Following an announcement on 14 May, stating that the European Schools of Brussels would remain closed until the end of the school year of 2019-2020 on 3 July, a new update was sent to parents last Friday (29 May 2020), announcing the schools partial reopening for four weeks, from 8 June until 3 July (please read our note to European School)*. Not only was the move a surprising 180º turn of events, but it also came with some issues that Generation 2004 analysed and reacted upon in a note to DG HR’s Director General, Gertrud INGESTAD.
Local Staff Committee
Closure of the CHAFEA agency in Luxembourg
Rahm Emanuel, a former White House Chief of staff, is known for his quote about crisis management:
You never want a serious crisis to go to waste. And what I mean by that [is] it’s an opportunity to do things that you think you could not before.
“Nihil de nobis, sine nobis!” at the EEAS Social Dialogue
Two rounds of social dialogue bilateral discussions between Director Francoise Collet of the European External Action Service (EEAS) and the Trade Unions (TUs) and staff associations (SAs) of the EEAS and the European Commission (EC), as well as one round with the Director General Gianmarco Di Vito (EEAS) were held through videoconference from our homes during the confinement. Continue reading “Nihil de nobis, sine nobis!” at the EEAS Social Dialogue
Positive change at the Brussels Local Staff Committee?
It seems our article on the Brussels Local Staff Committee (LSC) positive change from last month was perhaps given the wrong title. Following the latest March plenary session, we now believe a question mark is needed. The correct title would then be: Positive change at the Brussels Local Staff Committee?
We believe this is so because of the positions and actions of some trade unions during the March plenary session, held with the single point of electing a new president of the LSC Brussels and this despite the request by Generation 2004 to include other points of more relevance for staff in the agenda. Continue reading Positive change at the Brussels Local Staff Committee?
Free (public) transport in Luxembourg: should I be bothered?
*Update 09.07.2021 We now have free access to the electric city bikes (‘Vel’OH!’) via the Office for Infrastructure and Logistics in Luxembourg (OIL) (normally this costs €18 for an annual subscription). Check out whether there’s a Vel’OH! station near you!*
As you may know already: Luxembourg has been offering free public transport to everybody since 1 March 2020. Your first gut reaction may have been that this is a good thing: public transport has finally become truly public with free transport to everybody in one country. Continue reading Free (public) transport in Luxembourg: should I be bothered?
2020 Annual Leave in Delegations
On 4 December 2018 a sweeping ruling of the European Court of Justice deemed Article 6 of Annex X of the staff regulations illegal. The said article, changed at the occasion of the 2014 Staff Regulations reform, reduced the annual leave of colleagues in Delegations to bring it in line with everyone else. The ruling was made on grounds of the health and safety of staff who, most times isolated in remote corners of the world, needs extra time to travel back home and rest with their family and friends. Continue reading 2020 Annual Leave in Delegations
Luxembourg has elected a new Local Staff Committee
Luxembourg staff has voted for a new Local Staff Committee (LSC) and the results of the elections have been published. Three lists were competing for the favour of voters: Generation 2004, Union Syndicale Luxembourg (USL) and a composite list made up by 6 entities, one of which (RS) is already a grouping of trade unions and staff associations (OSPs) naming themselves “Ensemble Luxembourg” (EL). Continue reading Luxembourg has elected a new Local Staff Committee
On the functioning of the Brussels LSC
As you may know, Generation 2004 scored highest in the last Brussels local staff committee elections with 30% of votes. It was not only a big surprise to the administration, but foremost to the other trade unions. Despite the huge gain in votes and representativeness and due to preferential votes to smaller trade unions, G2004 did not obtain due number of seats in the Local Staff Committee Brussels (LSC). The new President Continue reading On the functioning of the Brussels LSC
Playing Three-card Trick with voters? And the winner is … the Alliance?
In theory, you have the choice between 3 different lists in the elections for the Local Staff Committee Luxembourg. In practice, however, the true choice will be between 2 alternatives: Generation 2004 (list 1) and the ‘old’ trade unions (list 2 and list 3) who 15 years after the 2004 reform still continue to claim extraordinary privileges for the few chosen.
At a closer look, the picture is even worse. Both lists are dominated by the Alliance (‘Confederal Alliance of Free Trade Unions’) [*] of “independent trade unions”, which mean small, at the Commission level often non-representative organisations. (NB: A trade union or staff association is considered representative if it represents at least 6% of staff at Commission level.) Since only representative organisations have access to resources for their operation, non- Continue reading Playing Three-card Trick with voters? And the winner is … the Alliance?
Unofficial minutes of the General Assembly in Luxembourg of 9 July 2019
The Local Staff Committee (LSC) Luxembourg has not yet made public the minutes of the General Assembly that took place on 9 July 2019. We would like to provide you therefore with our unofficial minutes about this Assembly and with information that you may not read from the official minutes. But first let us go back to how the story began… Continue reading Unofficial minutes of the General Assembly in Luxembourg of 9 July 2019
