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EUIPO European Union Intellectual Property Office
(was OAMI-OHIM : Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market)
          
The EUIPO is based in Alicante (Spain).
Contact person : Mr. Gregor Schneider.
Suspension of the power of nomination of
the Executive Director
Dear colleagues,
U4U is monitoring closely staff policies in the EU agencies. In the past, we
have managed to build up a fluent and constructive dialogue with the management
of EUIPO which resulted in the implementation of an overall positive staff
policy.
We were as surprised as many of you when we learned two weeks ago about the
suspension of AA powers of the head of the agency. While there are doubts
whether it is legally sound for different reasons, the decision did also raise
concerns about the future implementation of our staff policy.
We have expressed our doubts on this issue to the European Commission as the
principle ‘guardian of the Treaty (see below)’. In parallel, the Staff Committee
has also raised this issue with the EUIPO Management Board (see below).
On 27 March, the Secretariat General of the Commission replied to our letter,
stressing that " EU decentralised agencies are autonomous bodies independent of
the Commission, and questions relating to staff matters concerning agencies
should be addressed directly to the agencies themselves" (see below). In this
note, the Deputy Secretary-General referred us to Mr Hanski, Chairman of the
Management Board, as he considered that he was in a better position to clarify
the situation.
The meeting between Mr Hanski and the Staff Committee, during which U4U
representative addressed the issues raised in the letter to the Commission, took
place on 28 March. While the meeting allowed to confirm that there will be no
changes in agreed staff policies, the parties around the table could not come to
a common position concerning the legal context and the proportionality of the
measure that had been taken.
It goes without saying that U4U will follow-up those open questions with our
counterparts in Brussels. Be assured that we will do everything to guarantee
that the exceptional situation that we witness in Alicante will not be
detrimental to staff interest.
Georges Vlandas, Gregor Schneider 3/4/23
Lettre
de U4U au sujet de la suspension de la qualification
d’AIPN de Christian Archambeau, directeur exécutif de l’EUIPO. Cette
suspension fait suite au non renouvellement, sans explications, de son contrat
comme directeur exécutif. (Mars 2023)
Response from
Mr. Pascal Leardini, Deputy Secretary General, to the above letter.
Lettre
du comité du personnel de l’agence EUIPO au président du Conseil
d’Administration de cette même agence qui exprime les préoccupations et
inquiétudes du personnel.
U4U candidates for the 2021 Staff Committee
elections
|
Family Name |
First Name |
List |
|
CARNEY |
Lucinda |
LISTA U4U - U4U LIST |
|
GIESE |
Annakim |
LISTA U4U - U4U LIST |
|
SCHNEIDER |
Gregor |
LISTA U4U - U4U LIST |
|
SIMÕES DOS SANTOS |
MANUEL |
LISTA U4U - U4U LIST |
Short
presentation of the list
Electoral manifesto
Message au personnel : notre action
| Cher – e – s collègues,
Depuis de nombreuses années, U4U est à vos côté à l’EUIPO, tant au plan
individuel, avec souvent des résultats significatifs, qu’au plan collectif.
De surcroît, notre organisation est la seule à organiser des réunions
d’information bi-annuelles régulières avec le
personnel de l’agence.
Notre organisation a négocié avec l’administration de l’Office un
accord-cadre permettant un dialogue social avec l’agence, dialogue social
qui a donné des résultats positifs, même s’il reste du chemin à parcourir.
Ainsi, cet accord a notamment permis:
 |
d’augmenter le nombre de passage de catégories
entre groupes de fonction d’agents contractuels, |
|
d’accroître légèrement la part des collègues
bénéficiant des contrats à durée indéterminée, |
|
d’obtenir la promesse de la mise en place de
procédures permettant des passages d’agents contractuels en Agent
temporaire, |
|
la mise en place d’une
politique de titularisation par la tenue de concours internes ou des
concours externes, afin de permettre l’accès à des
positions de fonctionnaires, politique en faveur du personnel de l’Office.
|
L’ensemble de ces mesures s’est accompagné d’une politique de formation
généreuse qui a vu l’EUIPO, en coopération avec notre organisation, financer
dans un premier temps la moitié du coût des formations, et, dans un second
temps, proposer avec notre accord, des formations de formation sans coût
pour le personnel, y compris en termes d’adhésion à notre syndicat.
Il reste, sans aucun doute, des efforts à faire et nous continuons les
négociations et les contacts avec le Directeur exécutif et son équipe, en
faveur du personnel. Nous avons prévu la tenue le 9 octobre d’une réunion de
dialogue social avec le directeur de l’EUIPO à la fois pour faire le bilan
des actions entreprises suite à notre précédente réunion et traiter les
problèmes en suspens. Une information complète sera envoyée au personnel à
ce sujet après le 9 octobre.
L’action de U4U vise l’ensemble du personnel. L’accès aux préparations
aux concours, organisées par notre formateur, est bien entendu ouvert à TOUS
les membres du personnel, membres de U4U ou pas.
Cette politique est le fruit d’un investissent en temps et en ressources
de la part de notre organisation.
Toutefois, notre capacité d’action tient aussi à votre engagement à nos
côtés. Si vous appréciez notre action et souhaitez nous soutenir, n’hésitez
pas à devenir ou
redevenir membre.
Gregor Schneider - Georges Vlandas
- Fabrice Andreone
06/10/2020
|
Dear colleagues,
For many years, U4U has been by your side at EUIPO, both individually,
often achieving significant results, and collectively. In addition, our
union is the only one that organizes regular bi-annual information meetings
with the agency’s staff.
Our organization has negotiated with the EUIPO administration a framework
agreement allowing for a social dialogue with the agency: one that has
produced positive results, even though there is undoubtedly still room for
progress.
In particular, this agreement has made it possible:
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to increase the number of function group upgrades
for contractual agents. |
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to increase slightly the proportion of colleagues
benefiting from permanent contracts, |
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to open the prospect of procedures allowing the
conversion of contractual agents into temporary agents, |
|
to establish a policy of tenure by holding
internal competitions or external competitions in order to allow temporary
and contractual agents to access to official civil servant positions, a
policy favouring current Agency staff. |
All these initiatives were accompanied by a generous training policy
which saw EUIPO, in cooperation with our organization, firstly finance half
of the cost of training, and, secondly, offer with our agreement, free
training courses and membership of our union to staff.
