R&D – The only trade union
with real Know How of the Reps!

Dear Colleagues,

The elections of the Local Staff Committee of Brussels have kicked off on 13 February 2025 and were initially planned to last until the 17 February 2025. Unfortunately, the necessary quorum was not reached and therefore, the electoral procedure will continue until 3 Mach 2025. The staff of representations is represented through the Brussels Local Staff Committee and therefore all statutory staff (AD, AST, AST-SCs, CAs, TAs) of the Repre­sentations, in active service on 1 December 2024 has the right to vote. The list of voters can be found in the fol­lowing link: Liste des électeurs 2024 – Publication vdefinitive.pdf.

 As a first thing, therefore, R&D asks you kindly to exercise your right to be represented and to participate mas­sively in these elections.

About R&D : the Trade Union that is really attentive and delivers to the Reps!

During the last mandate of the Local Staff Committee of Brussels, R&D has been keeping continuous attention to the situation of the Staff working far from the headquarters and particularly in the Reps.

R&D has always kept an open dialogue with DG COMM, and has always been in contact with many of you du­ring these last years, to resolve issues about the new working modalities.

On a collective point of view, R&D developed an in-depth dialogue with DG COMM and particularly the General Director and the Business Correspondent’s team and worked on:

– a sustainable workload and the right to disconnect: rebalancing the workload and adapting the means of the Reps in order to preserve human resources. The workload keeps increasing with always less staff and more extra/atypical working hours that are too often not compensated. Reps’ staff, like everyone in the Commission has the right to disconnect; the urgent last minute needs cannot justify a continuous stand-by duty, nor this can be an excuse in order not to respect the work-life balance and ultimately affect the health of the staff;

– taking care of the quality of management, particularly when there are difficult situations, very high workload, under staffing and tensions;

– a fair promotion and reclassification exercises for officials, contract agents and local agents taking into account the situation of colleagues working far from the headquarters and recognizing the high workload in a delicate political environment for EU;

– the possibility to take part to internal competitions particularly for contract agents giving them motiva­tion and opportunities for developing their skills and talents, allowing upgrading to higher function group;

– the training for all colleagues who want to take part to internal and EPSO competitions: this action is continuous; very soon new training sessions for the MCQ and the written test on EU knowledge for the new internal competitions;

– advising and supporting colleagues who are submitted to the compulsory rotation;

– the application of working time arrangements for all staff and particularly with the new working modalities (teleworking, flexitime, open spaces…), and preserving the right to disconnect,

– ensuring health and security measures in each rep,

– the wellbeing of the staff and the effective use of social credits for Reps,

– asking for a fair system to compensate the financial situation due to the level of “correction coeffi­cients” which are in many capitals too low compared to the real situation. Many colleagues are still pena­lised in their daily life (transport, renting an apartment…).

– adapting central EC rules and procedures to local circumstances (e.g. improving PMO, JSIS reimbur­sements…).

Supporting Rep staff in individual cases

Moreover, we helped many colleagues to deal with individual situations such as prolongation of contracts, re­classification, evaluation and promotion exercise and the appeal phase, reorganisation, individual rights, access to part-time, flexitime, pension scheme and also supported them when there were conflictual situation.

Last but definitely not least, several members of the Reps had access to the invaluable consultation with R&D lawyer, Me Orlandi.

R&D is indubitably the only trade union which paid so much attention to the Reps and will continue be­having in exactly the same way. R&D colleagues have been visiting working places during the last mandate and not only just before the elections of the Local Staff Committee.

R&D has on its list 4 candidates who are currently working in DG COMM or who have had a strong expe­rience in DG COMM and who are efficiently representing all Reps staff, independently of the grade.

 In particular, in the list of R&D there are two candidates who are currently working in Reps:

– Andrea Meszaros (Budapest with experience also in DG COMM HQ),

– Joaquim Montero Rey (Madrid)

– Eva Krzemien working in DG COMM in the headquarters:

– And Blandine Pellistrandi, current Secretary-General of the Central Staff Committee, has been in the past head of a regional rep (France) and press officer in the Rep in Paris

Thus, R&D has the real knowledge and insight of the specific issues faced by colleagues at the Reps and has been able to achieve tangible results.

We know that it remains a lot to do, R&D constantly fights for the rights of the colleagues and will continue to act.

Vote for R&D’s  list so that we could continue to deliver for you on all these subjects and improving the situation.

Vote List R&D N°6 : LINK
Elections open until 3/3/2025