Summary: The Staff Union of the European Patent Office, SUEPO, which faced unprecedented and probably illegal (based on local laws) attacks, is being weakened by the worst President ever, whose own management team seems to be collapsing along with the institution he is destroying in just a few years

EARLIER TODAY SUEPO finally updated its Web site by posting this copy of an article [PDF] titled "Riche cuisine a l'Office européen des brevets" (for those who can comprehend French). But it's not a signal of SUEPO accelerating again after weeks of inactivity (or very scare public activity).

"SUEPO has collapsed," one person told us, perhaps overstating it a little bit. We heard similar things from other people. Here is an E-mail sent out earlier on:

Dear SUEPO members, Dear colleagues,

2016 was a very difficult year for SUEPO. Mr Battistelli dismissed two members of the Munich SUEPO committee (Elizabeth Hardon and Ion Brumme) and downgraded a third (Malika Weaver) for the simple reason of defending staff rights. In The Hague one committee member was also dismissed (Laurent Prunier). Further investigations of other SUEPO committee members are pending.

Additionally Mr. Battistelli continued in 2016 with his abusive reforms, empty "consultations", attacks on both ordinary staff and staff representatives as well as disregarding SUEPO as a social partner, making a mockery of his claims that he is seeking to establish a "social dialogue". On top of this come cronyism, abuses of power and a total disrespect for the Rule of Law.

The Administrative Council seems unwilling or unable to react as recently shown again in its decision concerning ILO-AT Judgment 3785 regarding the illegal composition of the Internal Appeals Committee.

Despite the permanent implicit threat to all the committee members, last year the Munich SUEPO committee still managed to continue to defend staff rights. But the sheer madness of it all is having a serious negative impact on our health and on our families.

Towards the end of last year ⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆ resigned. He has now been followed by ⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆, ⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆, ⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆ and ⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆. The reason for these resignations is that it is no longer possible for them to continue under the prevailing toxic conditions.

The resignations make a further full functioning of the Munich SUEPO committee near to impossible. The remaining committee members, ⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆, ⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆ and ⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆, will continue to manage the ongoing affairs. All Munich SUEPO members will be invited to a General Assembly, the date and time of which is still to be decided and will be published soon.

Munich SUEPO Committee

We hope that people will step in to help. As we noted at the end of last year, SUEPO must consider going anonymous in order to avert persecution (we have redacted names above so as to not help Battistelli and his goons find new scapegoats). They would be absolutely justified in going anonymous given the way they and/or their colleagues have been (mis)treated.

Where are the human rights groups? Is Eponia insular enough to conveniently ignore?

Well, regardless, the fight for justice continues. Techrights, which is safer (from retribution etc.) will continue to combat abusive management at the EPO, in the interest of Europe in general, as well as EPO staff's. We welcome submissions of material and information related to the EPO. We still have a lot of stuff that we are eager to publish this year, usually at the right opportunity based on relevance to current events. ⬆