Dictators ad personam

Summary: "New BIT organisation and staff changes," a novel kind of newspeak, means that Directors are being severely punished without due process at all ("hidden disciplinary measure without disciplinary proceedings")

THE EPO's President António Campinos does everything he can to assure EPO staff that nothing has changed. Former colleagues from EUIPO have been given top jobs (just like Battistelli and INPI) and Directors are being mistreated. Years ago it was reported that several of them attended staff protests, foreseeing perhaps that only solidarity at all levels can combat graft and other forms of corruption at the top. Campinos persists with controversial if not illegal policies -- not just appointments (nepotism) -- such as promotion of software patents in Europe.

Directors were always in a difficult position because in order to keep their job they had to implement policies (from up above) in likely violation of the EPC. It was always a moral dilemma. Remember when Ciaran McGinley left?

"This will only get worse if Campinos feels like he can get away with patently false claims by which to get rid of staff (as he did at EUIPO a couple of years ago).""Here is more evidence about institutional harassment at the EPO," writes an insider. "During the recent reorganisation of the IT department, 18 Directors were nominated “Director ad personam” and two Principal Directors “Principal Advisor”. Such treatment of managers is humiliating and qualifies as harassment. It also represents a hidden disciplinary measure without disciplinary proceedings. Not all of the now "ad personam" Directors previously worked in the IT department. The BIT reorganisation, following the IT study, was apparently used as a tool for harassing managers who were not involved in IT activities."

Here is the formal proof with names of people scrubbed off:

For those not familiar with the names still shown above, those are former colleagues of Campinos. Postponing a strike ballot is likely far too generous considering this gross institutional abuse. This will only get worse if Campinos feels like he can get away with patently false claims by which to get rid of staff (as he did at EUIPO a couple of years ago). ⬆

"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."

--Martin Luther King Jr.