FR

Dear Colleagues,

First of all, we would like to thank you all for the very positive and constructive reactions we have gotten in response to the note sent by the Alliance to Commissioner Serafin concerning the measures to be adopted in response to the energy crisis (annexe).

Some of you have asked why this request was not submitted jointly. We are pleased to address this question openly.

As the Alliance -the largest staff association of the European Commission, composed by trade unions with presence in all the places of employment of the European Commission united to better defend you- we considered it necessary to present our position separately because we believe that social dialogue cannot be reduced to only one measure, which is what was announced in the request submitted by other trade unions. We are convinced that the complex issue we are dealing with, and the diversity of the staff, justifies a global and multifaceted approach in the interest of all.

While we in no way underestimate the need to introduce social measures to support colleagues on lower salaries — on the contrary, this is a need that is real and that we fully support — we also believe that it is essential to call for additional flexibility in the organisation of work for all staff, as so many of you have also requested.

This issue was entirely absent from our colleagues’ request. We therefore considered it our responsibility to raise it clearly for the sake of fairness and coherence of our possible endeavours as your representatives.

We were nevertheless pleased to see that this proposal became a central element of the discussions held in a fully united manner during the social dialogue meeting.

This only strengthens our conviction that our request is fully justified.

Indeed, with each passing day, the energy crisis is making travelling more expensive, more uncertain and more difficult — particularly air travel. This has a direct and obvious impact on our staff, most of whom are expatriates and regularly travel to see their families and loved ones in their countries of origin.

One needs only look at the announcements made by airlines concerning the cancellation of thousands of flights.

As widely reported in the press, this uncertainty has already led many citizens across Europe to reconsider their travel plans and reduce their movements.

In such circumstances, it would be unreasonable — and socially irresponsible — to continue requiring colleagues to travel every week while refusing to introduce additional flexibility in the organisation of work.

Doing so would amount to denying the seriousness of a crisis that is no longer hypothetical, but already fully under way and producing visible consequences, with the experts forecasting its effects are likely to remain for some time

It would also contradict the recommendations that the Commission is addressing to Member States in response to the crisis.

It was on this basis that, during the social dialogue meeting that we participated at on your behalf, we have presented and defended the proposals set out in our letter to Commissioner Serafin, which many of you welcomed and supported.

In particular, we reiterated:

• · our demand for the introduction, on an exceptional basis, of additional flexibility for teleworking from abroad, stressing that, under the current circumstances, it is unreasonable to continue imposing weekly air travel on expatriate colleagues in order for them to return to their place of employment, including during periods when the buildings are closed;
• · our view that, following the example of the European Parliament, office attendance should be calculated on a monthly rather than a weekly basis. This would reduce travel for commuting colleagues while preserving the same overall balance between teleworking and presence in the office — a balance that the administration itself continues to present as a priority.

While we appreciated the constructive atmosphere of the meeting, we must also state clearly that we are dissatisfied with the excessively cautious position taken by DG HR, which was plainly the result of the very limited mandate it had been given.

We are, of course, fully aware that the crisis may continue to evolve in ways that cannot yet be predicted with certainty. However, this cannot serve as a pretext for inaction. The consequences of the crisis are already here, and they are already affecting staff in very concrete terms.

Conclusion

For that reason, we once again call on Commissioner Serafin to broaden the mandate given to our colleagues in DG HR so that, within the framework of social dialogue, rapid agreement can be reached on measures concerning:

• · the introduction of the necessary flexibility, in line with the Commission’s own recommendations on limiting professional travel, both as regards teleworking away from the place of employment and the method for calculating the balance between office presence and teleworking;
• · the resources needed to implement targeted social support measures for the most vulnerable households.

We remain convinced that these are not excessive demands, but simple, practical and fair measures, fully in line with the reality of the crisis and with staff expectations.

The time has come to move from caution to responsibility, and from general statements to concrete decisions.

Cristiano SEBASTIANI – Raul TRUJILLO HERRERA

Alliance