Bonum Certa Men Certa

Translation Needed: High Employee Sabotaged European Patent Office (EPO)

EPO report



Summary: In response to the EPO's crackdown on its very own staff a report was issued, but a good translation of it is needed for wider circulation and informed responses

LAST NIGHT Merpel showed a seemingly (on the surface) good start for actions by EPO staff. But read the bottom two paragraphs that say: "Merpel initially thought she detected, in the section dealing with the "social situation" a recognition by the AC that the unrest and low morale in the Office need to be dealt with, in spite of repeated denials from Mr Battistelli.



“[EPO] Communiqué is silent on the ongoing investigation of staff representatives, and especially the accusations against Elizabeth Hardon, Chair of SUEPO Munich and the Local Staff Committee.”
      --SUEPO
"However, launching a social study "in close co-operation with the President" deprives that study of any credibility. A report which is vetted, contributed to, and possibly edited by the President will be a whitewash. If the people carrying out the study are not able to express themselves freely, i.e. if they work in the office or are engaged and briefed by the management of the office, then it will be a whitewash. It sounds like the AC wants to be project an air of concern, but is in no way interested in properly understanding the issues. If the AC was at all serious about understanding the social situation and dealing decisively with the rot, they would engage an independent, credible firm to investigate the "social situation" and would politely instruct the President to co-operate with the study. That's not what this sounds like."

This post was titled "EPO AC says no to Battistelli & yes to the rule of law," to which the FFII's President responded with "EPO is not responsible of its acts in front of a court, so the "rule of law" does not exist" (as confirmed by what everyone witnessed earlier this year in the Netherlands). SUEPO remarked on Merpel's post earlier this morning. It mentioned that this blog post's "comments note that the Communiqué is silent on the ongoing investigation of staff representatives, and especially the accusations against Elizabeth Hardon, Chair of SUEPO Munich and the Local Staff Committee."

Speaking of the Netherlands, there is this article in Dutch (we have archived it to bypass a paywall) we want a translation of (to help expand its reach beyond a few -- at most perhaps 50 million worldwide -- people). Google translates the headline as "High employee sabotaged European Patent Office", but can anyone who speaks Dutch please help provide a decent translation? Even for just a paragraph or two? We already got one volunteer, but he lacks time, for now...

Posting a translation in the comments section below may do. Accuracy is needed because EPO management is nitpicking (to discredit the messengers).

Comments

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