Summary: Complaints from the European Federation of Public Service Unions (EPSU) against the European Patent Office (EPO) and their letter to the European Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs, Skills and Labour, Marianne Thyssen

THIS morning we began showing political actions against the cruel and abusive EPO management. There's more going on, but we are saving it for later so as to not undermine ongoing processes.

"Gross violations of trade union rights at the European Patent Office," wrote the European Federation of Public Service Unions (EPSU), as "demonstrations erupt" (that's the headline). We mentioned EPSU several times before, including last week and last year, even a year ago after the EPO had decided to arrogantly disregard Dutch court orders. EPSU really knows what's going on and has known it for a while.

"For your information," wrote to us a reader this morning, EPSU took further action and a "short report on situation at the EPO by European Federation of Public Service Unions (EPSU)" got published.

"The EPSU Web page," told us this reader, "includes a link to a letter which the Dutch MEP Agnes Jongerius has sent to European Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs, Skills and Labour, Marianne Thyssen" [PDF]. We mentioned her before.

"The letter is in Dutch," the reader wrote, "and unfortunately we don't have a translation at the moment."

Can our Dutch-speaking readers help here? For those who disliked PDF files, here it is as an image:

EPSU says that "Battestelli [sic] acts as tyrant". To quote its English page (in part):

Patent Office boss Battestelli acts as tyrant it is claimed. The root of the problem is that he, and the board that appointed him, do not believe that European and international fundamental rights apply to staff. This leads to a legal no-man’s land and to impunity. Battestelli can act like an ambassador that mistreats and exploits (usually a his) staff and claim diplomatic immunity. Ambassadors try to avoid having to be accountable for sexual harassment or even sexual exploitation. Battestelli seeks to do the same. A Dutch court has argued this is not the case and recognised European and international standards such as of the ILO and the European Social Charter apply. The director rejects this interpretation. He is supported in his lawlessness by the Dutch government. It is supporting an appeal of EPO in front of a higher Dutch court. The verdict is outstanding. EPSU and FNV have complained with the Dutch government. Questions have been raised by Members of the European Parliament and the Dutch Parliament. The European Commission is implicated as the EPO acts for certain tasks on a mandate from the European Commission, and uses EU tax payers money to finance such lawlessness. EPSU has contacted the office of European Commissioner for Social Affairs for a strong signal. Such people can not remain in office.

The next post will uncover even more political interventions. There's a whole bunch of them right now. ⬆