Pension contribution rate 2014
The 2014 pension contribution rate has
been published
The new rate is 10,1%, less than the rate actually in force
(10,3%).
As this pension contribution is deducted from our base salary, it means
that our net salary will increase slightly.
It will be applied retroactively from the month of July 2014 and we
should recover the 5 x 0,2% overpaid contribution in our December 2014 salary
slip.
This will come on top of the net effect of the 2011-2012-2013 pension
contribution rate changes that we announced in an earlier
message:
- the 2011 contribution rate decreases
from 11,6% to 11,0%
- the 2012 contribution rate decreases
from 10,6% to 10,0%
- the 2013 contribution rate increases from
10,3% to 10,9%
As a reminder, we will also recover the +0,3% correction coefficient increase
backdated to July 2014
Election of the new Local Staff Committee 2015-2018
Latest news on the Correction Coefficient
The final value of the Varese 2014 Correction Coefficient can be
disclosed!
It will increase from 92.8% to 93.1%.
This is a very small increase, but we are better off than our colleagues
that fall upon the Rome CC which fall from 104.4 % to 100.4%.
Similarly, the coefficient for the Italian pensioners decreases from
97.9% to 94.5% (however, for the pensioners a lower limit of 100% applies).
The Varese CC didn’t decrease thanks to the revision of a past price
survey that turned more favourable to us.
The +0,3% adjustment will be applied retroactively to our salaries since
July 2014 and will be paid with our December salary slip.
This will come on top of the pension contribution rate adjustment
(see
link to our website), also to be paid in December.
Finally, the General Court of the European Union will deliver its
sentence on our appeal against the 2010 Varese Correction Coefficient next week
the11th.
Unhappy with your bank...? R&D may help you!
Until 18th December FINECO, in addition to the advantages already available to all Ispra-based colleagues (zero monthly costs for current accounts) and to their public time-limited campaign (50€ to new customers who open a new bank account and credit their salary), is offering R&D members an exclusive additional advantage: a gift box "Un dolce risveglio" for 2 persons.
Changing bank account, thereby getting better service and conditions, is easier than you may imagine: FINECO representatives are available every Wednesday from 16.00 to 17.30 at the main entrance building (room 105, first floor). Alternatively, you may contact our secretariat to receive more information and arrange an appointment to know more about what's on offer.
If you haven't done so already, why not pass by our secretariat and collect your R&D membership card in order to fully benefit from all the advantages dedicated to you. And more are coming soon…!
Click here to find more details
Post-2004 10 years after...
It would be unfair to deny the harmful effects of the 2004 reform on colleagues recruited after 2004 as the Commission is doing, or even
worse to exploit their expectations for the benefit of cabinet members like it
has happened during the recent scandalous internal competitions!
What does
the famous Article 6 say?
The former Staff Regulations provided
for the drafting by the Commission of an annual report to ensure "the
equivalence between the average career progression in the career structure in
force before 1 May 2004 and progression of the average career in the career
structure in force after 1 May 2004".
The latest version of this report, which presents a comparison of two completely closed career structures, concluded that "administrators with experience tend to earn less, while secretaries / clerks earn quite more."
The latest version of this report, which presents a comparison of two completely closed career structures, concluded that "administrators with experience tend to earn less, while secretaries / clerks earn quite more."
The comparison was made from the career of officials
who retired before 1 May 2004 and those who were recruited after 1 May 2004: in
other words, it compares two populations who have never met.
Staff regulations in force from 1 January 2014 actually do not mention this report anymore. Anyway a new version of the report would show
nothing new compared to the previous report, except that blocking AD and AST
careers (supported by a union claiming to defend post-2004 staff and
imposed as part of the 2014 Reform) will instead penalize the same post-2004 staff and
make the equivalence of careers even more illusory.
Under these conditions, it was therefore too easy for DG HR to confirm
its analysis and deny the obvious problems of our post-2004 colleagues which R&D, for its part, has always denounced.
Why do post-2004 colleagues rightly feel that their career is not
equivalent to that of colleagues recruited before 1 May 2004?
