SOCIAL DIALOGUE AT THE EP

Social dialogue must be authentic and not merely a formality.
We must stop viewing it as a routine that we simply execute, allowing us to finally engage in genuine discussions to find solutions to the fundamental problems we face, adopting a constructive approach from both sides.

​

IMPROVING HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

A number of essential services for the proper functioning of the institution are severely understaffed. Recruitment procedures are too rigid while the number of available positions is too low. For example, while legislative work is at the heart of the EP’s activities, some of the services responsible for it are under-resourced.

DG HR is also affected by this issue as its workload has increased exponentially. The list of affected services is long, but the colleagues concerned, as well as their management, are well aware of the situation and will recognise themselves!

​

STAFF POLICY

Doubts remain regarding the existence of a genuine staff policy. The prevailing impression is one of ongoing confusion between policy and administration, which ultimately harms both. There are too many “fake” selection procedures, which is very demotivating for staff and leads colleagues to view appointments with a great deal of scepticism at all levels of administration.
We propose that a serious HR audit be conducted. Furthermore, a mediator would be a useful tool to manage and resolve many conflicts within services and between services and/or staff.

​

COMPETITIONS AND RESERVE LISTS

More competitions must be organised specifically for the Parliament, and they must be free of any favouritism. Likewise, reserve lists should always be exhausted: it is both inefficient and contradictory to organise competitions if the reserve lists are not properly used to meet the institution’s needs.
A thorough and joint discussion between the Administration and the Staff Committee is also necessary regarding the collaboration between the EP and EPSO to defend the interests of our institution.

​

STAFFING NEEDS AND RETURN OF SKILLS TO DG PERS

We must return to more effective planning of future staffing needs, particularly to replace colleagues who are retiring.

In general, the approach would be more coherent and the rules better applied if human resource management were centralised within DG HR, leaving only liaison officers within the different DGs.

​

WELL-BEING AT WORK

The well-being of staff must be at the heart of a proper staff policy. Addressing the issue of harassment and the means provided for its prevention are insufficient. The internal rules of the Advisory Committee for Harassment and its Prevention in the Workplace are clearly outdated. This is an area where genuine dialogue and/or consultation would be necessary and beneficial.
But well-being also requires a change in mindset. It is essential to evolve towards a positive and constructive management of staff to promote active engagement based on trust for everyone.

​

CONTRACT AGENTS

The number of contract agents has increased significantly in recent years. It is essential that these colleagues enjoy the same rights and respect as other categories of staff. The EP must also ensure that the grade of its contract agents is adapted to their experience and training right from their recruitment.

It is also important to motivate contract agents and offer them training that is useful for their careers. We are committed to representing and defending them if necessary. Finally, we also propose asking the SG to allow contract agents to participate in internal competitions, as is the case at the European Commission.

​

EXTERNAL STAFF

External agents, whom some refer to as “red badges,” work alongside us and often carry out vital tasks for the proper functioning of the institution. Some of them spend their entire careers working for the EP without any recognition, simply because they are paid by a private company. They have no rights, no protection against harassment and general abuse, as neither their companies nor their unions have any real power or access within the European institutions, and most companies prefer to lose contractors rather than jeopardise their relationship.

​

We believe that it is truly necessary to establish a legal status for long-term external agents, who require more protection and respect. The colour of their badge should not matter.

​

LIAISON OFFICES

We will establish permanent contacts with our colleagues in the liaison offices and ensure that they benefit from the same working conditions and facilities as colleagues in Brussels, Luxembourg, or Strasbourg, such as public transport, canteens, vocational training, language courses, and medical expenses (which are often 30 to 100% higher than in the three main offices). It is necessary to review the corrective coefficients for several EU Member States. The situation of the liaison office contract agents deserves particular attention: as the European elections approach, their expertise and know-how are essential to ensure a high participation rate. The European Parliament cannot afford to lose competent staff simply because their contracts are coming to an end.

Instead of wasting time and resources selecting and training new recruits, the European Parliament should allow current contract agents to participate in internal competitions and/or have their contracts converted into permanent contracts.

