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

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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 →

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

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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 →

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

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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 →

LUX Contract Agents: a fight against precarity in the Commission

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G2004 Newsletter #9

Generation 2004 continues to support Contract Agents in Luxembourg as they fight for a decent pay or for that matter, a pay that is not below the legal Luxembourgish minimum.

Several meetings between the staff representatives and DG HR have taken place over the past days and weeks and although some concessions were proposed by the administration, fundamental differences unfortunately remain. DG HR considers any salary compensation out of the question and instead proposes to stop the movement with “social measures” such as – for instance – the ludicrous proposal of reducing the price of (some) meals in the cafeteria. The idea of being silenced with a baguette springs to mind instantly, doesn’t it? Or Marie Antoinette’s infamous proposal to “let them eat cake”, when faced by the first uprisings of the French revolution. Continue reading LUX Contract Agents: a fight against precarity in the Commission →

Analysis: AD9 internal competitions

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G2004 Newsletter #9

Internal competitions were presented last year by Vice-President Sefcovic as an initial response to the divergence between pre and post – 2004 careers. What is our assessment now that the competition is over?

Generation 2004 has looked in details at the results of the AD9 competition. The analysis of other competitions will follow. The first finding, not surprisingly, is that cabinet members, together with several temporary agents (TAs) that have a link to DG HR (most of whom coincidentally hail from a specific Member State) represent about a quarter of the laureates. Continue reading Analysis: AD9 internal competitions →

More than a Ray of Light: a debrief on the post-2004 conference

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G2004 Newsletter #9

You will remember the call launched by Generation 2004 on the 10th anniversary of the 2004 staff regulations reform (see here p. 1 and here p. 3) for all unions and staff associations (OSPs) to come together in a conference which would analyse in a holistic manner the post-2004 problem and ideally come out with a set of proposals intended to improve the situation and career perspectives of post-2004 colleagues. Continue reading More than a Ray of Light: a debrief on the post-2004 conference →

Report from meeting with Vice-President Georgieva

Administrators, Assistants, Contract Agents, Local Agents, Local Staff Committee, Luxembourg, Newsletter #10 - Dec 2014, seconded national experts, Secretaries and clerks, Temporary Agents, z Newsletter article Print This Post

Vice-President Georgieva meets Luxembourg staff reps

Following a first meeting with staff representatives on 21 November in Brussels which we covered extensively in our last newsletter, on 11 December, Vice-President (and Commissioner for human resources) Georgieva, together with her team and the senior management of DG HR, met with Luxembourg (LUX) staff representatives following an invitation of the LUX LSC. Continue reading Report from meeting with Vice-President Georgieva →

Open letter to European Council President Tusk

Administrators, Assistants, Newsletter #10 - Dec 2014, Secretaries and clerks, Staff Regulations Reform, z Newsletter article Print This Post

(Please find original version in PL on p 6 of G2004 Newsletter #10)

Dear President Tusk,

On behalf of Generation 2004 – an inter-institutional EU staff association – we would like to congratulate you upon taking up your post as President of the European Council. Continue reading Open letter to European Council President Tusk →

Future work: we need a reform that deserves its name

Newsletter #1 - Dec 2013, Staff Categories, Staff Regulations Reform, z Newsletter article Print This Post
  • ‘After the Reform’ is also ‘Before the Reform’: Since the 2014 reform misses to address any of the 2004 failures, Generation2004 will continue to work towards a true reform of the staff regulations, one that will make the European Public Service a model for others rather than a subject of scorn and ridicule. To be sure, this will take a lot of patience and hard work, but the extent of the damage done in 2004 and now 2014 demands an in-depth re-working of the whole affair. This cannot be left to the administration and the Council! We as staff have to act, to strengthen our own reform agenda, and to take a leading and not a defensive position on the battle field. To achieve this, we need to be active, creative, determined and numerous. JOIN GENERATION2004!

Continue reading Future work: we need a reform that deserves its name →