EPO Squeezing the Staff - Part II - Office Breaks Rules, Ignores Courts, Defies Justice
And meanwhile it's reported that the BoA (the EPO's kangaroo courts) are blending in with the EU's kangaroo courts, which are both illegal and unconstitutional. Europe is becoming another Russian Federation, except in name. It's a dictatorship governed by and for oligarchs. It does not care about Europe, people's welfare, science, technology, and entrepreneurship. People are getting robbed under false pretences like "innovation".
In Part I (this morning) we spoke about "an ill child, spouse, relative in the ascending line or parents-in-law", showing what EPO staff is meant to do when such illnesses happen.
This morning - not in the afternoon as previously planned - we quote again the SUEPO TH committee (EPO union leaders in the Netherlands) as saying: "We urge the Office to respect the full scope of the Appeals Committee’s recommendations, halt the implementation of restrictive measures that contradict internal legal opinions, apply the decision on exam fees and administrative costs retroactively to all staff concerned, and engage in genuine dialogue with staff representatives and unions to restore trust and fairness."
This committee speaks of "Education & Childcare Reform" in a new publication citing an internal one from the Office:
Here is the full response as HTML, GemText, and plain text (bulletins):
INTERNATIONALE GEWERKSCHAFT IM EUROPÄISCHEN PATENTAMT
STAFF UNION OF THE EUROPEAN PATENT OFFICE
UNION SYNDICALE DE L'OFFICE EUROPEEN DES25 June 2025
su25006hp 0.2.1 – 5.2Education & Childcare Reform – follow up
EPO’s Continued Resistance to Internal Justice: GCC Meeting Outcomes and Next Steps
Dear SUEPO members, dear colleagues,
Following our previous communication, we wish to update you on the developments from the GCC meeting held on 02 June 2025, where document GCC/DOC 10/2025 was discussed.
Despite the clear and well-reasoned recommendations of the Appeals Committee in favour of staff, the Office has regrettably chosen to maintain its restrictive stance, as also confirmed in this publication on the matter. The proposed ECR guidelines not only fail to incorporate the broader interpretations of Article 71 ServRegs as advised by the Appeals Committee but also introduce additional limitations that further erode staff entitlements and are not in line with the Serv. Regs.
The APC also recommended that the Office revise its procedure and refrain from instructing or pressuring staff to pre-emptively deduct part of the school’s invoiced fee when submitting requests to HR. Instead, such deductions should be handled directly by HR. Regrettably, even this straightforward procedural suggestion has been disregarded by the EPO.
Even more concerning is the Office's decision to limit the favourable outcomes of appeals on exam fees and administrative costs solely to the individual Appellants and the specific school years contested, rather than applying them broadly to all affected staff. This selective treatment is deeply problematic, as it fosters litigation over dialogue and breeds mistrust instead of building confidence. As a result, to safeguard your rights, you are left with no choice but to file a request for review and follow up with an internal appeal.
Exams fees & Administration costs
If you incurred exam fees and/or administrative costs after the implementation of the reform that were not reimbursed, you may request full reimbursement by contacting hrservices@epo.org within three months of the relevant appeal decision, which was published on 15 May 2025. If your request is denied, you may file a Request for Review within three months of receiving the refusal. Should you receive a negative reply from HR, please contact us at hague@suepo.org for support.School Trips
The Office has chosen to disregard the Appeals Committee’s recommendations regarding school trips. Please be assured that SUEPO TH remains fully committed to defending this issue before the Tribunal, with the aim of securing a favourable outcome aligned with the Appeals Committee’s findings. However, given the Office’s current stance, there is no guarantee that a positive judgment will be applied to all staff. We therefore strongly advise you to file your own Request for Review annually for any disputed costs. For the 2025/26 school year, this can be done within three months of receiving a rejection via the Education Allowance Portal.Other costs deemed as indirect
The new guidelines include several costs that HR considers indirect and therefore not reimbursable under Article 71 Serv. Regs. These include, for example, mandatory campus fees and all fees charged by national schools in the Netherlands—contrary to the Office’s longstanding practice and independent of the education allowance reform. If part or all of the school fees are not reimbursed, you may consider filing a Request for Review (RfR). Feel free to contact us at hague@suepo.org if you need any help or advice on the matter.Conclusion
Despite staff representatives raising several concerns, the Office showed little willingness to engage in meaningful discussion or consider compromise solutions. We can only reiterate that this continued disregard for social dialogue and for the internal justice system undermines the authority of the Appeals Committee and raises serious questions about the Office’s commitment to fair and lawful treatment of its staff. It also risks increasing litigation before the ILOAT, contrary to the Office’s stated goals.
We therefore urge the Office to respect the full scope of the Appeals Committee’s recommendations, halt the implementation of restrictive measures that contradict internal legal opinions, apply the decision on exam fees and administrative costs retroactively to all staff concerned, and engage in genuine dialogue with staff representatives and unions to restore trust and fairness.
SUEPO will continue to monitor the implementation of the ECR guidelines and support affected staff in pursuing further appeals where necessary.
We thank all members for their continued support and solidarity. Your engagement strengthens our collective voice.
Kind regards,
Your SUEPO TH committee – M18B10 and De Bruyn Kopsstraat, 15, Rijswijk
The bargaining power of staff increases with every new SUEPO member – please consider joining SUEPO TH if you have not done so yet. And a warm thank you to all our members: you are the backbone of our union!
"Related publication," they say, is "Positive ApC opinions on the Education and Childcare reform" ("SUEPO TH, 21.05.2025").
The public or potential job applicants need to see this and to know this. The EPO isn't what it used to be. It compels workers to break the law and pays new workers way too little. It also robs its own pensioners. False promises everywhere. █