The reason is simple: we compare our careers with the
ones of those who were recruited before 1 May 2004 and are still working. This
comparison is totally absent in the abovementioned report.
R&D can, however, provide hereafter an answer to all colleagues who do not understand the refusal of DG HR to recognize a difference between the two career structures, which seems indisputable.
R&D can, however, provide hereafter an answer to all colleagues who do not understand the refusal of DG HR to recognize a difference between the two career structures, which seems indisputable.
On which basis did R&D compare
the two career structures?
R&D has chosen two indicators to compare the career
structures of PRE and POST-2004.
- What is the current grade, after 10 years of career,
of colleagues recruited between 1 May 2003 and 30 April 2004 (PRE-2004) and
colleagues recruited between 1 May 2004 and 30 April 2005 (POST-2004)?
- What is the current grade of colleagues between 40 and
43 years old, recruited before 1 May 2004 (PRE-2004), and recruited after 1 May
2004 (POST-2004)?
These indicators are not intended to estimate, as did
the Commission, the difference, down to the euro, between typical average
careers yet largely hypothetical.
These indicators allow, on the other hand, to
evaluate on an actual basis, firstly, the career difference between
populations recruited one year apart (before and after the reform) and,
secondly, the career difference, at a particular age, between populations
recruited under two different Staff regulations.
And the results are quite different from those
obtained in the Commission's report!
Current grade, after 10 years of career, of colleagues recruited between 1 May 2003 and 30 April 2004 (PRE-2004) and colleagues recruited between 1 May 2004 and 30 April 2005 (POST-2004)
Current grade of colleagues between 40 and 43 years old, recruited before 1 May 2004 (PRE-2004), and recruited after 1 May 2004 (POST-2004)
In keeping with its policy, R&D conducted and will keep on conducting comprehensive
analyses and proposing legally founded initiatives.
R&D is not only interested in one single issue - the career of a minority - but is involved in all aspects of professional life of ALL staff: career, evaluation, promotion, pensions, statutory rights, working conditions at the office and any other aspect relevant to our professional life.
R&D is not only interested in one single issue - the career of a minority - but is involved in all aspects of professional life of ALL staff: career, evaluation, promotion, pensions, statutory rights, working conditions at the office and any other aspect relevant to our professional life.
R&D welcomes the commitments made by President Juncker, putting fairness at the heart of his action and showing the desire for a more inclusive staff policy as expressed by Vice-President Georgieva, which will be permitted by the resources freed by many upcoming retirements.
At the same time, following the same principles that have always driven its action, R&D will always keep on defending the post-2004 colleagues in all contexts.
Independent Scientific Advice for policy support
After
our recent messages to Mr Juncker concerning the repositioning of the JRC, many
of you were asking us why we mentioned in that context the uncertain overlapping
roles of the Chief Scientific Adviser and the JRC.
You may
have already heard last week that Mr Juncker has finally decided to suppress
the function of the Chief Scientific Adviser.
Following
this development on Friday we wrote to him again explaining how this decision
offers a great opportunity to clearly put the JRC at the very heart of independent
scientific advice within the Commission.
****
Ispra, 14th November 2014
Subject: Independent Scientific Advice for policy support
Dear Mr Juncker,
In our last letter sent to you on 2nd October, we questioned the unclear overlapping of the roles of the Chief Scientific Adviser and the Joint Research Centre. In your reply you informed us that a discussion about the CSA position was still ongoing, and you reassured us about the continued key role of the JRC in scientific policy advice.
Yesterday we learned from press reports of your decision to suppress the function of the EU Chief Scientific Adviser. Having already appreciated the clarity of your reply to our previous communication regarding the JRC repositioning in the new Commission, we now welcome this development which provides an unambiguous answer to our last question.
We support your reported trust in independent scientific advice. However, it appears that you have not yet decided how to “institutionalise” this function.
As the Commission's in-house science service, the Joint Research Centre's mission is to provide EU policies with independent, evidence-based scientific and technical support to our fellow DGs throughout the whole policy cycle. This makes the JRC the de facto scientific adviser, already present within the Commission.