Undoubtedly, still more needs to be done and we are continuing
negotiations and contacts with the Executive Director and his team on behalf
of the staff. We have scheduled a social dialogue meeting in October with
the Director of EUIPO both to take stock of actions taken following our
previous meeting and to address outstanding issues. A full report on this
social dialogue will be sent to staff.
U4U’s activity is directed towards all staff. Access to the preparation
for the competitions, organized by our trainer, is of course open to ALL
staff members, whether or not they are U4U members.
This policy is the result of an investment of time and resources on the
part of our organization.
However, our ability to act also depends on your support of us. If you
value our activities and wish to support us, do not hesitate to become a
member or to renew
your membership.
Gregor Schneider, Georges Vlandas, Fabrice Andreone |
Nouvelles d’EUIPO à Alicante
EN version herebelow
EUIPO est l’agence de régulation où U4U a signé un des premiers accords en
vue du développent du dialogue social. Même si des améliorations sont encore
possibles et souhaitables, nous avons obtenu un grand nombre de résultats,
qui méritent d’être connus.
Depuis plusieurs années U4U négocie de meilleures conditions d’emploi pour le
personnel de l’agence de régulation EUIPO.
Bien sûr, l’objectif à long terme est de rendre permanents le plus de
collègues possible ; nous avons donc
discuté et
négocié avec le Président de l’Office une approche des ressources humaines qui
permet de réduire la précarité et surtout les disparités : passage des
agents contractuels en agents temporaires, renouvellement des temporaires,
certification, changement de catégorie des agents contractuels, concours
externes propriété intellectuelle où un grand nombre de lauréats provenait de
l’Office et concours interne pour les fonctions transversales.
Un des éléments de la négociation, qui soutient la politique des concours,
est constitué par l’aide que l’employeur fournit pour la préparation aux
concours et la formation, à la demande de U4U.
Pour les concours externes, les formations ont été prises dans un premier
temps en charge à 50% par l’Office. Par la suite, pour les concours internes,
l’employeur a pris en charge 100% des frais liés aux formations ; ce qui est
réellement positif.
A ce jour, quatorze sessions de formation ont été organisées entre janvier et
mars, dont neuf pour des CBT et 5 sur les assessment centre. Ainsi, 168 agents de l’EUIPO ont participé aux sessions du CBT et 97 ont été
formés à la seconde phase du concours interne. Les six sessions qui étaient
prévues entre avril et mai 2020, n’ont pas eu lieu, du fait du confinement,
en attendant de nouvelles instructions. Les 56 participants déjà enregistrés
seront informés des nouvelles dates des formations.
Nous nous réjouissons que l’EUIPO ait donc soutenu le personnel dans cette
démarche, nous avons travaillé ensemble pour monter des formations de qualité
avec le formateur de U4U, l’Ecole Nationale d’Administration.
Pour nous permettre de continuer notre action en faveur du personnel de l’EUIPO,
nous vous engageons à soutenir et
rejoindre U4U.
Nous sommes à votre service et nous continuerons notre action pour défendre
vos droits et améliorer vos conditions de travail, sur bon nombre de dossiers,
comme, par exemple, la réduction des « open space », ou encore
l’approfondissement du dialogue social, etc. En ces temps de crise, il y a lieu
aussi de revoir la politique contractuelle en vue de l’octroi de contrats
davantage pérennes.
4 Mai 2020
News from EUIPO in Alicante
EUIPO is the regulatory agency where U4U signed one of the first agreements
for the development of social dialogue. Even if improvements are still possible
and desirable, we have achieved a large number of results, which deserve to be
known.
For several years U4U has been negotiating better employment conditions for
the staff of the regulatory agency EUIPO.
Of course, the long-term objective is to make as many colleagues as possible
permanent; we have therefore discussed and negotiated with the President of the
Office an approach to human resources which makes it possible to reduce
precariousness and above all disparities: conversion of contract staff to
temporary staff, renewal of temporary staff, certification, change of category
of contract staff, external intellectual property competitions where a
large number of successful candidates came from the Office and internal
competitions for cross-cutting functions.
One of the elements of the negotiation, which supports the competition policy,
is the assistance provided by the employer for the preparation of competitions
and training, at the request of U4U.
In the case of external competitions, training was initially 50% paid for by
the Office. Subsequently, for internal competitions, the employer covered 100%
of the costs related to training; which is really positive.
To date, fourteen training sessions have been organised between January and
March, including nine for CBTs and five on assessment centres. Thus, 168 EUIPO
agents participated in the CBT sessions and 97 were trained in the second phase
of the internal competition. The six sessions, which were scheduled between
April and May 2020, did not take place, due to lockdown,
pending further instructions. The 56 participants already registered will be
informed of the new training dates.
We are pleased that EUIPO has supported the staff in this process, we have
worked together to set up quality training courses with the trainer from U4U,
the Ecole Nationale d’Administration.
To enable us to continue our action in favour of EUIPO staff,
please support and join U4U.
We are at your service and we will continue our action to defend your rights
and improve your working conditions, on a good number of issues, such as, for
example, the reduction of "open space", or the deepening of social dialogue,
etc. In these times of crisis, it is also necessary to review contractual policy
with a view to awarding more permanent contracts.
Suivi de l’accord signé le 18 novembre 2016 entre U4U
et l’EUIPO
| U4U a conclu avec la
direction de l’EUIPO (agence de la propriété intellectuelle et des marques)
un accord cadre régissant les relations entre cette agence de régulation et
les syndicats. Cet accord prévoyait pour l’essentiel la fonctionnarisation
d’une partie croissante du personnel sur base de concours internes ou
externes. L’Agence finance une partie du coût d’une
formation visant à préparer la réussite de son personnel à ces concours. Cet
accord prévoyait aussi des clauses sociales ainsi qu’un cadre formel de
discussion entre partenaires sociaux. C’est un accord important,
l’EUIPO étant la plus grande agence de régulation. D’autres accords-cadres
ont été par la suite signés, par exemple à Cologne (EASA,
cf. notre vidéo)
et Barcelone (F4E)
Le vendredi 29 mars, le Directeur Exécutif de l’EUIPO s’est réuni avec le
Président de l’U4U afin de faire le bilan de l’accord signé entre les deux
parties en novembre 2016. De cette fructueuse et positive réunion, mais qui
n’épuise pas tous les problèmes rencontrés par le personnel, nous retenons
les conclusions suivantes :
1. U4U et EUIPO confirment l'accord signé, qui
reste en vigueur jusqu’au 30 septembre 2020. À ce jour, sa mise en œuvre
apporte entière satisfaction à toutes les parties concernées.
