No Xy Lo

 

La lettre du Syndicalisme Refondateur

 
26/05/2010 #6

xyloglossie : n.f. [pédant, humour] nom parodique donné plaisamment à la langue de bois

 
French version ÉDITO
                        
Gather together what is scattered 
 
 

 
Dear colleagues, dear friends,

Gather together what is scattered: this is an expression full of meaning, found in the recent interview of a colleague and which can perfectly apply to our trade-union initiative, to our Community method and even to our European values.

European integration aimed to bring together countries, economies and people which, although neighbours and brothers, used to kill each other. It channelled political will,  visions for the future, and the essential projects for an even closer, peaceful and beneficial union for all.

In the general turmoil, our Union is still able to gather, and assemble diverse or even discordant points of view, to highlight the general interest , to remind us of our commitment to  mutual solidarity. There is its grandeur, there is its nobility, and there is its reason to exist.

On our moderate size as a trade-union organisation, we also have as a mission, as an objective and for will to gather what is scattered. Since its creation, your U4U trade union is an open and constructive space for dialogue. U4U encourages convergences, awareness and common actions, to assemble the Trade-union movement in a process of renewal.

There is the meaning of our alignment with the USHU, aiming to become the third in size trade-union, the “Trade-unions Assembly”, which has just obtained its official recognition. It is there all the meaning of the majorities of ideas that we promote together with our colleagues of other trade unions, such as R&D, the SFE, the FFPE, and others.

It is there the meaning of our daily work, on the topics which you consider most important: SEAE, REC, precarious jobs, colleagues engaged after the reform of 2004, situation of the colleagues aged over 50 years of age, schools and social security benefits, conciliation of private and working life, etc.

It is finally by following this same logic of gathering of scattered themes that we conceive your NoXyLo, as a human, live and true link between us.

Linked in diversity, together in adversity and meeting beyond our various interests: Can we imagine an objective nobler, more enthralling or more enthusiastic for Europe, its citizens and its servants?

 

 
 

Your trade union is officially representative

 
   
For all those which follow and accompany the progress and the action of U4U this was a certainty, but now it is official: ally to the USHU within the trade-union Assembly, your U4U trade union now is officially recognised as representative.

Together with our friends of the USHU (who work in the delegations of the Commission in the countries out of Union), we have already more than 850 members (12% of the personnel of the Commission). The trade-union U4U/USHU is therefore now the third in size trade-union in the Commission.

In this way, in a year, U4U became an element impossible to circumvent in the trade-union landscape of the Commission. Is located in the middle of the trade-union majority and in the vanguard of the ideas for the defence of the personnel. This success is there thanks to our voters and to our members.

We thank also all those who, during this past year, helped this cause, our trade-union desire for renewal and our engagement to serve you.

 

 
 

Solidarity with the colleagues with precarious jobs

 
 

 
On Monday 17 May, your U4U trade union held a meeting, specifically dedicated to the problems of the staff working under a temporary contract and the precarious jobs.

After having started the dialogue with the colleagues abed over 50 and with those recruited after 2004, we also opened the file of the precarious jobs and the colleagues working under a temporary contract.

Our approach is based on three clear principles:

"at equal work equal wages";
"for every permanent employment a permanent contract / for every mission with non - determined duration a contract of undetermined duration";
"Public mission, public management"

To apply these principles, a collective effort is necessary. It has to involve all the personnel concerned and to gather the various trade-union organisations.

For our part, the U4U determination is adamant. We will combat the fragmentation of the personnel of the Community Institutions. Fragmentation encourages the division, reduces the independence and the strength of the institution, and makes increasingly difficult the defence of the collective interest.

 

 
  "Shipwrecked of the reform": specific proposals  
   
As we promised, U4U opened again the file of the shipwrecked of the reform, whose conditions of recruitment were considerably diminished at the time of the Kinnock reform. Our organisation moreover proposed that all the Trade unions and in particular those of the majority, should open again this file.

The aims of U4U, in the current context, are to reunify the personnel, deeply divided since 2004, in order to face the deadlines of the next reform, in 2012.

To this end, it seems to us important to find solutions, in order to improve the conditions of employment of these colleagues.

The U4U representatives propose in particular revising the conditions of access to certification, by withdrawing the 3-year rule of experience for the AST 5, in order to encourage the access to certification for the “shipwrecked colleagues” recruited at the AST level.

Our organisation also proposes to open a negotiation aiming to accelerate the "shipwrecked” colleagues' aiming to bypass the obstacles arising from the known past judgments of the Court of Justice.

One more time, U4U wishes this file to be reopened quickly, in order to unify the claims of the staff, in order to defend the European Public Service, in the perspective of the next reform announced for 2012.

 

 
 

U4U/ENA training for the open competitions:  A great success

 
   
The two trainings organised in partnership between U4U and the National Administration School were a great success.

Your trade union prepares a partnership agreement with the ENA, in order to help you to prepare the next EPSO competition series (linguist competitions, specialist competitions, AST competitions).

These trainings will be opened to our members. Obviously, we will keep you informed for the next training.