MOBILITY

Although the theory of the benefits of mobility is well known, the practice of this policy within the European Parliament leaves much to be desired. We are opposed to the mandatory mobility of ASTs. In our view, AST colleagues are the backbone of the institution and its historical memory with regard to procedures and beyond. Therefore, they should not be forced to leave their position if they are flourishing in it. They should be free to decide to change roles of their own volition.

Furthermore, the current situation of ASTs in terms of mobility has worsened due to the lack of effective support measures (training, coaching, HR support, etc.). The system of exceptions encourages preferential treatment, which does little to improve morale within the institution. Cases of "false mobility" within the same unit exacerbate this issue.

What about AD mobility? It has never worked particularly well, and it is another issue that needs detailed examination; we are ready to engage in such an exercise with the administration to assess the situation.

OUTSOURCING

We have observed an excessive trend towards outsourcing certain key services of the Parliament. The interpretation service is a good example: the management of DG LINC has been claiming for some time that it wishes to outsource this service for certain "less important" meetings. However, it has yet to specify which meetings would be affected, who decides on their political importance, and how interpreters (even those who are not accredited!) would be recruited and under what conditions.

We firmly oppose this measure, as it risks compromising the smooth running of the institution and the quality of services that Members of the European Parliament are entitled to expect. This issue also requires thorough analysis, and we will monitor it closely. Another example can be found within DG TRAD, where outsourcing budgets often require frequent supplements.

MULTILINGUALISM

The language services of the European Parliament have suffered for several years from a reduction in interpretation and translation staff. Interpreters were stretched to their limits during the COVID-19 pandemic, and new permanent rules on multilingual remote participation, which remain a feature in the hybrid Parliament, should be adopted: questions remain regarding sound quality, proper follow-up, and the health protection of interpreters, as well as a code of conduct for remote participants that has a certain degree of enforceability. We are committed to supporting interpreters' representatives in their struggles, as we have always done in the past.

Translators and translation assistants are constantly subjected to excessive workloads, with cyclical peaks now a distant memory. DG TRAD's resources are being diverted to new tasks and services (e.g., subtitling or podcast production), and the pre-election year begins with shrinking language units and outsourcing budgets running out at record speed. Translation is a core element of the European Parliament’s activities and should benefit from the long-overdue increase in staff necessary to meet the institution's needs. DG TRAD and its staff are fundamental in this regard and deserve an adequate and specific working environment, particularly in terms of office space organisation. While machine translation has become a valuable assistant in this environment, it is not the solution to absorb the massive increase in the number of pages to be translated, and it cannot replace a comprehensive, forward-looking staff policy that would ultimately restore DG TRAD’s ability to retain and attract talent.

DG SAFE

Since the internalisation of security services, DG SAFE has been able to improve its operations and internal procedures. However, a number of significant challenges still need to be addressed: from scheduling and streamlining teams to accurately counting working hours (including on-call periods in accordance with Directive 2003/88), from accurately accounting for and ensuring transparency of overtime to providing decent common rest areas for DG SAFE security staff, there is still much work to be done. We are committed to continuing to support our colleagues as we have done so far.

STAFF SUPERVISION

Unit managers also deserve special attention. Many unit heads are very frustrated by an excessive workload and the growing scarcity of staff, who, to make matters worse, are becoming "mobile." Furthermore, their career prospects are virtually non-existent, particularly due to the increasing number of "political" appointments. Moreover, these appointments often lead to the promotion of relatively young individuals, which means that director and/or director-general positions are blocked for extended periods. It is essential that unit managers are given a more prominent role in the development and formulation of recruitment policies.

We will strive to initiate a virtuous process that allows merit and competence to take precedence over political connections. In an institution where all appointments for mid-level and senior management positions are made solely on the basis of merit, everyone will be able to flourish and regain their motivation. Ultimately, the European Parliament as a whole will benefit: more competent middle and senior managers will ensure better service delivery, while more motivated junior staff will also be more productive and less prone to illness or conflict.

