27/04/2015
Actions continue at the European Patent Office (EPO)
AFTER having pushed through a career reform that increased the salaries for newly recruited managers and stalls the careers of almost everybody else,
AFTER having accepted the next health reform that further weakens the position of staff who are sick or invalid, and
AFTER having confirmed the Council's "clear will to continue the policy of reforms to the benefit of users" (sic),
AFTER having accepted the next health reform that further weakens the position of staff who are sick or invalid, and
AFTER having confirmed the Council's "clear will to continue the policy of reforms to the benefit of users" (sic),
Mr Kongstad and Mr Battistelli called for a renewed social dialogue. Mr Kongstad and Battistelli "consider in particular that the formal recognition of the trade unions within the EPO’s legal framework could create the conditions to re-launch the process and to overcome some longstanding issues."
SUEPO obviously applauds the initiative to recognise a Union that represents half of the personnel of the EPO. This was indeed long overdue. However, we fail to see how Union recognition could solve any of the more urgent outstanding problems.
The next demonstration targets the Dutch consulate (see SUEPO flyer).