[1]Welcome to the latest Generation 2004 newsletter which finds the vast majority of us in circumstances almost unimaginable this time last month. We understand the challenges we’re all facing at this moment in time and we are here to offer you our support, to tell you what we’ve been doing and to give you a look at what you’ve told us needs to change. COVID-19 is foremost: we’ve launched a petition [2] calling for a coordinated EU response (please sign it and encourage others to do the same), inform about our message to our newly appointed DG HR [3] welcoming her to her new post and asking for a revision of the first version of the exceptional guidelines on telework (version of March 12) [4], over the fallout from the closure of schools and crèches in families at the time of Coronavirus [5] and explain how your voice can be heard through the social dialogue [6]. We also look to the longer term and the return to normality with articles on transport: we could all benefit from following EASME’s example and setting up a cycling allowance [7] and we also evaluate the impact of Luxembourg’s new free countrywide public transport [8].
We have also been contacted by several colleagues who asked us to promote the idea of EU staff solidarity in relation to the current Coronavirus pandemic crisis. Although Generation 2004 doesn’t feel it should propose any specific causes for you to support, we would still encourage you to choose one of your preference, donate to it and show that we all care.
Feel free to send us your feedback or suggestions [9]: let us know if there’s something you’d like to see covered here, after all, we’re here for you!