2. L'organisation des concours dans le domaine de la Propriété
Intellectuelle a livré des résultats très concrets avec un total de 150
lauréats et, à ce jour, 121 recrutements. L’Office continuera à épuiser les
listes de réserve jusqu’à fin 2020.
3. L’EUIPO confirme l’organisation d’un concours interne en 2019 pour des
profils non « Propriété intellectuelles ». Il aura pour objectif d’ouvrir
quelques postes de fonctionnaires à un certain nombre d’agents temporaires
et agents contractuels employés dans des fonctions de support. 25 postes
leur sont réservés dans le plan d’établissement.
4. Le Directeur Exécutif confirme son intention d’augmenter
le nombre d´agents temporaires qui pourraient
obtenir un deuxième renouvellement de leur contrat. Cependant, l’Office
rappelle que les contrats à durée indéterminée sont complémentaires
aux concours (voie d’entrée principale à l’Office).
5. L’Office confirme la continuation de la politique sur les transferts
d’agents ayant réussi des concours généraux organisés par les institutions
avec le support d’EPSO, ou déjà fonctionnaires dans une autre Institution.
En 2019, et compte tenu du concours interne, l´Office va étudier la
possibilité de lancer un nouvel appel à manifestation d’intérêt, si le plan
d’établissement le permet.
6. U4U prend note de cette information positive et souhaite continuer à
observer de près le nombre d'agents temporaires et contractuels qui verront
leur situation s’améliorer au cours de la période 2019 – 2020. À cet égard,
l’Office s’engage à mettre en place d’un mécanisme
facilitant la mobilité et le reclassement d’agents contractuels,
dès que les model rules de la Commission seront approuvées.
7. U4U et EUIPO confirment leur volonté de continuer à maintenir et
élargir un dialogue social constructif qui permet de concilier les attentes
légitimes du personnel avec les intérêts de l’institution.
La prochaine réunion de suivi sera convoquée avant l’été 2019,
suivi d’une autre à l’automne. |
U4U has concluded a framework agreement with
the management of EUIPO (Intellectual Property and Trademark Agency)
governing the relations between this regulatory agency and the unions. This
agreement essentially provided for the appointment of an increasing number
of staff on the basis of internal or external competitions. The Agency is
funding part of the cost of training to prepare for the success of its staff
in these competitions. This agreement also included social clauses as well
as a formal framework for discussion between the social partners. This is an
important agreement, EUIPO being the largest regulatory agency. Other
framework agreements were subsequently signed, for example in Cologne (EASA,
see our video)
and Barcelona (F4E)
On Friday 29 March, the Executive Director of EUIPO met with the
President of U4U to review the agreement signed between the two parties in
November 2016. This fruitful and positive meeting, but which does not
cover all the problems encountered by the staff, we
retain the following conclusions:
1. U4U and EUIPO confirm the signed agreement, which remains in force
until 30 September 2020. To date, its implementation is fully satisfactory
to all parties concerned.
2. The organization of competitions in the field of Intellectual Property
has yielded very concrete results with a total of 150 laureates and, to
date, 121 recruitments. The Office will continue to use
the reserve lists until the end of 2020.
3. EUIPO confirms the organization of an internal competition in 2019 for
non-Intellectual Property profiles. It will aim to open a few staff posts to
a number of temporary agents and contract staff employed in support
functions. 25 positions are reserved for them in the
business plan.
4. The Executive Director confirms his intention to increase the number
of temporary agents who could obtain a second renewal of their contract.
However, the Office points out that open-ended contracts are complementary
to competitions (main entry route to the Office).
5. The Office confirms the continuation of the policy on transfers of
staff having passed open competitions organized by the institutions with the
support of EPSO, or already Officials in another
institution. In 2019, and considering the internal competition, the Office
will study the possibility of launching a new call for expression of
interest, if the business plan allows it.
6. U4U takes note of this positive information and wishes to continue to
keep a close watch on the number of temporary and contractual agents who
will see their situation improve over the period 2019 - 2020. In this
respect, the Office is committed to to put in place a mechanism facilitating
the mobility and reclassification of contract agents, as soon as the
Commission's model rules are approved.
7. U4U and EUIPO confirm their willingness to continue to maintain and
expand a constructive social dialogue that reconciles the legitimate
expectations of staff with the interests of the institution.
The next follow-up meeting will be convened before summer 2019, followed
by another in the fall. |
Avril 2019
Elections professionnelles 2017
EN version herebelow
Résultat des élections
Les élections du comité du personnel de l'EUIPO à Alicante: une victoire pour
U4U. U4U présentait 6 candidats pour 7 places à pourvoir.
Nos 6 collègues ont tous été élus. Le président sortant du comité du personnel,
vice-président également d'U4U a été réélu par le plus d'électeurs.
Ce résultat sanctionne tout d'abord le travail de proximité de nos collègues
d'Alicante ainsi que l'action d'U4U qui, après avoir conclu un accord cadre avec
la direction de l'EUIPO, a négocié des mesures ambitieuses en matière de
formation et de mesure sociale pour les collègues les
plus fragiles. Bravo à l'équipe de l'EUIPO à Alicante.
Nos élus U4U :
1 SCHNEIDER Gregor
2 PAOLACCI Marco
3 CARNEY Lucinda
4 GIESE Annakim
5 MORGAN Rhys
7 SIERRA MARTINEZ Mercedes
U4U présente une liste aux élections du Comité du Personnel.
Nos candidats et notre programme sont
ici.
Voter pour U4U nous donne les moyens de continuer notre
action en votre faveur. Cela nous donne le poids et la crédibilité nécessaire
dans les négociations avec l'Administration. Par un simple geste, vous renforcez
la voix du personnel : votez U4U !
Professional Elections 2017
Result of the elections
The elections of the EUIPO Staff Committee in Alicante: A victory for U4U.
