Strikes at the EPO Approved for the Rest of the Year, "€1,3 Billion Taken From Staff Income"
We must focus on the real issues, not on trolls, so let's get back to the EPO.
As we pointed out a few weeks ago, "the Rest of the Year Will be EPO Staff on Strike" (in all sites). The intensity of the strike grows over time, as envisioned a month ago (about half of those who voted on it are in favour).
"SUEPO thanks colleagues for their continued support for the industrial actions," the union said yesterday, "which have already significantly affected production, strike participation and grant output. Despite demonstrations, discussions with Administrative Council delegations and wider public attention, the detrimental Salary Adjustment Procedure was approved, while SUEPO’s proposal to resolve the dispute remains unanswered. Members have therefore voted overwhelmingly to continue industrial action until the end of the year."
Further down the union said what would happen next: "To coordinate participation during the summer, colleagues are encouraged to strike on the following anchor days:
-
Friday 24 July
-
Friday 31 July
-
Friday 21 August
-
Friday 28 August
Colleagues should also continue work-to-rule, avoid compensating for lost output, use their leave entitlements and encourage others to join the actions. Strong participation on the anchor days is essential to defend staff’s employment package and protect their future."
Below we add "the full publication." The public needs to know because the media is intentionally not covering any of it.
INTERNATIONALE GEWERKSCHAFT IM EUROPÄISCHEN PATENTAMT
STAFF UNION OF THE EUROPEAN PATENT OFFICE
UNION SYNDICALE DE L'OFFICE EUROPEEN DES BREVETSOrtssektion Den Haag
Local section The Hague
Section locale La Haye14 July 2026
su26026hpIndustrial actions in summer
And why we need to carry on
Dear members, dear colleagues,
Thank you once again for supporting the industrial actions:- The production counter is down by more than 15k products,
- Almost 15k strike participations have been registered at the time of writing
- The grant deficit is 21% behind plan over the first half of the year
- After the first demonstration during the Administrative Council (AC) of March, and despite the searing heat and holiday season, the second demonstration of 30th June in front of the Isar building attracted around 250 colleagues and pensioners and 190 colleagues online.
During the AC meeting of June 30th and July 1st, our staff representatives accompanied their interventions with this printed handout and discussed the cuts with the delegates. Our proposal to resolve the labour dispute still remains unanswered at the time of writing. In parallel, the Union Syndicale Fédérale (USF), our umbrella union which is active at EU level, has also brought public attention to the matter. Despite all this, the detrimental Salary Adjustment Procedure (SAP) was approved by the AC. The Staff Committee’s flash update gives more details.
Considering that the planned cuts amount to an extra, and completely unjustified, €1,3 billion taken from staff income, it comes as no surprise that the SAP was adopted with so little regard for the point of view of the workforce. And this is exactly why we need to continue the industrial actions. Unfortunately, further disruption in the functioning of the EPO is the only way for us to gain leverage in this and future decisions taken by the AC.
The slides of the recent SUEPO EGM, where the members overwhelmingly voted to continue the industrial actions until the end of the year, provide more information on the reasons for continued action, particularly slide 9, reproduced below. For our colleagues who doubt the efficacy of industrial actions, a trip down memory lane: massive strikes took place under President Kober on the topic of the SAP1. Negotiations took place and the SAP and career system were improved. And our recent paper shows the outcome of industrial actions in the “outside world”.
_____
1 See “Recognition of Union rights”, 4.10.2001, Report of the 87th session of the Administrative Council, 6.2.2002 and Communiqué on progress made in the salary method and the A Career negotiations, 8.3.2002
We therefore call on all staff to continue supporting the industrial actions by:
- Striking on any day of the week2,
- Striking on the following new recommended “anchor days”3 in the summer:
Friday 24 July
Friday 31 July
Friday 21 August
Friday 28 August
- Continuing work-to-rule, ensuring not to compensate for work lost during strike days or earlier work-to-rule action;
- Discussing the effects of the proposed cuts4 with their colleagues and, if possible, encouraging them to join the industrial actions;
- Using all their annual leave, compensation hours, and home leave where applicable.
Please note the guide to production pressure at a time of industrial actions, and do not hesitate to contact us for assistance.
Defend your employment package. Protect your future.
Kind regards,
Your SUEPO TH committee, M18B10 and De Bruyn Kopsstraat, 15, Rijswijk_____
2 Reminder: we have lost the equivalent of 100 days of strike per employee since the present SAP was introduced in 2020. SUEPO Munich also adopted rolling strikes after their proven success in The Hague.
3 The purposes of these recommended anchor days are to foster solidarity and the feeling of collective action, and remind the Administration of the magnitude of staff unrest. Please note that these days are included within the total number of strike days, they are not to be regarded as the only days on which we will take action.
4 See also slides of the Staff General Meetings on the topic: 26 January, 12 February, 10 March, 2 June.
This is what the SUEPO 'calendar' (Approved Industrial Actions for The Hague) looks like right now:
Intensity can be revised and increased over time. █