Currently this already existing institutional solution is not fully exploited. Your recent decision leaves space to a new possibility in which the JRC could see its central role in the policy making process reinforced by creating a formal link with the newly established European Political Strategy Centre (EPSC).
We are confident that you will take our consideration into account and we would welcome any comments you may have.
In our last letter sent to you on 2nd October, we questioned the unclear overlapping of the roles of the Chief Scientific Adviser and the Joint Research Centre. In your reply you informed us that a discussion about the CSA position was still ongoing, and you reassured us about the continued key role of the JRC in scientific policy advice.
Yesterday we learned from press reports of your decision to suppress the function of the EU Chief Scientific Adviser. Having already appreciated the clarity of your reply to our previous communication regarding the JRC repositioning in the new Commission, we now welcome this development which provides an unambiguous answer to our last question.
We support your reported trust in independent scientific advice. However, it appears that you have not yet decided how to “institutionalise” this function.
As the Commission's in-house science service, the Joint Research Centre's mission is to provide EU policies with independent, evidence-based scientific and technical support to our fellow DGs throughout the whole policy cycle. This makes the JRC the de facto scientific adviser, already present within the Commission.
Currently this already existing institutional solution is not fully exploited. Your recent decision leaves space to a new possibility in which the JRC could see its central role in the policy making process reinforced by creating a formal link with the newly established European Political Strategy Centre (EPSC).
We are confident that you will take our consideration into account and we would welcome any comments you may have.
Click here for the original letter
Click here for the earlier messages
Click here for the answer to this letter
********
Additionally, you can get our Press Review alerts by subscribing to our dedicated mailing list: be always informed about press articles which are relevant for the JRC!
Click here for the earlier messages
Click here for the answer to this letter
********
In a continued effort to reduce spam, we are going to change the way we address our messages to staff. If you haven't done it yet, please subscribe to our new dedicated mailing list. You can easily unsubscribe anytime, if you wish so!
Juncker scraps chief scientific adviser post
...
Juncker emphasised the need to “make sure that Commission proposals and activities are based on sound scientific evidence”. And he changed the reporting lines of another scientific unit, the Joint Research Centre, so it works with the education rather than research commissioner. As recently as last week, a spokeswoman for Juncker told Science|Business that the President “values independent scientific advice;” but she declined to comment how and where the new administration will get it."
Read the full article (Source: Science|Business)
R&D: discounted insurance policy with UnipolSai Assicurazioni
We have agreed special conditions for car insurance policies with UnipolSai.
Thanks
to this agreement, for the first time ever your full driving history with your current foreign company can
be taken into consideration!
Additionally, up to 15%
discount is offered to all our members.
More advantages are also available
for house insurance, personal injury cover, health cover and pet insurance cover.
Compare your current insurance policy with UnipolSai offer, it's free and it can be done through our secretariat.
Contact us at 9645 or by e-mail: JRC-RD-ISPRA@ec.europa.eu
to find out how to receive an individual offer by the area insurance advisor available on the Ispra site every Monday afternoon by appointment or can be contacted by phone every day!
to find out how to receive an individual offer by the area insurance advisor available on the Ispra site every Monday afternoon by appointment or can be contacted by phone every day!
Pension contribution rate: end of litigation
The 2011 pension contribution rate should have been decreased too, but
remained frozen so far as a decision was pending at the Court of Justice.
Last Friday, the Commission and the Member States representatives found
a political agreement that solves this last pending litigation between the
Council and the Commission, and avoids any potential risk of an unfavourable
Court judgment.
It also integrates new changes to the 2012 and 2013 pension contribution
rates, caused by the 0,8% salary adaptation for 2012 applied earlier this year.
In summary:
- the 2011 contribution rate will decrease from 11,6 % to 11,0 %
- the 2012 contribution rate will decrease from 10,6 % to 10,0 %
- the 2013 contribution rate will increase from 10,3 % to 10,9 %
The Council should approve the decision later this week and the changes would
then be retroactively applied on the December salary slip.