U4U had 6 candidates for 7 places to be filled. Our 6 colleagues were all
elected. The outgoing Chair of the Staff Committee, also Vice-President of U4U,
was re-elected by the most voters.
This result first of all penalises the outreach work of our colleagues in
Alicante and the action of U4U, which, after having concluded a framework
agreement with the EUIPO management, negotiated ambitious training and social
measures for the most vulnerable colleagues. Bravo at the EUIPO team in
Alicante.
Our elected U4U:
1 SCHNEIDER Gregor
2 Paolacci Marco
3 CARNEY Lucinda
4 Giese Annakim
5 MORGAN Rhys
7 SIERRA MARTINEZ Mercedes
U4U presented a list for the Staff Committee elections.
Our candidates and
our programme are here.
Voting for U4U gives us the means to continue our work in your favour.
This gives us the necessary weight and credibility in the negotiations with the
Administration. By a simple gesture, you strengthen the voice of staff: Vote
U4U!
Point sur le dialogue social à
l'Agence
Chers collègues, Chers adhérents,
Nous voulons vous informer de l'état actuel (au 27/02/2017)
et à venir du dialogue social à l'EUIPO, suite aux réunions entre U4U et
la direction de l'agence.
Comme vous le savez, nous avons entamé avec la direction de l'agence un
dialogue social constructif sur une partie de la dimension de la politique du
personnel: le renouvellement des contrats et la fonctionnarisation.
Le résultat est le suivant:
|
élévation du taux de renouvellement à durée
indéterminée (actuellement il sera compris entre 40 et 50%); |
|
organisation de concours externes (2017) et internes
de titularisation (début 2018); |
|
préparation par U4U des concours cofinancés par l'EUIPO;
|
|
octroi au personnel par l'agence d'un jour de
vacances pour ces préparations ; |
|
mesures d'accompagnement social pour les écoles et
au-delà pour les retraites, (contacter
U4U à ce sujet); |
|
méthode d'accompagnement et de vérification
périodiques, lors des réunions de dialogue social à ce sujet. |
Par ailleurs, nous avons obtenu, suite à la préparation de notre réunion du
17 février avec le directeur, d'engager un dialogue additionnel sur deux sujets
importants qui comptent pour le personnel:
|
le système d'évaluation et de promotion,
qu'il s'agit de faire évoluer pour tenir compte des problèmes qui se posent;
|
|
la correction des situations de sous classement des
AC et des AT: pour ce faire nous allons demander, lors de la prochaine réunion
de dialogue social à Pâques, l'organisation des examens
de passage de groupe de fonction pour les Agents Contractuels et la tenue des
concours internes pour les fonctionnaires et AT permettant de surclasser les
collègues dans les groupes de fonction et les grades supérieurs. |
La direction de l'EUIPO a accepté de discuter avec U4U à ce sujet.
Nous pensons par la suite parler avec la direction des "open space" et
de tout autre sujet auquel vous accordez de l'importance.
L'ensemble de ces entretiens devront donner des décisions avant les vacances
d'été.
En vous remerciant de votre soutien, et de votre engagement au sein d'U4U,
Georges Vlandas, Fabrice Andreone, Gregor Schneider, Marco
Paolacci, Annakim Giese, Rhys Morgan
U4U et l'EUIPO signent un accord
FR version originale
|
Comunicación conjunta EUIPO - U4U
Durante los últimos meses, han tenido lugar una serie de contactos entre
la Oficina y el sindicato U4U. Dichas reuniones dieron la oportunidad de
intercambiar puntos de vista sobre el contexto económico y político, así
como los objetivos de las instituciones y agencias de la UE, en particular
sobre la estrategia de gestión de recursos. Estos intercambios proporcionan
un complemento constructivo al diálogo social mantenido con el Comité de
Personal de la Oficina.
Los objetivos anunciados en el Plan Estratégico y el modelo de
crecimiento de los recursos propuestos por la Oficina a sus socios
institucionales, constituyen un enfoque mas adaptado al contexto de las
agencias (en particular a aquellas que se autofinancian), comparadas con el
enfoque acordado entre las Instituciones europeas las cuales prevén medidas
estándares de austeridad mediante una sistemática reducción de la tabla de
efectivos. El modelo desarrollado alinea las necesidades de personal con la
variación en el volumen de actividad, teniendo en cuenta el sistemático y
continuo incremento de productividad conseguido revisando los métodos de
trabajo, simplificando procesos e invirtiendo en la automatización de tareas,
así como en la formación del personal.
La adopción del Plan Multianual de Política de Personal (MASPP) por el
Consejo de Administración y el Comité Presupuestario de la Oficina de junio
de 2016, fija a partir de ahora el marco para una política de personal
dirigida a un crecimiento ambicioso, pero al mismo tiempo realista y
racional.
La Oficina y la U4U han acordado trabajar juntos para mejorar ciertos
aspectos de la implementación de su política de personal:
|
Teniendo en cuenta las tareas encomendadas a la
Agencia, queda confirmada la necesidad de disponer principalmente de
funcionarios. Regularmente la Oficina organizará concursos en el campo de
la Propiedad Intelectual, en un principio, cada tres años. Adicionalmente,
se buscarán nuevas oportunidades para permitir el reclutamiento de
funcionarios en el campo de soporte (no PI) con la colaboración de EPSO
para la organización de competiciones internas abiertas a agentes
temporales y agentes contractuales de la Oficina. |
|
La puesta en marcha de cursos de formación
permanente en Alicante será organizada conjuntamente por la Oficina, la
U4U y los demás sindicatos, para poder prepararse para dichos concursos.
|
|
El principio de la renovación de contratos de los
agentes temporales con objetivo de retener a aquellos con un rendimiento
adecuado, está confirmado. La primera renovación estará principalmente
basada en el mérito. La decisión de la segunda renovación tendrá también
en consideración, entre otros criterios, la proporción indicativa de un
máximo de 70% del total del personal disponiendo de un empleo permanente
en la Oficina.
