INTERNAL COMPETITIONS AD/AST: R&D invites you on Tuesday 4 February
R&D is preparing Art. 90 claim models to be made available to unsuccessful applicants in these competitions, but our assistance doesn't stop there! Since each case deserves special attention, we will provide you with personalised advice and an individual follow-up case by case.
Join us in the LSC meeting room (bdg.63) at 12.30 on Tuesday 4/2!
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Canteen price increase: the full story
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So, what happened?
During the meeting of the Canteen Committee that took place on 7 November 2013, staff representatives expressed their doubts concerning the proposed price increase and, considering the importance of this issue, decided that, according to a new interpretation of the rules, it was up to COPAS to take such a decision in the occasion of the meeting already scheduled for the following 25 November.OIB Proposals
i) stopping the service (considered as an "impossible" option),
ii) reducing the service by reducing staff (would lead to reduction of the level and quality of service offered),
iii) outsourcing as already is the case in Brussels and Luxembourg (which would bring only modest savings for the EC),
iv) increasing the prices (taking inflation 2010-2014 into account and to provide more staff, offering higher savings for the EC and making any outsourcing strategy unappealing)
R&D position
a) Distribute costs evenly by increasing prices not only of the canteen, but also for other sectors, including Piccola Mensa, director's dining room and coffee services for meetings and workshops;
b) Consider the phasing in of the proposed increase over a period of time;
c) Ensure that the canteen price policy and food offerings favour the consumption of healthy meals;
d) Verify the impact of the new 40 hour working week for staff employed by OIB which could potentially lead to productivity gains.
What happened at the COPAS meeting
The outcome
Unfortunately the contradictions of the LSC President, who firstly insisted on a position of no price increase, and then agreed on the full price increase at the COPAS meeting, led directly to the administration and OIB being given a free hand to implement their complete proposal.
Even worse, the fact that the LSC President soon after changed her mind and attempted to withdraw her approval, has led to the disastrous situation of a LOSS OF CREDIBILITY OF STAFF REPRESENTATION IN GENERAL. Furthermore this leads to a weakening of our negotiating power, especially in formal meetings when you are obliged to clearly explain and defend your position!At this point we want to stress that R&D is not pleased with the resultant price increases, but at the same time was and is not a priori against reasonable and well justified adjustments, and we do believe that a more favourable result could easily have been achieved! In our opinion, refusing to recognise the reality - without considering the need to protect our social services as a whole - obviously didn't help.
This doesn't mean we have to agree on everything from the start, but it's also very true that a reasonable, common sense, well-argued and firm approach always pays best. A proper dialogue with the administration is more fruitful than a policy of burying your head in the sand.
This is what staff representatives are called for: full involvement in the issues allowing the possibility of negotiating from an informed and strong position. On the other hand, changing your mind according to whom is shouting louder, with an always-NO approach and without any strategy at all, is the worst gift that a staff representative can offer to staff.
Wish to know more?
Finally, we promise to evaluate the impact of the new prices on the ongoing financial situation of the OIB and put necessary pressure on the Administration to make further adjustments if it turns out that the reality does not correspond with their forecasting.
Change of Job Type to AST/SC - note to HR Director
Also thanks to our intervention, all concerned colleagues received a message which eased some of the worries that we had expressed.
We are grateful to DG JRC for being one of the few Directorates General - if not the only one so far - which gave some information about this recent conversion.
In addition to what HR explained, we also received reassurance that it is not needed to change job in order to be able to follow the previous AST career.
In practice, the type of post of job is different from the type of post of person, without affecting career of the occupying official.
In the end, it appears as the problem originates more by the confused way in which the change is presented in Sysper2, being more a formal rather than a substantial issue.
Our R&D staff representatives will bring this issue to the discussion at the next CSC (Central Staff Committee) plenary meeting in Brussels next week.
Some more questions remain concerning the technical and scientific positions now advertised as AST/SC. We sent a note expressing our worries to our Director of Human Resources, and of course we'll keep you informed of any follow-up on this issue.
More on reclassification AST/SC
We have been informed that all people concerned will receive in the next days a targeted communication which we hope will clarify our (and your!) doubts.
Change from AST to AST/SC career structure
If your job was previously classified as AST, it is possible that it has been converted to the new Function Group AST/SC. There is no indication of the criteria used for converting a post from AST to AST/SC; many posts – also scientific positions! – that do not fit within the “secretary/clerk” definition have been converted to the new Function Group.
While the 2014 reform foresees that this new AST/SC function group is applicable only for the new Secretaries/Clerks that will be recruited in the future, we have noticed that the Administration already converted many existing jobs from AST to AST/SC the very first days of January! AST/SC and AST salary grids are different. AST/SC has only 6 grades, from AST/SC1 to AST/SC6. There is also a shift of one grade, downwards of course! It means that the remuneration of an AST/SC6 corresponds to the AST 5 one.
This conversion applies only to the job type and not to the person. According to our information, the current AST job holder can continue his/her career within his/her new AST/SC post as before 1 January 2014, but once vacant, the AST/SC post can only be filled with a new AST/SC staff.
The number of “classic AST” positions will decrease as a consequence of these conversions to AST/SC. This conversion will increase even more the difficulty for mobility to full AST positions as well as the recruitment of qualified staff.
This is what R&D thinks of this issue:
1. As this magic trick did not follow the necessary social dialogue procedure with the Trade Unions, we urge the Administration to meet as soon as possible with them and to carry out modifications as applicable;
2. We wonder how the Administration can fill a vacant AST/SC position (retirements, change of post…) when no AST/SC open competitions have been launched yet.
3. The reform and the new Staff Regulations apply to all the EU institutions. How can the Commission explain that the Administration of the Council, for example, opted instead for a smooth and progressive change, properly targeted and negotiated with the Unions?
4. We regret the lack of clear communication, notifying the concerned staff of important changes in their Sysper2 profile.
R&D already got in touch with the HR Department and we are still waiting for more information. We are asking that any AST/SC colleague can have the guarantee that the introduction of the AST/SC Function group will have absolutely no impact on the current job holders in terms of salary, career evolution, promotion, etc…
In case you wish to stay informed and help us in managing this issue, please contact us and let us know your situation so that we can have a full picture of the different cases within the JRC and better defend your interests!
Volvo - offer from 01.01.2014 (CLP)
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Contacts:
Anthony Beasley
Tel. +39 06 33235404
Fax +39 06 33235405
Mobile +39 347 2702567
Where: Via Salaria, 1282 - 00138 Roma
This agreement is managed by the CLP and it is available to all staff.
Allianz - offer from 01.01.2014 (CLP)
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UNIVERSO SALUTE (illnesses)
LOVIA (life insurance)
Contact:
Franco Politi
Tel. 348 1313779
When:Friday 13.00-14.30
Where: Comitato Culturale - Room 105
This agreement is managed by the CLP and it is available to all staff.
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