Staff Categories

When is an upgrade not an upgrade? An update on the Picard case

CA screening, Contract Agents, Newsletter - 2022-10-25, Newsletter - 2022-11-07, Pensions, Petition

*Update 23.06.2023 the Commission is to apply the judgment, but not to officials.* *Update 19.12.2022 C-366/21 P was successful! Well done to everyone involved! Here’s an external evaluation of the case and our own update.*

Original article: Legally speaking, is a contract renewal really a contract renewal? Is a second (or subsequent) contract considered to be a new stand-alone agreement or is it a continuation of an already-existing agreement? Given that Contract Agents (CAs) are now 25% of Commission staff [1] Continue reading When is an upgrade not an upgrade? An update on the Picard case →

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

*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 →

No work-life balance for colleagues in Delegations?

EEAS, New HR strategy, Newsletter - 2022-10-14, Newsletter - 2023-03-15 EEAS, Outside the Union, Staff Categories, Teleworking, Working conditions

While the flexible working arrangements such as offsetting and recuperating working hours (‘flexitime’) and working from home are implemented for Member States and headquarters (HQ), as of today, colleagues in 144 Delegations around the world still have no legal basis to telework.  This issue has been flagged multiple times in different meetings with management and a social dialogue was planned to be concluded in September 2022.  As of today, still, nothing. Continue reading No work-life balance for colleagues in Delegations? →

Colleagues in Kyiv to return to the office

Local Agents, Newsletter - 2022-10-14, Outside the Union, Ukraine 2022

*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 →

Inflation and rising energy cost impact in delegations

Local Agents, Newsletter - 2022-10-14, Working conditions

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!

Assistants, Certification, Events, Newsletter - 2022-09-27, Staff Categories

*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!*

Continue reading AST event: all you ever wanted to know! →

The Contract Agent petition is still open: you can still register and sign!

Contract Agents, Newsletter - 2022-09-27, Petition, Secretaries and clerks

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?

Assistants, Certification, Newsletter - 2022-09-27

*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?

Contract Agents, EPSO, Events, Internal Competitions, Newsletter - 2022-09-15, Newsletter - 2022-09-27, Newsletter - 2022-11-29, reclassification, Staff Categories

*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

Administrators, Assistants, Brussels, Contract Agents, Newsletter - 2022-09-15, Secretaries and clerks, Temporary Agents, Vacancy

*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 →