Staff recruited before July 2011 will receive money back (0,6 % gross x
12 months); staff recruited after July 2013 will have to pay money back.
The 2014 contribution rate is still under discussion and no information
can be disclosed at present.
As usual, we will keep you informed on any future update.
Certification exercise: common sense is back again!
With a message sent on 8th October, R&D denounced the chaos with the organisation of the certification exercise and the lack of coordination from DG HR (2014 certification exercise: does DG HR still talk to.... DG HR?)
The deadline
was set at 23:59 on 31st October 2014 - only a few days before the
publication of the promotion list - therefore excluding all colleagues who will
be officially promoted in grade AST5 around 8th November, with retroactive
effect to 1 January 2014.
R&D immediately
asked DG HR to postpone the deadline for the application so as to allow all
eligible colleagues to participate.
R&D is happy to see that our request – that is
also a request coming from the DGs – has been accepted and that the deadline has
now been set to 18 November at 23:59, and hence after the publication of
promotions for the exercise 2014.
Promotion 2014: who won the lottery?
In the last years the promotion exercise has gradually shifted from an administrative
procedure worthy of its name
to a mega lottery.
In order to transform the system into a black box, it was first necessary to introduce a massive dose of unpredictability. We have been unable to find the magic formula governing the distribution of promotion quotas by grade and DG.
Just to give you an example, DG DEVCO received 25 promotions in grade AD10 for only 17 officials having passed their average permanence in the grade, while the JRC received only 8 promotions for 13 officials with an average permanence in the grade.
DG DEVCO could therefore provide 8 fast promotions, while DG JRC couldn't even match
the target foreseen by the staff regulations.
The same situation occurs randomly in
many other grades and DGs.
Because of this incomprehensible distribution, some DGs were even forced to
provide a certain number of promotions to staff with less than 2 year
seniority in the grade (!!).
The winner of this special competition is DG TAXUD: in grade AD7, DG HR
offered them 14 promotions for only 3 colleagues having reached their average
permanence in the grade.
All other candidates, even in lack of 2 year seniority in the
grade, were promoted as well...! This perverse side-effect introduced by the obscure formula applied by DG HR may be perceived as insulting by the rest of staff.
The very same magic formula has also had the effect to increase by 20% (AD) and 26% (AST) the number of appeals presented to the promotion
committees, which have not been put in the condition to give remedy to
this unequal treatment due to the lack of possibilities for promotions assigned to them.
Promotion rates and "Šefčovič guarantees"
The promotion rates established in Annex IB of the Staff Regulations have not been respected in grades AD5, AD6, AST1, AST2 and AST3.
Why?
Because of the promotions provided through the famous
internal competitions, whose real purpose was repeatedly denounced by R&D (The Barroso Commission has exceeded all limits!).
Indeed, the cost of promotions of the over 50 AD temporary agents and over 20 AST temporary agents, largely coming from cabinets, was "paid" by the promotion exercise!
Additionally, Šefčovič guarantees
are not met for the 5th consecutive year in grades AST1 and AD5:
while our former Commissioner pledged that 85%
of civil servants in these grades would have been promoted in 3 years or less, reality shows that the
true percentage is only 65%.
Despite repeated
requests from R&D, DG HR has undertaken no action to enforce
the promised rates.
Conclusion
R&D is glad that President Juncker has announced plans to put fairness at the heart of political action.
That's what staff and staff representatives have always been calling for!
This should start with the introduction of corrective measures to stop this feeling of "lottery procedures" in order to return to a serious and fair management of the career development of staff.
R&D is ready to immediately start negotiations and discussions to improve the current situation.
Conclusion
R&D is glad that President Juncker has announced plans to put fairness at the heart of political action.
That's what staff and staff representatives have always been calling for!
This should start with the introduction of corrective measures to stop this feeling of "lottery procedures" in order to return to a serious and fair management of the career development of staff.
R&D is ready to immediately start negotiations and discussions to improve the current situation.
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