>> 4 December 2007
FLEXIBLE WORKING: INITIAL REPORT 2007

The new flexible working guide was adopted in December 2006, and has applied to all services since 1 April 2007. and the trade unions of the Alliance are keeping a watchful eye on the implementation of this key measure of their electoral programme, which aims to achieve a better work-life balance for thousands of colleagues. Six months after it was introduced, two things are clear: on the one hand, the measure is greatly appreciated by colleagues, and, on the other, notwithstanding certain problems that cropped up while the new system was being introduced, attitudes are slowly changing.

For more information:

Flyer

>> 4 December 2007
FUTURE OF EUROPEAN SCHOOLS : 7th DECEMBRE 2007

No effort would have spared to put the European Schools on top of the political agenda of the Commission.  The challenge of this conference of December 7th is of importance since it aims at creating the necessary platform to ensure a sustainable development for quality European education open to all.
therefore invites you to participate actively in this crucial debate for the future of our children and for the future of the European model of society we would like to see. The Director General of DG ADMIN has already contacted DGs and services to request that they show flexibility and make efforts to allow staff to take part.

For more information:

Program

>> 7 November 2007
ATTESTATION – FIRST REPORT 2007

Following the relative failure of the attestation procedure in the 2005 exercise, and the trade unions of the Alliance have renegotiated the selection procedure, and established 300 attestations (a guaranteed minimum and with no upper limit) with the DG ADMIN so as to enable AST/C and AST/D colleagues to pursue their careers up to AST 11 with no limits. With the DG ADMIN having given an undertaking to do this, a first report was drawn up on 7 November 2007 with a view to learning the consequences of the new procedure. is announcing the first lessons and its initial issues for consideration based on figures available on 26 October.

For more information:

Flyer

>> 10 October 2007
SHIPWRECKED BY THE REFORM: THE APPEAL HAS BEEN LAUNCHED
TOGETHER WE SUPPORT THE CENTENO GROUP!!!

Following the negative decision of the Court of First Instance on the case CENTENO-MEDIAVILLA vs the Commission (Case T58/05) on the 11 July 2007, the meetings organised by and the full support received from colleagues, the CENTENO Group decided to launch an Appeal in the Court of Justice. This is our unique chance to overturn the judgement of the CoFI and to receive equal treatment for all those recruited after 1 May 2004.

For more information:

Flyer

>> 5 October 2007
RELEX : local Agents Pensions
18 YEARS ON DRAWING UP THE TERMS OF REFERENCE!

Some of you will remember – and rightly so, after a worldwide strike in 1996 – spending 18 years drawing up the terms of reference with a view to establishing a savings account for Local Agents (LAs). We now learn from the UK press that Lord Kinnock – the father of the reform – is to qualify for an annual pension of something between € 60,000 and € 90,000 when he reaches 65, and that he will receive a golden handshake of € 400,000 after just ten years’ ‘service’ at the Commission. and the FFPE feel there is a need to re-establish social justice. We must also take the matter a stage further: in order to guarantee all LAs a decent pension, the Commission must credit the European pension fund with the money that it does not pay into national schemes.

For more information:

Flyer

Flyer

>> 18 September 2007
SHIPWRECKED BY THE REFORM
THE FIGHT WILL GO ON: TIME TO SHOW YOUR SUPPORT

and the CENTENO group have decided to introduce an appeal to the Court
An information meeting will take place on:
18 SEPTEMBER 2007 LOI 80 – CCP room – 14.00-15.30

M. IANNIELLO – President of – Me VANDERSANDEN and Me LOUIS will be there to respond to all your queries.

For more information:

Flyer

>> 1 September 2007
SHIPWRECKED BY THE REFORM:
THE FIGHT WILL GO ON IF YOU SHOW YOUR SUPPORT

Following the recent rejection of the case CENTENO-MEDIAVILLA ‘v’ The Commission (Case T58/05), by the Court of First Instance on 11 July 2007, a decision should be taken on whether or not the fight should go on for rightful and non-discriminatory grading on recruitment. is launching this unprecedented call to all colleagues in all institutions in order to support the CENTENO group to appeal against this decision. This is our only chance to overturn it and get a fair treatment for all those recruited after 1st May 2004.

For more information:

Flyer

>> 26 July 2007
CASUALTIES OF THE REFORM RECRUTED SINCE 1 MAY 2004:
WIDESPREAD DISENCHANTMENT

Following both the historic action carried out by a group of colleagues and supported by against the Kinnock reform, and the new recruitment conditions in force since 1 May 2004, the Court of First Instance (CFI) finally delivered its judgement in the CENTENO MEDIAVILLA case (Case T-58/05) on 11 July 2007. The judgement is unfavourable, although the Court of First Instance did order the Commission to pay half the costs. In response to this injustice, has decided to help those colleagues who were brave enough to instigate these proceedings, and to carry on fighting the battle at both a political and legal level.