El número de funcionarios, agentes temporales y agentes contractuales se
tendrá en cuenta para calcular la proporción del personal que recibirá una
segunda renovación. Dado el número significativo de agentes contractuales
reclutados recientemente, el número de segundas renovaciones de personal
temporal tendrá que ser revisado al aumento para los próximos años
(2018-2020) comparado con la previsión del 2015. |
|
Otra medidas, en un ámbito mas social, se
discutirán con los socios involucrados, en particular con la Escuela
Europea de Alicante. |
|
Dada la dinámica positiva y los fructíferos
resultados de estas reuniones, se ha acordado continuar a encontrarse
periódicamente. |
Antonio Campinos
Georges Vlandas |
EUIPO - U4U Joint Communication
Regular contacts between the Office and the U4U have taken place over the
last few months. These meetings provided an opportunity to exchange views on
the economic and political context and the objectives of EU institutions and
agencies, and in particular on resource management strategies. These
exchanges provide a constructive complement to the regular social dialogue
maintained with the Staff Committee of the Office.
The objectives announced in the strategic plan and the growth model of
the resources proposed by the Office to its institutional stakeholders,
constitute an approach more adapted to the context of agencies (in
particular those that are self-financed) compared to the approach agreed
between the Institutions which foresees standard austerity measures by means
of a systematic reduction of the establishment plan. The developed model
aligns staffing requirements with the variation in the volume of activity
while taking into account the systematic and continuous productivity gains
achieved by revising working methods, simplifying processes and investments
in the automation of tasks, as well as the training of personnel.
The adoption of the Multi Annual Staff Policy Plan (MASPP) by the
Management Board and the Budget Committee of the Office in June 2016 now
sets the framework for a staff policy aimed at an ambitious but also
realistic and rational growth.
The Office and U4U have agreed to work together to improve certain
aspects of the implementation of this personnel policy:
|
Given the tasks entrusted to the Agency, the need
to have mainly permanent officials of the EU is confirmed. The Office will
organize competitions in the field of intellectual property on a regular
basis, in principle every three years. In addition, new opportunities will
be sought to enable the recruitment of officials in the field of support (non-IP)
with the collaboration of EPSO for the organization of internal
competitions open to temporary agents and contract agents of the Office.
|
|
The setting up of permanent training courses in
Alicante, organized jointly by the Office, U4U, as well as other
representative Trade Unions, to prepare for such competitions. |
|
The principle of renewal of temporary staff
contracts with a view to retaining those performing at the expected level
is also confirmed. The first renewal will be primarily linked to merit.
The decision on the second renewal will also take into consideration,
among other criteria, the indicative proportion of 70% of the Office's
total staff benefiting from a permanent employment.
The proportion of staff who will receive a second renewal will be
calculated based on the number of officials, temporary agents and contract
staff. Given the significant number of recently recruited contract agents,
the number of second renewals for temporary staff should be reviewed for
the years to come (2018-2020) compared to the initial forecast of 2015.
|
|
Other measures of a more social nature will be
discussed with the relevant partners, in particular with the European
School of Alicante. |
|
Given the positive dynamics and the successful
outcomes of these meetings, it is agreed to continue holding them
periodically. |
Antonio Campinos
Georges Vlandas
11 November 2016 |
Contribution/Participation Agreement between the European Schools and "the EUIPO”.
Social Dialogue at OHIM regarding Health an
Safety
Request to reactivate the
Health & Safety Committee (August 2015)
Election 2014 to the Staff committee
Chers collègues,
U4U vient de gagner les élections au
comité du personnel de l'agence d'Alicante (OAMI) - la plus importante des
agences de régulation (près de 2.000 personnes) avec 4 élus sur 7, et les plus
grands scores personnels. C'est le résultat du travail de l'équipe de Gregor
Schneider - notre vice-président pour les agences de régulation – avec l'appui
de l'équipe centrale de U4U. Nous remercions tous les électeurs de leur
confiance et nous commençons dès à présent le travail qu'il nous ont confié.
G. Vlandas 27/11/2014
A vote for us is a vote for
you !
Un voto para nosotros es un voto para ti !
A motivated and experienced team for real change
Un equipo experto y motivado para un cambio real
Katharina Carabias: is an experienced examiner working on a temporary
contract. An anthropologist by background and education, she has a special
interest in work relations.
Annakim Giese: has more than 13 years of experience working in the
Human Resources and Finance departments of the Office, and is an expert on staff
issues.
Claudio Martinez Möckel: has 15 years of working in the Trade Marks
department, and was Staff Committee member from 2011 to 2014.
Rhys Morgan: a U.K. lawyer and Accredited Mediator, with 16 years of
experience in the Boards of Appeal and Trade Mark department.
Marco Paolacci: an Italian lawyer who has been working for the Office
for 17 years in examination, communication and litigation. He was also a Staff
Committee member from 2000 to 2002.
Alexander Schifko: is an Austrian lawyer who has worked for the Office
for 12 years, in examination and litigation.
Gregor Schneider: is a German lawyer with 13 years of litigation
experience. He is a former Data Protection Officer and Staff Committee member
from 2006 to 2011.
As a team of seven, we combine experience and expertise in different sectors
of the Office, such as Operations and Support services, Human Resources, Finance
and Legal Affairs.
We have fresh candidates and experienced staff representatives from former
Staff Committees ensuring continuity.
We represent different groups of staff: officials, temporary agents with
indefinite and with limited contracts.
We will give the staff a voice and ears. We will defend the concerns of the
individual. We will pursue a coherent, rational and just staff policy.
We will prioritise the following:
|
Targets which are reasonable,
fair and adapted to the individual. |
|
A Career development path
for staff which is secure and planned. |
|
Dignity and fairness in the
workplace. |
|
A work-life balance that
ensures a motivated and healthy staff. |
|
Avoiding precarious
contracts in a European administration which has a huge financial surplus.
|
|
Controlling and restricting
outsourcing. |
|
Reasserting the values,
goals, and working relations appropriate to a European Union public
administration, rather than those of a private multinational corporation.
|
Independence of the European Administration
starts with the Individual Staff Member.