 

 
  Reminder: new competitions  
 

  
EPSO published the following open competitions, for the nationals of the UE27:

• AD5 administrators: EPSO/AD/178/10 (Librarians/Information sciences) and EPSO/AD/179/10 (Audiovisual sector)

• AD7 administrators: EPSO/AD/180/10 (Safety of the information systems (INFOSEC))

• AD8 administrators: EPSO/AD/181/10 - Competition law, and EPSO/AD/182/10 – Economics of the industry

Deadline for the electronic registration: 28.05.2010 in 12.00 h (midday), Brussels time.

 

 
  Selections for staff under contract "CAST"  
 

  
We remind you that registrations are opened for the selections of contract staff "CAST" in the following fields:

• Child specialist/Nursery nurse (GF II)

• Teacher/Teacher in nursery (GF II)

• SECRETARY (GF II)

• Financial manager (GF II)

• Financial assistant (GF III)

The on-line registration deadline is fixed at 14/06/2010, at 12.00 h (midday), Brussels time.

 

 
  New series of EPSO competitions  
 


EPSO is ready to publish a series of competitions for translators, at AD 5 level, for Danish (41 persons), German (33 persons), English (41 persons), French (33 persons) and Slovenian (44 persons).

EPSO also publishes a series of competitions for Bulgarian, English, Netherlands, Rumanian and Slovenian language interpreters, at level AD 5 or AD 7 for 98 persons.

Lastly, EPSO will finally organise a series of linguist lawyer competitions for Danish (10 persons), German (8 persons), English (18 persons), Lithuanian (11 persons), Netherlands (11 persons) and Rumanian language (12 persons), of level AD 7 for the Court, Parliament and the Council.

These competitions will be organised according to new EPSO model.

 

 
 

AD5 general competition: some figures

 
   
For information, 51,671 candidates are registered in the first major competition launched since the last years. More than 16% of the candidates are of Italian nationality and more than 12% are Romanian. More than 85% of the candidates are less than 40 years old. 53.5% are men and 46.5% are women.

  

 
 

Draft budget 2011: lack of ambition and contradictions

 
 

  
T
he Commissioner to the budget, Janusz Lewandowski, presented, on 27 April, to the EP Committee on Budgets, the draft budget 2011, prepared by the Commission.

After having recognised the talents of the Commissioner as a "magician", Members of Parliament were disappointed and anxious of the great lack of means to implement strategic priorities of the EU 2020, and the tasks which are given now to the Union after the adoption of the Lisbon Treaty.

The Parliament underlined the lack of ambition and the contradictions of the draft budget 2011, In particular, it pointed out that the choice of budgetary "neutrality" for the expenditure of the external action was in contradiction with the ambitions posted for the new SEAE.

Lack of financial resources, lack of is new resources, with "zero additional posts” for the Commission. U4U shares the EP diagnosis and worries about this tendency, strengthened by the crisis, to the return of national selfishness, to the detriment of the necessary dynamism of the common interest.

 

 
  The Community method in order to manage better the crisis  
 
9 May 2010 will perhaps be in a few years an important date of the European integration. Indeed, it is this day that the Heads of State and Government decided to set up a European Monetary Fund in order to protect the financial stability of Europe against the attacks of the financial markets.

In this context, the Commission was entrusted the management of a fund of 60 billion Euros. The 16 members of the euro area will also be able to guarantee loans contacted by the more fragile countries up to 440 billion Euros and the IMF contributes a share of 250 billion Euros.

The current crisis showed that the intergovernmental solutions do not function and that only the Community method can manage crises of such magnitude. One has also to note that the Commission returns to the centre of the play to bring its human resources. One can only be delighted for our institution and for the Community officials.

These measures are correct, but they remain modest. One must go even further, by creating for example a European agency of the Treasury or making it possible for the Commission to manage not only the 60 billion euros but also the remaining 440!

 

 
 

Together against the European defeatism!

 
 

 
Facing the cracks which are done in the European model and the attacks which risk to develop against the personnel of the Community Institutions, we plead to federate all available resources in order to defend our values and our convictions and to give them to opportunity to be taken up again and strengthened by the new generations.

We must act today in order to ensure the future of Europe, the interests of the citizens and the interests of the personnel.

This is why we must intervene for each file, who could directly or potentially convey a setback for the construction of the European Union, in order to defend these values and these convictions.

This is what we did and we will continue to do, for files like the SEAE, the competitions and selections organised by EPSO, for the colleagues recruited after 2004, for the no permanent officials, the REC, the colleagues over 50 years of age, or the European Schools.

In these various fields, we want to ensure the broadest regroupings without leaving behind what for us constitutes the heart of our engagement.

Our ideas are presented in our two publications:  “NoXyLo”  and  “The Link ».

The publication “GRASPE” existed before the creation of the U4U and presents a current of thought which underlies our trade-union actions.

Lastly, a new publication will appear on the European Schools. The latter concentrates on the importance of European education carried by the original, relevant and effective model that the European schools constitute.

