Terrorising his own staff

Summary: The European Patent Office (EPO) President, Benoît Battistelli, reportedly started threatening -- as before -- staff that decides to exercise the right to assemble and protest against abuses, including the abuses of President Battistelli himself

AS just about everyone in the EPO ought know by now, the British Consulate is about to find itself besieged by EPO staff (potentially thousands of staff) who will be there to protest an attack by non-scientists on the great scientists who work as examiners for the most part [1, 2]. These people are highly skilled (many have doctorate degrees and a long track record in their field), so they shouldn't be taken for fools or radicals. Au contraire -- these people can very easily recognise tyranny and injustice. They are eager to react to that even at personal cost or high risk. Greed does not motivate them to the degree that it motivates empty suits like Battistelli, who now surrounds himself in a crowd of bodyguards and other 'protection'/thugs (this so-called 'security' is costing taxpayers a lot of money and speaks volumes about paranoia or megalomania). Battistelli acts like a politician, not a manager. He leads by wielding fear and censorship, not charisma. It's no wonder given his right-hand man. No wonder top staff is leaving over time. It is a long charade of embarrassments that only gets worse as time goes by, whilst managers get labeled "Putin" because they show arrogance and run a witch-hunt against staff, not vice versa.

"It is a long charade of embarrassments that only gets worse as time goes by, whilst managers get labeled "Putin" because they show arrogance and run a witch-hunt against staff, not vice versa."According to some of these latest comments, Battistelli "had just issued a letter/threat to staff, directed at SUEPO Munich committee, that if there is a march to the British consulate next week, the organisers will be disciplined. So much for free speech. Is this his response to the Dutch court?"

This is a reference to the Dutch court's decision that we covered a couple of days ago. Quote from the message: "Those who take an active role in its organisation must know they ate infringing the standards of conduct expected from international civil servants. Should the planned demo actually take place, this would constitute a breach of the applicable legal framework and those concerned will be held liable for the beach of their obligations under the EPC and the Service Regulations."

Actually, the rights of workers include the right to protest. In the face of tyranny, as in this case, protest is very much necessary. The rules imposed by Battistelli are seen as illegitimate at this stage. They're designed to sustain his power, nothing else. It's essential to demonstrate for justice and democracy -- of which Battistelli is a sworn opponents, based on both actions and vain words.

"Well," said one anonymous person, "I had been pondering whether or not to participate in the demonstration on 25 February, midday. BB [Benoît Battistelli] has just made up my mind for me: I'll definitely be there to exercise my democratic rights (even in the unlikely event that I should be the only one there!)"

Another quote-worthy comment: "BB announces that any employee involved in organising a demonstration outside the UK Consulate in Munich will be "disciplined". Do I see it right, that it is the act of organising that requires discipline (rather than the act of demonstrating)?

"I recall another regime that began its reign of discipline by going after union organisers. I wonder, how long is the AC going to continue to sit on its hands."

Benoît Battistelli is digging himself deeper in the thin ice, to reuse a metaphor which was used the other day.

Battistelli has become a horrible pretender because only days ago, following the protest against an outpost of Denmark in Munich (targeting the AC, headed by Battistelli's mate) [1, 2, 3, 4], Battistelli published this in the EPO Web site:

Last week-end was marked by yet another tragic event in Europe as Denmark has been the victim of terrorist attacks in the centre of Copenhagen.

I am joined by the staff of the European Patent Office in expressing full solidarity with the Danish people. Europe is based on values among which freedom of expression and liberty are the most essential.

We must not be afraid, assume our responsibilities and stay united to reject these attempts against the basis of our plural society.

Benoît Battistelli

Well, what an unbelievable hypocrite, attacking free speech while claiming to defend it and squeezing terror attacks for his own spin.

"If 1000 staff members show up for that demonstration," writes one person, "it will be very difficult to apply diciplinary [sic] actions. This situation is not sustainable, Examiners get on the baricades [sic] and walk for a more democratic organisation."

Another person writes: "There must be a huge turnout at the GB consulate. As many staff, and Munich based attorneys, as possible. Strength in numbers. Enough with this authoritarian rubbish."

Finally, said another person several hours ago: "I don't live in Munich but this attempt to stop a fully democratic demonstration is so mind-bogglingly unacceptable that I think I shall take the day off and travel to Munich to be at the demo. Time for a strong signal, methinks."

The more people attend to protest, the more trouble the tyrant will be in, not the staff. It's collective strength. ⬆

“Staff at the European Patent Office went on strike accusing the organization of corruption: specifically, stretching the standards for patents in order to make more money.

“One of the ways that the EPO has done this is by issuing software patents in defiance of the treaty that set it up.”

--Richard Stallman amid 2008 EPO protests