Representations

R&D, the Trade Union who 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 continued its dialogue with DG COMM, we have been in contact with many of you during these last years, with new working modalities, wherever your place of employment is.

On a collective point of view, R&D developed an in-depth dialogue with DG COMM and particularly the General Director and the Business Correspondant’s team during this mandate 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 doesn’t stop increasing with less and less staff and extra/atypical working hours are too often not compensated, which is not sustainable on a long-term perspective. Rep staff also has the right to disconnect, stand by duty cannot justify the non-respect of this principle and 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 headquaters 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 competitions and EPSO competitions : this action is continuous, and you will have the opportunity to follow very soon new trainings 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 giving support when conflictual situation could arise. 

And many of you could have free access to the unvaluable consultations of our R&D lawyer, Me Orlandi.

R&D is certainly the only trade union which took so much attention to the Reps. We have been visiting working places during all the mandate and not only just before the elections of the Local Staff Committee.

R&D has on its list 4 candidates working in DG COMM or having a strong experience in DG COMM and representing all the categories of Staff (official, contract agent and local agent).

  • Two candidates are working in Reps:
    • Andrea Meszaros (Budapest plus an experience in DG COMM HQ),
    • Joaquim Montero Rey (Madrid)
  • One candidate is working in DG COMM in the headquarters: Eva Krzemien
  • One candidate is a former head of regional rep (France) and former press officer in the Rep in Paris: Blandine Pellistrandi.

Thus, we have a real knowledge and insight of the specific issues facing colleagues at the Reps. We have been able to get 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.

R&D requests

  • rebalancing the workload and adapting the resources in the performances;
  • involving staff in the event of a reorganisation of a representation;
  • restoring real equity on financial terms;
  • providing career opportunities for CAs.