We cannot sit back and simply watch as events unfold
around us. The U4U candidates want change and we believe it can happen. Each
of our candidates has worked for years in the Office, and between us we have
experience across the different departments of this Office. This experience
has informed our opinions about what is most urgently in need of change in
our workplace. We can only be elected with your support and any future
success will only be achieved with your continued feedback and backing.Targets which are reasonable, fair and adapted to the individual:
|
Put targets into context and stop the constant addition of further
criteria on which staff are appraised, such as shortening delivery times,
and ever increasing production;
|
|
The quality of work should be also a corrective factor against the
quantity. People should have enough time to do their work. Proper account
should be taken of the complexity of the work, so that less pressure and a
high quality outcome result;
|
|
The possibility to negotiate objectives in particular situations (e.g.
health problems, ‘burn out’, short absences, reincorporation after long
sickness leave, death of a family member, and so on);
|
|
A newcomer policy, which does not set workers tough targets during
their first months in a new job;
|
|
Training should be included in the target.
|
A Career development path for staff which is secure and planned:
|
Regular internal and external competitions for temporary and contract
agents in order to give staff with limited contracts the possibility to
prove their worth and to stay;
|
|
Unblock careers;
|
|
Guarantee the equivalent of certification to temporary agents;
|
|
Availability of the maximum number of promotions per exercise;
|
|
Career progression for AD 11 and AST 8 onwards;
|
|
Promote inter-agency mobility;
|
|
Increase transparency and fairness in internal selections. Improve
internal mobility by better monitoring of the internal selection procedures;
|
Dignity and fairness in the workplace:
|
Commitment of the management to respect the common rules of good
behaviour and fair play;
|
|
Promote communication and trustful relationships between staff and
management;
|
|
Promote campaigns against discrimination, mobbing and harassment, and
especially to prevent them before from happening; improve mechanisms to
avoid and if necessary, punish discrimination, mobbing or harassment, at
whatever level it takes place;
|
|
All staff should have the possibility to have a quiet working
environment; give alternatives to open space;
|
|
Develop positive motivation-mechanisms instead of constant
’target-threat’;
|
|
No reserved parking spaces unless there is a sufficient of parking
space for all the statutory staff;
|
|
Stop the constant and ongoing monitoring and control of work. The scale
of the monitoring is demotivating for staff, which may result in illness,
and represents an inefficient use of resources.
|
A work-life balance that ensures a motivated and healthy staff:
|
Teleworking, including teleworking at a distance from Alicante, and
flexi-time should be defended and promoted as a general option for all
staff. Only staff with clearly insufficient performance may be subject to
restrictions;
|
|
Meetings should be held during normal working hours and working days
limited from Monday to Friday. This is particularly important in order to
avoid discrimination against people with young children and personal needs;
|
|
No obstacles to parental leave and other kinds of leave (including
those linked to summer holidays). Create a proper back-up policy throughout
the Office to minimise inconveniences linked to these kinds of absences;
|
|
Nurseries for staff with very young children. This facility requires
hardly any resources and would be a great help to many staff. It would be a
rational and efficient investment with obvious benefits to staff and the
Office;
|
|
Fairer holiday planning;
|
|
Continue encouraging social activities of the Office (such as,
solidarity circles, leisure circles, social initiatives, and so on).
|
Avoiding precarious contracts in a European administration which has a
huge financial surplus:
|
No low-grade-contracts for experienced and highly skilled staff;
|
|
Create the possibility of indefinite contracts and organize
competitions, in particular for contact agents;
|
|
Stop squandering the talent and experience of highly qualified workers by
not renewing their contracts. This causes considerable loss of expertise to
the Office and, above all, it is wrong.
|
Controlling and restricting outsourcing:
|
Excessive use of consultants without proper control endangers the
independence of the OHIM, a body of the European Administrations;
|
|
Use of consultants limits internal career and mobility possibilities;
|
|
Stop constant loss of knowledge and dependency due to the transfer of
important day to day functions to externals;
|
|
Organize external competitions to make them internals where necessary.
|
Reasserting the values, goals, and working relations appropriate to a
European Union public administration, rather than those of a private
multinational corporation:
|
The Office must be more than ‘a decently paying firm’ where one may
spend a part of career, and build a CV. The Office should make us feel part
of the European project.
|
|
Similarly, the very substantial skills and experience, as well as the
cultural wealth, of our Staff must be reflected in a work environment
granting autonomy and empowerment, not relying on control, threats or a
factory-like ‘production line.’ This is the only way to be a truly European
project based on mutual respect for all.
|
Please read our manifesto…
Please contact us for questions.
Independence of the European Administration starts with the Individual
Staff Member
|
Queremos ser
vuestra voz y vuestros oídos. Emplear nuestra energía para alcanzar un
objetivo común: un entorno de trabajo mejor. Cada miembro de nuestro equipo
acumula numerosos años de carrera en la Oficina y tiene su particular
experiencia acerca de lo que es más urgente y de lo que se puede hacer
mejor, pero nuestra elección no es sólo cosa nuestra: es, principalmente,
cosa vuestra. Por eso, nuestro programa no es un plan de acción para los
próximos cuatro años, sino el esfuerzo de un equipo de personas con ideas
propias y convicciones comunes. Esta no es una lista definitiva, sino que
irá alargándose gracias a vuestras aportaciones. Confiad en nosotros para
llevar a cabo este proyecto colectivo.
Qué defendemos:
Implantar objetivos razonables y adaptados a las personas:
|
Contextualizar los objetivos y frenar el incremento constante de
criterios de evaluación, como reducción de los plazos o aumento continuo de
la producción;
|
|
Priorizar la calidad frente a la cantidad. Conceder el tiempo necesario
para el trabajo teniendo en cuenta la complejidad de cada tarea con el fin
de obtener, con menor presión, una mayor calidad;
|
|
Posibilitar la negociación de objetivos para casos particulares, como
problemas de salud, desgaste ocupacional, ausencias breves, reincorporación
tras baja por enfermedad prolongada, muerte de un familiar, etc;
|
|
Instaurar una política específica para los recién llegados;
|
|
Incluir la formación en los objetivos.
|
Trabajar por un desarrollo de la carrera seguro y planificado:
|
Organizar regularmente concursos internos y externos a fin de permitir
a agentes temporales y contractuales probar su valía y permanecer en la
Oficina;
|
|
Desbloquear las carreras;
|
|
Proporcionar a los agentes temporales un equivalente a la
certificación;
|
|
Garantizar el máximo número de promociones por ejercicio;
|
|
Posibilitar la progresión de AD 11 y AST 8 en adelante;
|
|
Facilitar la movilidad entre agencias;
|
|
Incrementar la transparencia y la justicia de los procedimientos de
selección internos. Mejorar la movilidad interna mediante una mayor
vigilancia de dichos procedimientos.
