continue reading Inflation and rising energy cost impact in delegations
AST event: all you ever wanted to know!
*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. Participation in these competitions can be done in parallel to the certification: use all your options!*
The Contract Agent petition is still open: you can still register and sign!
The European Parliament (EP), accepting our petition No. 0117/2021 on the contract agent (CA) precariat in the European Commission, asked the Commission for more explanations on the CA work situation. We’ve received a surprising reply with standard arguments (see ‘notice to members’). As a result, we want to relaunch our petition now, showing our reasoning, making our arguments even more specific than ever before! Continue reading The Contract Agent petition is still open: you can still register and sign!
Certification: what’s being tested?
*Update 02.10.2023: the deadline for applications for the 2023/2024 edition is Friday 6 October 2023 at 23:59 (Brussels time).* Original article: We have been contacted in the meantime by colleagues who are interested in participating but who are disappointed by the lack of detailed information about the exams and the skills tested. Sadly, the MyIntraComm European School of Administration My EuSAnet Certification page has little more than an outline to offer on this topic. Continue reading Certification: what’s being tested?
Contract Agents: what does the future hold?
*The presentations from previous events can be found at the bottom of this article.*
Original article: Generation 2004, the only staff organisation with all representative staff categories in its team, is here to listen to you and your concerns and to develop together with you our positions on many work- and well-being-at-work- related issues. The Generation 2004 team has made a solid contribution to defend the interests of Contract Agents (CAs), the category of staff with the most uncertain future. Continue reading Contract Agents: what does the future hold?
Generation 2004 is hiring a Brussels-based IT specialist
*Deadline for application: Friday 23 September 2022 23.59 CET.*
Generation 2004, the largest staff organisation in the Commission, is looking for a motivated colleague to reinforce our team in Brussels. It is a full-time job where you will be seconded from your service to Generation 2004. Please beware that the colleague selected must already be placed in Brussels.
If you are employed in the Commission as an official (administrator (AD), assistant (AST) or secretary/clerk (AST/SC)), as a Contract Agent (CA) or as a Temporary Agent (TA), you can apply for the job! Continue reading Generation 2004 is hiring a Brussels-based IT specialist
Update on our AST/SC petition to the European Parliament
Unfortunately our petition No. 1243/2021 to stop the unfair treatment of AST/SC staff is no longer making progress at the European Parliament. While this AST/SC petition is stopped, our petition on Contract Agents is still live so, if you haven’t done so already, please add your signature! The EP does not allow us to transfer signatures, so even if you signed the original petition please also sign the one at the EP: add your voice to the others already there! Continue reading Update on our AST/SC petition to the European Parliament
Preserving acquired rights of Local agents – empty promises?
Generation 2004 has come across different cases where Local Agents (LAs) have indeed lost their acquired rights after signing up to the new conditions of employment (a loss of rights was mentioned as a distant possibility in 2020). First and foremost, Generation 2004 does not agree with the approach of setting the deadline for LAs to sign the new contract which was before all the annexes of the contract were in place. The national law reference guides were not provided to colleagues at the time of signing the contract and some of the implementing decisions (i.e. the assessment procedure, guidance policies to assist Delegations in exercising their duty of care towards the local staff) are even still missing today. Continue reading Preserving acquired rights of Local agents – empty promises?
Hybrid working guidelines for DGs and Delegations, what should we expect?
*Update 10.03.2023 in January 2023 the Commission abandoned its draft guidelines in favour of reworking the frequently asked questions (FAQs).*
Generation 2004 firmly believes that the EU institutions should focus on impact and output rather than the means of work. When the pandemic has shown that, for many roles, teleworking can be as effective as office presence (and is considered equivalent), why does the EU appear to prefer to go back in time? Why burden colleagues with again finding balance, having to revamp their schedules and routines with the associated stresses in order to be present in their place of employment rather than letting them continue to telework in peace, efficiently, effectively, and happily? Continue reading Hybrid working guidelines for DGs and Delegations, what should we expect?
