The EPO has become militarised and imperialistic, not scientific

Summary: People at the cutting edge of science (in Switzerland) are not tolerating the EPO's decision to disregard Tribunal rulings from Switzerland (an international tribunal, ILOAT)

ABOUT an hour ago the staff union of the EPO (SUEPO) wrote: "Letter of support sent on 13 December 2017 by Mr. Ghislain Roy, President of CERN Staff Association and by Mr. Joël Lahaye, External Relations to the Staff Union of the European Patent Office in Munich" (main EPO 'branch').

It's a PDF, so we've decided to reproduce the English part of it:

Meyrin, 13 December 2017

Dear Colleagues,

With this letter, the CERN Staff Association wishes to assure you of its full support to you in the battle you have been waging for several years now to uphold your trade union rights, as well as the rights of the entire personnel of the European Patent Office (EPO) regarding the respect and enforcement of ILOAT judgements.

Once again, we are appalled by the fact that the EPO does not enforce a judgment of ILOAT, which it has itself chosen and recognised to settle disputes between the Organization and its officials.

This practice of the Organization is completely unacceptable and must be strongly denounced. Such a practice is not worthy of a responsible leadership at the helm of a European Organization, which must lead by example and be irreproachable in the application of the law that governs it.

We can only express our solidarity with the staff union representatives and the EPO colleagues. We are, and always will be, stronger together.

On behalf of the CERN Staff Association,

Joel Lahaye External Relations

Christian Roy CERN Staff Association President

As a reminder, this isn't the first time CERN expresses its shock. See for example:

• CERN Staff Association “Profoundly Shocked by the Situation That Has Persisted in the European Patent Office (EPO)”
• CERN Slams the European Patent Office for Abuse of Employees
• Outside Pressure is Growing: CERN Staff Association Reaffirms Commitment to SUEPO, The Staff Union of the EPO
• From Bad to Worse: When a Horrible Regime (EPO) Publicly Makes Itself Look Like One

Will representatives from the international banks speak out too? They did before... ⬆