|
Luchar por la dignidad y la justicia en el puesto de trabajo:
|
Invitar a la dirección a respetar las reglas básicas de buen
entendimiento;
|
|
Fomentar la comunicación y la confianza entre el personal y la
dirección;
|
|
Impulsar campañas, especialmente con carácter preventivo, contra la
discriminación y el acoso sexual y laboral, y mejorar los mecanismos para
evitar (y, en su caso, castigar) dichas situaciones a cualquier nivel en que
se produzcan;
|
|
Abrir a todo el personal la posibilidad de trabajar en un entorno
silencioso proporcionando alternativas al Open Space;
|
|
Desarrollar mecanismos positivos de motivación como alternativa a
la
amenaza constante de los objetivos;
|
|
Poner fin a los aparcamientos reservados hasta que existan plazas
suficientes para todo el personal estatutario;
|
|
Limitar la constante supervisión del trabajo, que resulta desmotivadora
y puede incrementar las bajas por enfermedad.
|
Promover la conciliación entre vida familiar y laboral para garantizar
una plantilla sana y motivada:
|
Defender y promover el teletrabajo (incluyendo la opción de efectuarlo
fuera de Alicante) y el flexitime como una alternativa abierta a todos. Sólo
las personas con un rendimiento claramente insuficiente deberían ver
restringida esa posibilidad;
|
|
Acotar los horarios de reunión exclusivamente al horario de core
business, y los días de trabajo de lunes a viernes, con el fin de evitar la
discriminación de personas con niños a su cargo y/u otras necesidades
particulares;
|
|
Levantar los obstáculos al permiso parental u otras modalidades de
permiso vinculados o no a las vacaciones de verano. Crear una política de
backups seria y equitativa a lo ancho de toda la Oficina con el fin de
minimizar los inconvenientes provocados por dichos tipos de ausencia;
|
|
Impulsar la creación de un servicio de guardería;
|
|
Reivindicar una planificación más humana de las vacaciones;
|
|
Continuar fomentando las actividades sociales de la Oficina (círculos
solidarios, clubes, iniciativas sociales, etc);
|
Evitar la contratación precaria en una administración europea que dispone
de un superávit sustancial:
|
Poner freno a los contratos de bajo grado para personal experto y/o
altamente cualificado;
|
|
Facilitar la contratación indefinida y la organización de concursos
para agentes contractuales y temporales;
|
|
Acabar con la práctica de desperdiciar trabajadores experimentados al
no renovarles el contrato. Esta política provoca a la Oficina unas pérdidas
humanas, económicas, profesionales y de conocimiento tan elevadas como
innecesarias;
|
Moderar y restringir las externalizaciones:
|
Moderar la proliferación de consultores con el fin de impedir la
constante pérdida de conocimiento y la limitación que suponen para las
posibilidades de carrera interna y de movilidad;
|
|
Revisar la política de externalizaciones debido a los riesgos que
implica en relación a la dilución de la identidad europea y la independencia
de la Oficina;
|
|
Organizar concursos de titularización del personal externo en la medida
en que sean necesarios.
|
Reafirmar los valores, objetivos y relaciones profesionales apropiados
para una administración pública de la Unión Europea, a diferencia de los de
una multinacional privada:
|
Hacer de la Oficina algo más que una “empresa que paga decentemente” en
la que se desempeña parte de la carrera y se construye un curriculum. La
OAMI debería hacernos sentir parte del proyecto europeo;
|
|
Crear un entorno laboral que garantice autonomía y apoderamiento, en
línea con el espíritu de mutuo respeto en el que se basa el proyecto
europeo, y en el que se puedan reflejar adecuadamente las importantes
capacidades y experiencia laboral de nuestra plantilla, así como su riqueza
cultural, sin depender de controles, amenazas y otros mecanismos más propios
de líneas de producción fabriles.
|
Please read our manifesto…
Por favor para preguntas y sugerencias
La independencia de la Administración Europea se basa en la de cada
miembro individual del personal.
|
Reduction of resources allocated to the
Staff Committee
Dear colleagues
Please find attached a Decision of the President dated 23 July 2014 in which
he reduces by almost 20% the staff resources allocated to the new Staff
Committee. As the Decision substantially affects your right of
representation, U4U considers it important to bring this matter to your
attention, especially since many members of staff seem to be unaware of this
change. The Decision seems to be the end product of consultations with the
current Staff Committee.
Aside from the obvious negative impact of this Decision on staff
representation in this Office, U4U is unhappy with the way in which the change
was brought about for two reasons: (i) the management is defining the working
conditions of a new Staff Committee before it is even elected; and (ii) the
resources allocated to the Staff Committee should be the result of a social
dialogue, i.e. negotiations with the trade unions, which is considered standard
good practice in Brussels.
There is no reason to cut the resources of the Staff Committee while our
total staff numbers continue to grow, while the Office has an enormous budget
surplus, and while vastly greater resources are expended on a platoon of
business consultants.
The Staff Committee had a very strong case on this issue. U4U wants a Staff
Committee that can defend itself, and thereby the staff it represents.
Georges Vlandas (President), Fabrice Andreone (VP), Gregor
Schneider( VP)
24/11/2014
EUIPO membership of AASC
(April 2016)
Letter and opinion from the Staff
Committee of the OHIM on the Draft Implementing Rules of OHIM on Article 51 of
the Staff Regulations - DG HR reply
(April 2016)
Letter sent by U4U-Alicante to
President Campinos as regards the renewal of his mandate (27 June 2014)
Lettre concernant la gestion des
ressources humaines. (20 mai 2014)
Lettre au Pdt Barroso à l'occasion de sa visite à l'OAMI
pour son vingtième anniversaire (10 avril 2014)
Dear President Barroso,
U4U would like to thank you for your important first visit to OHIM. Your
visit shows that the decentralized agencies are a full member of the family of
EU administration and the staff of OHIM will appreciate your visit.
As one of the largest EU Agencies, with a European and global profile and
reach, OHIM has been a huge success. This success can be measured by the ever
increasing application numbers, which have far exceeded all predictions, by its
massive budget surplus, by the extensive convergence programmes operated
together with the Members States and by the recognition that OHIM technical
cooperation efforts have earned at a global level. Given its success, the OHIM
has been entrusted new competencies in the recent past such as the European
Observatory on Infringement of Intellectual Property Rights.
