Over the past few months the trade unions have suggested that you introduce complaints against the unfairest provisions that the Council and Parliament have imposed on us, with the complicity of the Commission.

To defend staff to the best of our ability, the trade unions and staff associations of all institutions have decided to join forces for the lodging of appeals. That will enable us to ensure that each appeal covers all the pleas in law and arguments used in the various complaints.

By acting together, we will also show the Court of Justice that it is not just a few isolated colleagues but all staff of all institutions who are up in arms against the illegalities of the new Staff Regulations and the disdain that the co-legislator has shown for staff’s acquired rights.

For most appeals it will not be necessary for everybody who made a complaint to appeal. We will make an appeal in each case for a certain number of representative cases.

To allow us to choose those cases, we ask all those who made a complaint to send a message to the following email address set up for all trade unions and staff associations for the purpose of managing the appeals (OSP.Recours2014@gmail.com) indicating the complaints that you introduced and giving a short summary of your situation (for example, for travelling time and annual travel costs, indicate your place of origin, whether you return there often, your family situation, what you received previously and your function group, or contract type, and grade).

Warning: for the appeal for those who have lost their right to travelling time and to the annual payment of travel costs (a total loss, not a reduction in the amount paid), and also the appeal for the reduction of annual leave for officials posted outside the EU, the timing is very tight : the appeals have to be lodged before the end of August.

We therefore request that, if you are in one of those situations, you inform us as soon as possible and also indicate how we could contact you during the Summer if necessary.

N.B.: If you have already provided the information to your trade union, there is no need to send it again.