Outside Union

Elections to the local section of the Outside-the-Union Staff Local Committee have taken place from 9 to 18 March 2009. The setting for these elections has changed since 2005 mainly as a result of the appearance of a new staff category: Contractual Agents. And critical issues have not been followed up either for nine years. In order to win the confidence of Outside-the-Union staff, R&D – Alliance has decided to take the lead and re-establish trade union unity based on an ambitious political programme and clear trade union demands.

A SERIOUS, CREDIBLE ALTERNATIVE

Trade union divisions and disputes are the soft underbelly of staff representation. With a view to establishing cohesion, R&D – Alliance supports a common trade union programme that brings together all colleagues of good will: R&D – Alliance, FFPE and the CONF SFE. Altogether, these three trade union groups represent 70% of Commission staff, thereby offering huge bargaining potential and the ability to make an impact. After three terms of office, that is to say nine years, nothing has been done to improve the lot of colleagues on Delegations. ALTERNANCE 2009-2012 gives an unambiguous undertaking on the key issues, and road maps and working groups will be set.

THE LISBON TREATY AND REFORM OF THE EXTERNAL SERVICE OF THE EUROPEAN UNION

The key question in this election is very clear: do staff have confidence in the team that negotiated the Kinnock Reform and its effects on the External Service of the European Union? In the context of such catastrophic reform and transition for staff already in post and for colleagues that have arrived since 2004, staff at headquarters now realise that the trade union majority needs to be changed. Our team has ensured this majority since 2006, and offers all its resources and expertise to the defence of all staff interests in the face of the challenges posed by this transitional period and new plans for reforming the Union’s External Service.

HOW WE OPERATE

ALTERNANCE 2009-2012 promises to raise current and upcoming challenges ALL TOGETHER, and on the basis of a clear, reasonable and federative programme. It will also be a programme BASED ON SOLIDARITY: it is not a matter of setting one category against another – something that Kinnock did so effectively – but of defending all staff TOGETHER. Only by adopting a unitary and solidarity-based approach to issues will it be possible to present a genuine social partner to employees, and thereby give direction to social dialogue and mount a real defence of a strong civil service.

R&D, FFPE and CONF SFE will not restrict themselves to negotiating with ADMIN. We will not hesitate to go further if necessary, and use all lawful means at the disposal of the trade unions – and particularly in support of collective and individual cases before the Court of First Instance in order to establish our rights and defend staff interests.

The common ALTERNANCE 2009-2012 programme is based on three main pillars: Local Agents, Contractual Agents and Officials.

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