Breaking news: 3.5% pay raise for EU staff

Newsletter #19 – Nov 2016, yearly salary update, z Newsletter article Print This Post

Let’s start with the good news: After several years of abstinence during the first part of this decade, EU staff is going to receive a 3.5% pay rise on their December payslip1. 1.9% of this rise is due to the indexation on general salary increases in the public services of EU Member States (based on a basket of 11 MS) and 1.4% because of inflation in Brussels/Luxembourg. The remaining 0.2% will come from a decrease in our pension contribution. The bad news is that the budget for this Continue reading Breaking news: 3.5% pay raise for EU staff →

Parking Spaces

Mobility and Climate, Newsletter #19 – Nov 2016, z Newsletter article Print This Post

You might have seen the communication from/between some trade unions about their reserved parking spaces in the building that hosts the staff representation. Generation 2004 has better things to do than waste its time in these endless disputes. However, for the record, we would like to recall that we took a very clear position more than 2 years ago on this issue: no reserved parking space for anyone1, not even staff representatives. We are against any sort of unjustified privilege and we practice what we preach. Logically G2004 does not have any reserved spaces. We take a certain pride in seeing that some unions are joining us on this position, albeit with a 2-year delay… A shame that DG HR did not respond to our demand 2 years ago.

Let’s hope that the current controversy will now lead DG HR to reconsider its position and abolish reserved parking spaces. Some of these saved parking spaces could for instance be converted into proper locker rooms and showers for the increasing number of cyclists and for colleagues, who go running or who want to work out during their lunch break. These are sorely missing, particularly in the buildings where the upper floor of the parking deck is reserved for the trade unions (spaces which according to colleagues stand mostly empty anyway…).

1) https://staging.generation2004.eu/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/G2004-Newsletter-no-5.pdf, page 4.

You are hired/fired: Recruitment trends at the Commission!

Contract Agents, Internal Competitions, Newsletter #19 – Nov 2016, Professional mobility, Staff Regulations Reform, z Newsletter article Print This Post

As can be seen from recent statistics (see table), the only category of staff that is currently still growing is the Contract Agent (CA) category. Looking at the data and comparing this growth with the recent trend in the recruitment of permanent officials (‘fonctionnaires‘), we can conclude that the Commission has begun a process of replacing permanent officials with CAs [1]. Continue reading You are hired/fired: Recruitment trends at the Commission! →

28 Officials sent to early retirement this year!

Newsletter #19 – Nov 2016, Pensions, z Newsletter article Print This Post

You may have already heard that 28 officials will benefit from article 42c of the SR this year. The 28 beneficiaries will be exempt from doing actual work or showing up at their service, while continuing to receive a comfortable allowance and increasing their pension rights up to the day they are eligible to fully retire: Continue reading 28 Officials sent to early retirement this year! →

To GIP or not to GIP – that is the question

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picOn Friday 13th May the 9th meeting was held between HR General Director Ms Souka and your staff representatives on the new text of GIP (General Implementing Procedures on Other Agents) which will replace the Commission Decision of 2011.

What’s the line to draw? Different measures have been proposed in the context of mobility, unfortunately going more into division and difference of treatment. Even in the whole big cluster of Contract Continue reading To GIP or not to GIP – that is the question →