You are an official or other agent of the European Parliament (EP).
Some people claim that we are a “special category”, that our situation and our problems are very different from those of national civil servants and other employees.
Since the last two reforms (2004 and 2014), more than 20% of the staff at the EP (Contract Agents, AST/SC) have a status that no longer gives them access to the salaries that used to be so envied in the past, not to mention the current much lower levels of recruitment.
The fragile relationship between governments and the Institutions in which we work, and the deterioration of the notion of “international civil service” are a threat to our job security, our standard of living, our health care, and even our pensions.
We are indeed subject to obligations set out in our Staff Regulations, regulations, agreements, and contracts.
But in addition to obligations, the same rules also give us rights, and this is where SAFE can help you.
We are confronted with sometimes unsatisfactory working conditions: understaffing, depersonalised relations, deskilling, development of precarious or temporary jobs, questioning of grading systems …
But the right of association has been recognised in the Staff Regulations.
Historically, the Staff Committee was the first organised framework for the protection and representation of staff.
In the EP, the Staff Committee is the privileged place to attempt social dialogue. But there is a limitation. This attempt at social dialogue must be constantly negotiated with the Administration without concessions or political prejudices.
Furthermore, the Staff Committee lacks legal personality and has no financial means to defend a colleague who has to go to court. On the other hand, an organisation like SAFE can do this, because it has legal personality and has the financial means.
Ultimately, this type of organisation guarantees something more: the accumulated knowledge that is useful to ensure the defence of everyone and the observance of the rules. No individual colleague knows enough about the system – organisations have a “corporate” memory.
Come out of your isolation.
There is strength in numbers!
Join us