"CUTTING COSTS?"

Recently, the argument that we must make savings is increasingly being invoked. Certainly, it is important not to waste money, especially public money; however, we observe that in many cases where it is cited, instead of reflecting a genuine need, this argument is increasingly sounding like a kind of incantatory slogan. This quest for savings is also very selective, with massive cuts in certain areas and none at all in others.

We will carefully examine the Parliament’s operational budget whenever this refrain is invoked. We want to ensure that genuine waste is tackled wherever possible, in order to guarantee that decent working conditions and staff well-being are never compromised.

PROPERTY POLICY

The European Parliament’s property policy is at the heart of our concerns, as it has a direct impact on staff well-being, particularly given the significant growth of the Parliament in recent years. When we talk about staff well-being, we mean all staff, including those in political groups. Thus, although the “open spaces” have been rebranded, it seems they remain literally “open spaces.” It is therefore urgent to carry out an assessment of these spaces by the colleagues who work there and by the technical services of the Parliament. Moreover, an audit of energy consumption should be carried out in order to achieve a good balance between expenditure and workplace well-being, particularly regarding temperatures in Parliament’s premises.

Particular attention must be paid to the Herculean task of moving thousands of people to the new ADENAUER building in Luxembourg. We have accompanied colleagues and visited several services. We are committed to continuing to monitor the situation and to drawing management’s attention to any problems or specific needs that may arise. As we all know, the European Parliament owns most of its buildings and has expanded its property portfolio beyond what is necessary for its core activities. We hope that the property frenzy is over and that more resources can be allocated to meeting staff needs.

POLITICAL GROUPS

As regards political groups and their staff, we must engage in ongoing dialogue and demonstrate solidarity on issues that concern us all. The time has come to recognise that Parliament is a unique entity, and there is no reason for divisions between the staff of political groups and that of the General Secretariat.

We are interdependent: political groups depend on the services of the General Secretariat to carry out their work. Conversely, the General Secretariat needs political support to bring about changes in the functioning of the institution that ultimately benefit everyone. Furthermore, unity is essential in view of a possible reform of the status.

TELEWORKING

Flexibility and trust are key principles. Ethos Europe calls for a thorough survey of colleagues to ascertain their wishes and gather their suggestions. A fair balance must be found between colleagues’ preferences and the operational needs of the institution.

Colleagues should also be allowed to work from abroad for a certain number of days each year, as is already the case at the European Commission. This would improve the work-life balance and make staff happier and therefore more productive.

ARTICLES 90.1 AND 90.2 (REQUESTS FOR DECISIONS AND COMPLAINTS)

It is essential that the rights established by these two articles of the Staff Regulations are respected, that lawyers can carry out their duties independently, and that the SG follows the advice provided. When a complaint results in a decision that concerns a situation common to the complainant and other colleagues, it is crucial that the administration adjusts and/or corrects the situation for all affected colleagues in accordance with the recommendation given. The same applies to rulings from the Court of Justice. In the past, this has not always been the case. The handling of appeal procedures should also be the subject of dialogue between the Staff Committee and the Administration.

PERFORMANCE REVIEWS

What can be said about this exhausting process for all concerned and satisfactory for almost no one? Unit heads have an enormous workload because of it; evaluated staff often feel it is pointless; administrative staff spend months managing it. We advocate for a thorough review of the process, in collaboration with staff representatives, to simplify it as much as possible. And let’s not forget that merit must always be rewarded.

Here’s a bold suggestion: as an exception, all directorates-general should receive additional merit points to reward the many colleagues who have had to bear an extraordinary workload and pressure due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In conclusion of this non-exhaustive list of topics, we will add that it is highly likely that the Staff Regulations will undergo another reform. Don’t you feel that the last reform of the Staff Regulations was just yesterday? We do, but a new reform is on the horizon. Without giving in to pessimism, what should our objectives be? Rumours are circulating about a possible modification of our pension scheme or expatriation allowances. Therefore, we must start by obtaining more reliable information. To this end, we are committed to working closely with the administration and the staff committees of other institutions.