JSIS
Our colleagues have been telling us about the increasing difficulties they experience when communicating with JSIS. On this matter, please see the letter from USB to the Commission, the Commission’s reply and some background information. We will keep you informed about further developments on this subject.
Accumulation of EU and Belgian pension rights
We have previously informed you of the Belgian State’s attempt to further limit the accumulation of EU institutional and Belgian pension rights. This will be relevant to you if you still have Belgian pension rights that have not been transferred to the EU pension scheme.
Union Syndicale has raised the issue with the Commission, maintaining that the measures being taken by the Belgian authorities would infringe EU law. In its reply, the Commission confirms our viewpoint and explains how it is seeking to have these measures annulled. It has even provided the pensioners concerned with a standard letter that can be sent to the Belgian authorities.
Union Syndicale will closely monitor the situation to ensure you receive the necessary information to protect your rights.
Access for contract staff to internal competitions
Pursuant to Article 82(7) of the Staff Regulations, the Appointing Authority restricts contract staff’s access to internal competitions by :
- completely excluding colleagues in function group I;
- requiring a much higher minimum length of service than for other categories of staff;
- limiting the recruitment opportunities for contract staff who have passed a competition.
These restrictions are neither in the interest of the GSC, nor of the staff concerned. Union Syndicale considers this unlawful discrimination and will support concerned staff members.
We also refer you to the Framework Agreement on Fixed-Term Work (signed by the European Trade Union Confederation, to which Union Syndicale belongs), adopted on 18 March 1999, which is annexed to Council Directive 1999/70/EC of 28 June 1999 concerning the framework agreement on fixed-term work concluded by ETUC, UNICE and CEEP (OJ 1999 L 175, p. 43) and the relevant case-law.
We invite contract staff interested in taking part in an internal competition to contact us, so that we can see what can be done and how we can support them. Our aim here is to maximize the chances for staff to secure a permanent post.
Reasonable accommodation:
when making a request can prove to be a serious challenge
A decision, a Staff Note (CP), a guide on reasonable accommodation and a 40-page plus guide on temporary or permanent disability set out the measures offered to staff so as to ensure reasonable accommodation.
Recently, a colleague, who was suffering from a temporary disability that his doctor considered would last between six and eight weeks, requested additional IT equipment to obviate the need to transport IT equipment between his office and home when teleworking (second laptop, mouse, headset).
Although all the necessary provisions are in place, the Diversity and Inclusion Office did not handle the request, but referred the colleague to the Medical Service, which confirmed the temporary disability and informed the IT service of the need to make the equipment available. The IT service took a further two weeks to forward the request to the Appointing Authority.
After more than four weeks of back-and-forth between the services, the colleague finally contacted the Appointing Authority directly. The latter, which had not been informed of the request, validated the request two days later.
The Staff Note stipulates that requests for reasonable accommodation must be handled within an average of 30 working days from the date of receipt by the Diversity and Inclusion Office.
Union Syndicale considers this period to be far too long, especially for a colleague who is suffering from a disability. We ask our Administration to review the deadline for this procedure and to put in place arrangements for urgent cases.
