EPO's "Current Industrial Actions Are Likely to Intensify Further."
Days ago: A Step Close to Shutting Down the European Patent Office (EPO)
Are permanent strikes at the EPO going to become a reality? In a new open letter to the President, the one who hides cocaine use, they end by saying there is an ultimatum.
To staff they say today: "In an open letter sent on Monday 23 March, the SUEPO committees of all places of employment invite the President to an urgent meeting. Without visible progress, the current industrial actions are likely to intensify further."
Here is the full message to staff:
Dear SUEPO members,
Dear Colleagues,The EPO financial situation is excellent thanks to the remarkable performance of staff (+12% productivity increase over the last 3 years alone). At the same time, the 6-year review of the current salary adjustment procedure shows that the evolution of EPO salaries is now lagging -6.8 percentage points behind the evolution of costs of living.
The newly proposed salary adjustment procedure aims at generating additional savings of €1.4 billion for the Organisation while further undermining staff purchasing power. This direction is neither understandable nor sustainable and will not be accepted by staff.
On 18 March 2026, 700 colleagues and pensioners demonstrated in front of the Isar building with 500 additional attendees connected to the live feed. A total of 1,200 attendees! Current actions have already had a considerable impact, with close to 5,000 strike participations recorded over the 3 days of warning strike, and a reduction of approximately 6,000 products, particularly affecting grants, which are a key source of income for national offices.
The position expressed by the Administrative Council is perceived by staff as a continued attack on our salaries and our entire employment package, without justification. At the same time, the absence of a clear and active defence of staff interests by the President has not gone unnoticed.
In an open letter sent on Monday 23 March, the SUEPO committees of all places of employment invite the President to an urgent meeting. Without visible progress, the current industrial actions are likely to intensify further.
Here's the full letter to the man who refers to himself as "the f***ing president" (his mouth is as dirty as his nose, as the joke might go):
INTERNATIONALE GEWERKSCHAFT IM EUROPÄISCHEN PATENTAMT
STAFF UNION OF THE EUROPEAN PATENT OFFICE
UNION SYNDICALE DE L'OFFICE EUROPEEN DES BREVETSZentraler Vorstand
Central Executive Committee
Bureau central23 March 2026
su26004cl - 0.3.1Mr António Campinos
President of the European Patent Organisation– by email –
OPEN LETTER
Invitation to Negotiate on the Salary Adjustment Procedure (SAP)
Dear Mr Campinos,Over the past years, EPO staff have consistently delivered products of very high quality, significantly exceeding planned targets. According to the administration’s presentation to the Administrative Council on 18th March, productivity has increased by 12% over the last three years alone, compared with an expected 2.1% per year. This remarkable performance has also contributed positively to the Office’s financial position, which has improved from an alleged gap of €5.8 billion prior to the introduction of the current Salary Adjustment Procedure in 2020 to a surplus of €4.2 billion as of the last Financial Study in 2023.
In addition, the RFPSS reached €15 billion at the end of January, with a pension coverage of over 105%, while the EPOTIF stands at over €5 billion. Last year’s surplus amounted to more than €600 million. Overall, the financial situation of the Office is currently very strong.
At the same time, EPO staff remuneration has experienced a decrease in purchasing power of 6.8% over the past six years under the current salary adjustment procedure.
In this context, the new proposed Salary Adjustment Procedure aims at generating additional savings of €1.4 billion for the organisation while further undermining staff purchasing power. This direction is neither understandable nor sustainable and will not be accepted by staff.
On 18 March 2026, over 700 staff members participated in a demonstration in front of the Isar building, with a further 500 joining online, to express their views and call for a fair and legal salary adjustment.
On 19 March 2026, staff also took part in a third warning strike in line with the approved SUEPO action plans. Current actions have already had a considerable impact, with close to 5,000 strike participations recorded over the 3 days, and a reduction of approximately 6,000 products, particularly affecting grants, which are a key source of income for national offices.
Further actions are envisaged, significantly intensifying the strike schedule to at least 2 days of every week and potentially every single working day being designated as a day of strike from April until
December, should staff concerns remain insufficiently addressed and no satisfactory solution be found.
Two technical meetings with staff representatives are scheduled in the coming weeks. These meetings must lead to tangible progress. A continuation of the current approach, without meaningful movement beyond the proposed Salary Adjustment Procedure, will not be sufficient to address staff concerns.
The position expressed by the Administrative Council is perceived by staff as a continued attack on our salaries and our entire employment package, without justification. At the same time, the absence of a clear and active defence of staff interests by you, the President, has not gone unnoticed.
In light of this situation, we urge you to personally engage decisively and constructively in the upcoming discussions. Without visible progress, the current industrial actions are likely to intensify further.
We therefore invite you to an urgent meeting to identify practical solutions to the current situation and to work towards a fair, legal and sustainable salary adjustment that appropriately reflects both the Office’s strong financial position and the contribution of its staff.
The Local Bureaus of SUEPO
Derek Kelly
Chair of SUEPO MunichMichael Sampels
Vice-Chair of SUEPO BerlinFausto Ciotta
Chair of SUEPO The HagueJohannes Schaaf
Chair of SUEPO Vienna
What will he do? Probably nothing. Time will tell. There is another strike in 5 days. The latest one was the most attended. █