R&D requires a genuine social dialogue for the implementation of the new allocation of programme portfolios of Executive Agencies!

Regarding the new allocation of programme portfolios of Executive Agencies, supporting guidance on the closure of one of them, the creation of a new agency as well as very deep changes in the missions of the others, with only two Executive Agencies not being affected, so many changes of such a magnitude cannot be decided in the absence of any social dialogue.

This while these measures concern hundreds of colleagues in the Agencies and Directorates-General concerned.

The genuine social dialogue requested by R&D that is deserved by the staff should not be replaced by a simple “announcement” made to the representatives of the Agencies’ Staff Committees on the same day as the official communication of the decision is released, nor, subsequently, with a simple memorandum reporting only to its broad outlines.

R&D requests to arrange immediately an in-depth negotiation with the staff representatives concerning all the details of this dossier.

R&D has always called for the establishment of a genuine social dialogue concerning the Executive Agencies…

R&D has spared no effort to set up a real social dialogue concerning executive agencies, stressing that this was all the more necessary given the precarious status of our colleagues, the limits imposed on their mobility, the despicable practices of certain managers affected by factual delusions of omnipotence which the Directors of the agencies seemed to endorse or at the very least be unable to stop.

We have therefore emphasised that our request, aiming to guarantee a flawless application of our Staff Regulations and its implementation procedures, was absolutely justified, given that the executive agencies are directly dependent on the Commission, with their managers being appointed first to posts in the parent Directorates-General and many other Commission colleagues being seconded there as well.

…a first step in the right direction: the signature of the MoU between the Directors of the Agencies and the OSPs…

It was only after constantly denouncing the untenable nature of this situation that it was finally possible to begin to overcome the resistance of many supporters of “no social dialogue”, who are very active within the agencies, and to take a first step last January with the signing of an MoU between the Directors of the Executive Agencies and the OSPs.

…and now changes on such a scale, forced mobility, recruitment procedures for hundreds of colleagues…are decided and announced with a complete absence of social dialogue!  

Whereas, for the reorganisation of a Directorate General of our institution, a prior dialogue is opened with the staff and its representatives to announce the aims, illustrate the changes envisaged and indicate the implementation schedule, it would be quite different when it comes to a major upheaval in the competences of the Executive Agencies affecting hundreds of colleagues!

Social dialogue cannot be confused with mere ex post information!

Indeed, it would be envisaged that these major changes would simply be communicated to the representatives of the Agencies’ Staff Committees … invited to the meeting without any prior information … on the same day that the final decision was announced to the staff!

Worse still, no real negotiation would be envisaged afterwards and it would be a question of merely providing the Staff Committees with a minimum amount of information and only the broad outlines.

And under these conditions, one would even dare to continue to boast about the importance of social dialogue and to claim that agency staff would not have the right to denounce the fact that they are being treated like a labour force that can be worked at will!    

R&D stands for those colleagues from the Executive Agencies and Directorates-General concerned by this delegation in demanding that this exercise is managed in the greatest transparency and full respect for a genuine social dialogue!

We would like to thank the multitude of colleagues from the Agencies and Directorates-General concerned who, at all levels, have called on us denouncing the lack of clarity in the decision-making process, with rumours of corridors going in all directions and constantly changing, about the decisions under consideration, when it is a question of deciding the professional future of hundreds of colleagues.

You underlined that you are aware that it is not possible to claim that final decisions are announced when the Commission has not yet adopted them. You are simply asking to guarantee the transparency of the decision-making process and the readability of the options envisaged by avoiding limiting oneself to announcing only the decisions adopted in fine, as if it was a question of keeping the suspense concerning the announcement of the winner of a beauty pageant.

Thank you again and again for your trust!

Thus, we fully share your request to claim the immediate establishment of a genuine social dialogue in the implementation of the new allocation of programme portfolios of executive agencies.

And this in order to ensure the transparency of the exercise, particularly with regard to the choice of the colleagues concerned, the procedures put in place in all cases ensuring respect for colleagues’ rights and the taking into account of the basic principles of our European civil service. 

For R&D three prerequisites are essential!

First, no one should be left behind and no colleague should have his or her job endangered.

Secondly, it is necessary to guarantee the continuity of contracts and the respect of acquired rights, in particular concerning pension rights for all Contractual and Temporary colleagues in the agencies who would be required to move within the framework of this exercise.

Finally, we must stop the leaks ahead of some and confirm in all cases the voluntary nature of the secondment to an executive agency of any colleague working in a Directorate-General, irrespective of his or her status.

R&D asks the Commission to instruct DG HR to organise immediately an in-depth negotiation with the staff representation on all the details of this dossier.

R&D still and always at your disposal and at your service

We are with you wholeheartedly during this time of health emergency and would like to express our solidarity towards you and your loved ones.

Many of you have already called on us, and we thank you for your trust.

R&D is available 7 days a week to answer all your questions and to provide you with the appropriate solutions as quickly as possible.

Do not hesitate to call on our help by e-mail (OSP-RD@ec.europa.eu) or over the phone : 022965797 ( + weekend), 022977742, 022994728, 022988120, 022990607.

Please do not hesitate to contact us for any request for assistance!  

Cristiano Sebastiani,

President