A reform shaped under ominous financial perspectives

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The ongoing reform will depend on the outcome of a much broader discussion on the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) 2014-2020. A ceiling to its Heading 5 –‘Administration’– having been set, it will then be left to the reform of the Staff Regulations itself to specify the ‘details’ of how to implement the savings.

European School : the moment of truth

en-savoir-plus-pdfEPSU-CJ morally and financially supports the parents’ European School Non-Discrimination Campaign. The union will take on the contribution to the campaign of those who are concerned parents, Court of Justice colleagues.

Transferring your pension rights: think twice before deciding!

en-savoir-plus-pdfWhether or not to transfer to the Community pension scheme pension rights acquired under different schemes is an important decision, which is for you to take.

Adjustment of remuneration and pensions: sidetracking the institutional setup

en-savoir-plus-pdfThe Council’s refusal to approve the adjustment of remuneration and pensions is worrying not only because it violates a right of the staff enshrined in the Staff Regulations, but also because it highlights the fact that political ‘appropriateness’ increasingly prevails over the rule of law.

Evolution of purchasing power

en-savoir-plus-pdfBy a formal Decision, the Council refused to adopt the Commission’s proposal to adjust remuneration and pension in accordance with the Method. The Commission has decided to bring an action against the Council in the Court of Justice for not adopting the annual adjustment to remuneration and pensions of EU staff, thus breaching the Staff Regulations.

Working hours : Social regression is on the move !

en-savoir-plus-pdfSince the Industrial Revolution, shorter working hours have become synonymous with social progress. While the legislative practice so far has been to lay down minimum requirements (e.g., a maximum working time), in its draft revision of the Staff Regulations, the Commission is fixing a minimum working week: working longer to ‘offset’ the loss of jobs! This will set a precedent that the Commission will certainly invoke throughout Europe.(article published in FR in Agora Magazine Nr 64).

Draft proposal for amending the Staff Regulations

en-savoir-plus-pdfInflation in Luxembourg triggered a 2.5% salaries’ increase. Indexation of salaries is safeguarded only thanks to the strong position of Luxembourg’s trade unions. For EU contract staff, this means that not only Function Group I, grade 1, but also FG II, grade 4, are falling below the minimum legal salary for a skilled worker in Luxembourg (read the attachment). If the draft proposal for Revising of the Staff Regulations were to be adopted, secretaries / clerks as a whole would no longer be recruited as officials, but as FG II contract staff.

Downgrading secretarial jobs to hit women harder

en-savoir-plus-pdfThe proposal no longer to recruit officials for secretarial and clerical tasks and replace them by contract staff affects jobs held predominantly by women.

Composition of staff by nationality: a failure of geographical balance which risks getting worse

en-savoir-plus-pdfThe Staff Regulations and the CEOS lay down an obligation to recruit staff « on the broadest possible geographical basis from among nationals of Member States of the Communities ». Statistics provided by the Commission reveal a significant imbalance.

Under the sign of social regression

en-savoir-plus-pdfThe draft proposal for amending the Staff Regulations published by the Commission aims to achieve budget savings  by cutting staff by 5% in all institutions.