As you may know, Generation 2004 scored highest in the last Brussels local staff committee elections with 30% of votes. It was not only a big surprise to the administration, but foremost to the other trade unions. Despite the huge gain in votes and representativeness and due to preferential votes to smaller trade unions, G2004 did not obtain due number of seats in the Local Staff Committee Brussels (LSC). The new President was then elected out of the Alliance (an organization comprised of several smaller trade unions: R&D, TAO AFI, Save Europe and SFE) with the support of two other unions. Since then, new interpretations and deviations of the rules, laying down the composition and operation of the Staff Committee as well as the internal rules of the LSC, became the norm. The LSC has turned from a place for an open and healthy exchange of views for the good of the staff to a hostile environment leading many of the elected to no longer feel motivated to attend its meetings.
Generation 2004 representatives attending plenary sessions of the LSC Brussels have witnessed meetings that did not meet the legal requirements for a quorum to take legitimate decisions. Generation 2004 is taking a stand towards the defence of the rule of law and decided to limit its participation in the plenary sessions until rule of law is restored.
We also oppose:
- denying access to the recordings of the plenary session in order to verify its content with the minutes (we recall that plenary meetings are public);
- denying access to the presence lists;
- decisions taken without the quorum required;
- counting votes of members not present during the vote;
- counting both members and their alternates;
- cutting the floor or plain and simply refusing the right to speak in the plenary;
- intimidation and offensive behaviour (foremost towards women);
- voting on points which were not on the approved agenda as required by the LSC internal rules of procedure;
- having several versions of a document to be approved within the same written procedure making it impossible to figure out which version has been approved;
- sending messages on behalf of Generation 2004 without authorisation and even against expressed objection;
- refusing to take into consideration modifications of minutes and publishing them with factual errors.
Generation 2004 considers that there is too much at stake for the Brussels LSC business to be conducted in such a reckless way and is seriously considering the start of a motion of censure against the LSC President. Furthermore, as a last resort, and to ensure a healthy democracy is in place, we have not ruled out the possibility of pursuing legal action.