 

 
 

EUROCONTROL applies “the method”

 
 

  
EUROCONTROL'S Member States gave their agreement on an adjustment of 3.7% of the remunerations, starting on 1 July 2009, in accordance with the annual adaptation method.

They clearly indicated their wish to re-examine "the method " as soon as possible.

  

 
  Promotion period  
 

 
The promotion Committees started their work. The Promotion Points are introduced into Sysper, as from 12 May 2010. We recommend to be attentive to the dead lines for the introduction of a “recours”.

It seems that at least one DG did not placed the colleagues "End of career" (AD or AST) in a group of merit. If you are in this case, do not hesitate with contact us, we will advise you.

The promotion AD Committee carried out the usual statistical checks. One could note that the number of colleagues placed in the group of merit III fell by 50% to be established at 0.4%. The number of exemptions from the percentages envisaged in the DGE remains on a relatively low level.

The rotation rate between the groups of merit is approximately 35%. This is the implementation of the M. Kallas “guarantees” and allows the system to “breath”, but in the same time the exercise of evaluation becomes meaningless.

One can simply regret the systematic lowering of the promotion points after each promotion, which becomes systematic. This approach seems contrary to a genuine evaluation of the merit and U4U pleads for a system disconnecting the evaluation and of the questions of promotion.

Obviously, statistics do not reflect the individual problems and U4U will welcome all your requests.

   

 
  Affyliatys  
 

 
U4U negotiated a new advantage for its members. They will be affiliated to Affyliatis, without paying any fee and will be able to benefit from a whole series of advantages. U4U will pay the contribution of its members to Affyliatys.

Ask us to affiliate you and go on web Affyliatis to see the advantages.

 

 
  Conciliation between the College and the trade unions on the revision of the Staff Regulations for the creation of the external Service: the main results  
 


Trade unions obtained from the Commission that she will be consulted on the evaluation of the Heads of delegation, because they are in charge of tasks for the Commission.

Regarding the global transfer of the posts, we obtained that all the colleagues are transferred only after having been heard. This obligation took the form of a statement which engages the Commission and the VP politically.

On the percentage of jobs reserved for the colleagues in the framework of the ES, the Commission will preserve a right of control of the nominations and of the percentage of its officials occupying managerial posts.

On the right to the return in the institution of origin, by having the possibility to postulate as an intern, DG HR will ensure a follow-up,  in order to determine the difficult cases. In order to preserve the strongest possible links with the Commission, the ES will have a common Staff Committee and a common Disciplinary board with the Commission; This is important in order to defend the personnel, without dividing it.

On the rotation of the AC from the delegations towards Brussels, the provision is maintained, but these colleagues will be able to remain only 4 years and will be posted in a DG of the RELEX family.

The temporary staff of the external service will be able to benefit from renewable 4 year contracts. They never become contracts for an indefinite period and will be not accepted to the internal competitions of the Commission. U4U would have preferred, like the members of the European Parliament, that the temporary staff could benefit from CDI after the 2nd renewal, but the Commission, in view of the position of the Member States, rejected this proposal and also the proposal limiting the presence of the temporary staff coming from the Member States to eight years.

Lastly, the amendment of the statute establishes a legal basis to improve the social situation of the colleagues, in particular the most disadvantaged ones. This text is less than the original hopes of the OSP, but the Commission is open discussion concerning its implementation.

A leaflet coming from the trade-union majority will be circulated soon on this question.

 

 
  Already 7,689 readers  
 

 
... of our revue GRASPE n°15

At the Synopsis:  :

  • Editorial : Parlez-moi d'Europe ou Si l'Europe m'avait été contée…
  • Oser L’Europe après Lisbonne
  • Discrimination against the over fifties in DG INFSO
  • European External Action Service
  • La république Tchèque est-elle soluble dans l’Union Européenne ?
  • Écoles Européennes : une lettre de la Commission
  • Multiplier les écoles européennes à Bruxelles: deux conditions à remplir pour ne pas se contenter d'en rêver

and you?

The Think tank on the Future of the European public Service (GRASPE), which strongly involves the U4U members, reflects on the position of the European Public Service, its role, its missions, its modernisation. It takes part in the discussion on the reform, and reflects on the position of international trade unionism in the European construction and integration.

 

 
  Who said that French is difficult?  
 

 
FR: D'une heure cinquante-huit à deux heures deux

EN: From two to two to two two

  

FR: Trois sorcières regardent trois montres Swatch. Quelle sorcière regarde quelle montre Swatch?

EN: Three witches watch three Swatch watches. Which witch watches which Swatch watch?

  

And now for the specialists…

FR: Trois sorcières suédoises et transsexuelles regardent les boutons de trois montres Swatch suisses. Quelle sorcière suédoise transsexuelle regarde quel bouton de quelle montre Swatch suisse?

EN : Three Swedish switched witches watch three Swiss Swatch watch switches. Which Swedish switched witch watched which Swiss Swatch watch switch?


  

 
 

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Editeur: G. Vlandas  Responsable de la rédaction: R. Mohedano-Brèthes  Équipe: J.-P. Soyer, F. Andreone, F. Linton, J.L. Noir, N. Pascall, S. Vlandas

 

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