Notwithstanding the speed and urgency of growth, there is still great
potential for the Office to fulfil an exemplary role in terms of the European
social model, espousing fundamental values such as work stability, equal pay for
equal work, gender equality and non-discrimination between EU nationals.
The very success and growth of OHIM risks placing it at loggerheads with the
Commission and the general economic context in Brussels and the EU at large.
OHIM is obliged to artificially limit posts instead of staffing the agency
according to the growth needs. Thanks to the laudable initiative of OHIM’s
President has the Office been able to deliver on a promise to recruit 70 new
Officials through two EPSO competitions which are ongoing.
It is in this context that we feel strongly that OHIM, as a flagship agency
of the Union, still has greater challenges to meet. Of a total workforce of some
1800, at present only 400 are officials. Another 350 are Temporary Agents and
Contract Agents. There are a considerable number of National Experts involved in
the cooperation programmes. The rest and bigger part of the workforce is
constituted by interim staff and an enormous amount of consultants who work on
short-term contracts under which their employers siphon huge percentages of
money merely for facilitating workers the OHIM could easily contract directly.
Many of our colleagues who are employed as consultants or interim, work in a
variety of classic roles over two, three or more years, during which time they
are substantively members of the OHIM staff, yet on a lower salary, without the
same health cover or vacation rights, or indeed rights for family and children.
Our colleagues from temporary staffing companies or from the consultant firms
often work in functionally permanent posts not related to a temporary peak of
work load or to the implementation of a specific project.
Apart from the requirement that the public decision power, transferred to the
agency, should be exercised by staff employed by the agency, the EU
administration should also be a paradigm of the European social model. EU
administration must strive for complete compliance with national labour law,
e.g. concerning the use of interim staff, in particular in a local environment
where the employment policy of the Office as the major employer in the region is
under the scrutiny of the our host population.
Finally, the nature of the Temporary Agent and Contract Agent posts offered
is also unsatisfactory. In terms of grades, there has been a down-grading of the
levels of offered posts to save money by taking advantage of the harsh EU
economic climate and more particularly the situation in Spain. Moreover, the
strict limitation of Temporary Agent contracts to a maximum of ten years without
possibility of extension is in contraction of the EU’s general fight for
stability of employment. The EU administration should not take advantage of a
depressed labour market to obtain a flexibility that is not really needed in
view of the above mentioned growth predictions for OHIM.
Your visit confirms and consolidates the importance of OHIM in the EU system.
We trust that your visit will also mark a new era of Commission support for
constructive, respectful and sustainable labour policies at OHIM to consolidate
its success, thriving to further convert OHIM into a role model of modern
administration while affirming true EU values.
Yours sincerely,
Georges Vlandas
Gregor Schneider
President U4U
Vice President Regulatory Agencies 09/04/2014
Création d'une section syndicale à Alicante
| Le 28 janvier 2014, U4U a créé une section au
sein de l’Agence des marques (Office pour l’Harmonisation du Marché
Intérieur - OHIM), basé à Alicante. Cette Agence regroupe plus de 1800
personnes dont 800 fonctionnaires et autres agents de l’Union européenne et
traite de dossiers très importants pour le fonctionnement harmonieux du
marché intérieur.
Suite à la réunion constitutive, les représentants de U4U ont organisé
une Conférence pour présenter les enjeux de la révision du statut et
l’actualité du personnel à Bruxelles. Cette présentation a connu un franc
succès.
Il a été convenu de continuer ce cycle de Conférences et de contacts, la
prochaine étant prévu en mai/juin 2014.
M. Gregor Schneider a été désigné responsable de notre section à Alicante
et Vice-Président de U4U. M. Claudio Martinez Moeckel a été désigné comme
personne de contact.
U4U présentera une liste aux prochaines élections du Comité du personnel
de l’OHIM, en novembre 2014. Nous vous tiendrons au courant de notre
programme et des dossiers que nous souhaitons faire avancer auprès de la
Direction de l’Agence.
30/01/2014 |
On 28 January 2014, a new U4U section was
founded at the Alicante-based European Trade Mark Agency (Office for
Harmonisation in the Internal Market – OHIM). More than 1800 people work
at this agency, of which 800 are officials and other statutory employees.
The agency is a key actor for the harmonious functioning of the Internal
Market.
Following the inaugural meeting, the representatives of U4U organized a
conference to explain the details and circumstances of the Staff Regulations
reform and the topics of concern for the staff in Brussels. The lunch time
conference was a great success among the local staff.
It was agreed that U4U would continue to organise conferences and contact
meetings in Alicante, the next meeting being envisaged for May/June 2014.
Mr. Gregor Schneider was named as the person responsible for the Alicante
section and appointed Vice President of U4U. In addition, Mr. Claudio
Martinez Moeckel was designated as contact person.
U4U will present a list for the next Staff Committee elections in
Alicante, scheduled for 2014. We will keep you updated about our programme
and the topics which we will highlight to the Management of the Agency |
El pasado 28 de enero de 2014, U4U creó una sección en el seno de la Agencia
de marcas (Oficina para la Armonización del Mercado Interior – OAMI), basada en
Alicante.
Esta Agencia reagrupa a más de 1800 personas, de las cuales 800 son
funcionarios y agentes de la Unión Europea, y gestiona dosieres de gran
importancia para la armonización del mercado interior.
Fruto de la reunión constitutiva, los representantes de U4U organizaron una
Conferencia para presentar los retos de la revisión del Estatuto y de la
actualidad del personal en Bruselas. Esta presentación tuvo un éxito manifiesto.
En ella se convino continuar el ciclo de Conferencias y contactos,
previéndose una próxima reunión en mayo/junio de 2014.
El Sr. Gregor Schneider fue designado responsable de nuestra sección en
Alicante y Vicepresidente de U4U. El Sr. Claudio Martínez Moeckel fue designado
como persona de contacto.
U4U presentará una lista de cara a las próximas elecciones al Comité de
Personal de la OAMI en noviembre de 2014. Les mantendremos informados de nuestro
programa y de los asuntos que serán propuestos a la Dirección de la Agencia en
los que deseamos que se produzcan mejoras.
Accord de
reconnaissance avec l'OAMI
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