For more information:

Flyer

>> 25 July 2007
END-OF-COMMISSION PARACHUTAGES:
THE SEASON HAS OPENED

The parachutages season has opened. It usually starts in the summer when officials go off on holiday to avoid the turbulence. The Alliance regrets to say that, despite deafening announcements in support of transparency and clarity, the bad, old habits quickly gained the upper hand. The moment was particularly well ‘chosen’ given that just as hundreds of colleagues were being recruited to lower grades, certain advocates of the reform were leaping up two grades at a time with the greatest of ease…

For more information:

Flyer

>> 23 July 2007
RELEX: Local Agents’ salary revision mechanism
GETTING THE FACTS STRAIGHT
Judging by some flyers which have been circulated, and the FFPE must have upset certain other trade unions by demanding that local staff in Commission Delegations should get a fair salary revision mechanism and a proper pension. How could one possibly tolerate a couple of trade unions bothering Mr Landaburu with a matter as trivial as local staff pension and salaries? Would it not be better to trust those who successfully negotiated (sic) the new Statute and the old salary method which has cost local staff 5% per year since 2001?

For more information:

Flyer

>> 16 July 2007
R&D Help Desk Promotion
Tel: 61005 – Email: REP PERS OSP R&D REC-CDR

is setting up a Help Desk as of 19th July 2007 date of the publication of the 2007 merit lists on the Intranet, and the subsequent deadline for filing appeals with the Promotion Committee.

• templates for appeal.
• template for appeal “à titre conservatoire”

For more information:

Flyer

>> 10 July 2007
The Court of First Instance has issued its decision in the CENTENO MEDIAVILLA case.

Dear colleagues,

The Court of First Instance has issued its decision in the CENTENO MEDIAVILLA case. Taking into account the impact of this Court case on all colleagues recruited after 1st May 2004, passages de catégories, etc, will organise an information meeting together with Me Louis in order to analyse the judgment, its consequences for all the cases introduced by , and others, and define the appropriate follow up. The meeting will take place on

13th JULY 2007 11.30 – 13.00
Grande salle du CCP – LOI 80 – 2nd floor

Best regards
Political Secretariat

>> 3 July 2007
Priority Points 2007
Appeal to the Promotion Committee
Once again it is the season of the attribution of priority points by the Directors General. The colleagues in the Joint Evaluation Committees who also defended your interest with regard to appeals against CDR reports, are about to examine the proposals of your DG. Over the next couple of weeks, the Central Staff Committee is organising a meeting for your DG’s staff in order to get in touch with the staff representatives in charge of your DG.

For more information:

Flyer

>> 3 July 2007
Abolition of CDR
New evaluation and promotion system to be introduced in 2008
What the different proposals say

Following the ‘Let’s simplify’ initiative by Commissioner Kallas last year, and his promise to introduce a new, simple and transparent staff appraisal system, and the Alliance Trade Unions in October 2006 took the initiative and submitted a fully fledged proposal for a new system to replace the cumbersome and despised CDR that over the past five years had rendered the life of many colleagues so difficult. More than six months later, the administration started to test three different options, among them (‘option 2’ on the ADMIN website) the /Alliance proposal. Our proposal fulfils all of Mr. Kallas’ requirements – by its simplicity and transparency

For more information:

Flyer

>> 25 June 2007
SECRETARIAL ALLOWANCES

We have just one set of Staff Regulations, but the way they are applied varies from one Institution to the next. is keen to ensure that the Regulations constitute a single document and to preserve the interests of Commission staff, and is urging the Commission to adopt practices in other Institutions as a model and apply the Staff Regulations in the most favourable manner possible so as to avoid discrimination. A very large number of colleagues are affected by secretarial allowances, and has gone onto the attack.

For more information:

Flyer

>> 31 May 2007
CDR – Could the nightmare be coming to an end?
A new appraisal/promotion/career system starting in 2008

and the CDR: a long drawn-out battle.
Ever since the CDR was introduced in 2003, has unceasingly drawn attention to its shortcomings – the fact that it is completely unsuited to our Institution and the damage that has been caused as a result of its application.

For more information:

Flyer

>> 15 May 2007
RELEX
Salary adaptation method
LOCAL AGENTS

and the FFPE have called for a formal technical consultation with staff representatives with a view to negotiating a key feature of the system for adapting the salaries of Local Agents (LAs). This involves taking pension contributions into account – the old method caused LAs to be heavily penalised as far as salary adaptation is concerned since 2001.

>> 24 April 2007

Calculate the promotion chances: R&D has developped a promotion calculator which gives an indication about the chances over time for your next promotion. Of course the result in only indicative because each DG follows its own promotion strategy.

calculator

>> 13 February 2007
2007 PROMOTION THRESHOLDS
PREVISIONS

The first estimates of the promotion thresholds are currently being circulated round the Services. These thresholds are PROVISIONAL and will be fixed definitively by the promotion Committees during October 2007. In order to prepare yourself for the 2007 promotion exercise, remains at your disposal to give you useful tips to prepare the current evaluation/promotion exercise. Beware, this year the average will increase by 0.4 point to become 14.65. However, it is more than likely that the actual averages in each grade will stabilise at around 15.6 out of 20.

For more information:

Promotion tresholds

>> 15 January 2007
Communicate better to live in harmony together and understand each other better

From 25 January 2007, in collaboration with the Tribune de Bruxelles, R&D will distribute a free weekly supplement every Thursday to all Commission staff.

For more information:

Tribune de Bruxelles