R&D’s CAMPAIGN FOR TRADE UNION UNITY AND AGAINST PRECARIOUS CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT
1. RECRUITMENT
The introduction of the “Contractual Agent” status at the time of the Kinnock reform of 2004 has been utterly disastrous for all staff who are now Contractual Agents. Everybody agrees, and they are even prepared to put it in writing, but not so many have done what we must all do now – Contractual Agents (CAs) and officials alike – and mount a challenge. R&D here sets out its work, its ambitions and its undertakings in a series of five flyers. This flyer deals with recruitment.
ESPO tests – an end to arbitrary decisions
R&D has successfully negotiated an agreement whereby all recruitment of CAs will, for the first time, be governed by a selection procedure that is adapted, transparent and accessible to all with a view to avoiding all forms of precarious employment, strengthening CAs’ independence, and shielding them from the daily pressure and blackmailing that surrounds the renewal of contracts. R&D has also man- aged to reduce waiting-periods for the awarding of open-ended contracts, and a Joint Committee has been set up to head off unfair dismissals.
The same opportunities for all
R&D has secured two ESPO tests (two for Brussels and two more for the RELEX family) for all colleagues. R&D has also put a lot of effort into helping colleagues to prepare for, and pass, selection boards by offering free of charge: training courses, a multiple-choice course (three altogether), a methodology preparation, a website www.quizzeuro.eu and a CD-Rom containing previous papers.
R&D’s objective: to improve the conditions for recruitment R&D has not been standing idly by, and has already reached agreement on opening a new round of
talks on the whole issue, with a view to:
redefining CA recruitment and policy; defining tasks and responsibilities in a structured manner; dealing with problems associated with the under-grading of CAs recruited into a Function Group lower than the one matches their real tasks; ensuring that the DG ADMIN does not back out of its role as guardian of the rules, and will resist the childish, absolutist temptations of different managers; facilitating the move from one Function Group to another.