As you know, 534 staff members working on the Ispra site lodged an appeal (ref. F-111/11) in October 2011 against the Correction Coefficient that came in force in 2010.
R&D Ispra has always been the leading force for this dossier.
The hearing took place at the Civil Service Tribunal in Luxemburg on 27 november 2012.

Our lawyers Maître Louis, Orlandi and Abreu Caldas attended the hearing. A member of R&D Ispra was also present.
Here are the main elements emerging from the hearing:
Our lawyers highlighted again the inconsistencies we identified in the fields of energy price and health costs, rent prices and inflation data. They reported the lack of transparence of Eurostat, despite our numerous requests among others during GTR meetings (Groupe Technique Rémunération is a discussion forum between DG HR – Eurostat and the OSP) specially dedicated to remuneration subjects. They also disputed the lack of right to an effective recourse arising from the impossibility to verify the calculation of Eurostat.
The lawyer of the Commission stressed the fact that it is necessary to prove the existence of an obvious error in the Eurostat calculation, and the order of magnitude of the error should be such that the Correction Coefficient value is affected. He claims that the burden of proof rests with the applicants. This is of course practically impossible as we have no access to the detailed data! Furthermore, he stated that the Administration has a wide discretionary power, that the Correction Coefficient aims to ensure a substantial equality of treatment between official of different locations, and that “it is not a domain where an exact science reigns” (sic), etc, etc…
The President of the Tribunal mainly heard the lawyers and asked a few questions to both parties. We can’t say that his questions aimed to strengthen our position.
The hearing lasted circa 1h 30’, without any indication about its outcome. The judgment will be pronounced within 3 to 6 months.
We can say that we did every effort to prove there are inconsistencies in the Correction Coefficient 2010, and it was absolutely no easy task considering the lack of information.
The outcome will really depend on the value given by the Judge Rapporteur to the elements we reported, and if he considers that Eurostat breached the rules by denying access to requested data.
We will organize a meeting on this subject between the lawyers and the Ispra staff in January.

R&D Ispra has decided to join, together with the other trade unions, a common action in defence of the European project, of the Institutions and the European Public Service. This action, in Brussels, will have as a result a demonstration en masse in front of the Council against the cut of €80 billions on the total 2014-2020 budget and a strike on the afternoon of the 21st November so as to let the maximum number of colleagues to take part in the rally.

This is a compromise to support a joint action - actually R&D, together with some other trade unions, would have preferred to give support only to a demonstration in favour of the European Project. In our opinion the proposed cut to the administrative expenditures – as currently laid down by the Council – does not justify the use of extreme measures such as a strike.
On the other hand some trade unions were strongly willing to support a day-strike by focusing on the 500 million Euro proposed cut on Chapter V of the Multiannual Financial Framework.
This result is then the consequence of a mediation aimed to maintain the unity amongst all the unions in Brussels and in Ispra (as well as in all the other sites and Institutions).
As far as Ispra is concerned, we have decided to hold a rally at 12.30 at the JRC main entrance, at the same time of the rally in Brussels in front of the Council.
You don't have to join the strike to take part in the rally. A strike remains ultimately an individual choice that can be carried out in different ways ("classical" strike, declaring to be on strike while working, etc..)

We are really looking forward to a large turnout: please invite your colleagues too!
We remind you the Secretariat is always open if you want to pass by personally.

 New colleagues that are offered a job in Ispra consider the possibility for their children to have lessons in their native language as a key condition for their move.
At the moment SWALS attending the same class in different language sections don't have access to the same didactical conditions and their number is expected to increase.
We are convinced that the European School in Varese can really make the difference for the attractiveness of the Ispra site and is of fundamental importance for the existence of the JRC. R&D will make sure that attention is kept high on the SWALS issue and will urge for a positive resolution of the problem.