David O’Sullivan sent a letter to Staff Representatives late on 29th March suggesting to create an ad hoc CPPT (Joint Committee Health and Safety at work) for the EEAS HQ building. The timeframe is too tight, EEAS management argues, to respect either Commission or Council rules. Everything has to be ready by the end of June 2011 even if everybody knows that this building is not adapted to EEAS needs.

260 people (FPIS – SC 15) will have to move to the new premises this year. Various options are on the table to “reconcile” the limited space offered and the number of colleagues involved. It will be up to each department to decide how to squeeze as many people as possible into the available space, while the existing Commission and Council rules will just be examples to be considered (but not strictly followed).

A new “mixed office environment” – ie open-plan – is to be introduced to facilitate collaborative work. Majorité Syndicale believes that speed-dating would be much more efficient but it HAS NO INTENTION WHATSOEVER TO PUT OUR COLLEAGUES HEALTH AND SAFETY AT RISK. Majorité Syndicale requests that both Council and Commission Staff Committees confirm and re-establish the full competencies of the Commission’s Health and Safety Committee.

Majorité Syndicale has insisted on using a proper existing structure dealing with this important issue for three months. It reminded EEAS management that there should be only one CPPT for all EEAS buildings and not some kind of ad-hoc non competent grouping with no legal existence for the KAPITAL building alone. MAJORITE SYNDICALE has however noted that one trade union believes that Majorité Syndicale’s approach is too “legalistic” and that anyway Commission joint bodies are not competent to defend EEAS staff even during the transition period. Thanks for its help on that matter.