Video download link | md5sum 9d896388c45d8b6d0dc0cb3b8a3e3781 The Children Feel the EPO Pinch Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 4.0



Summary: The EPO's staff is once again feeling the wrath of António Campinos, who takes away many of the workers' benefits while pushing the surplus into speculation in clear defiance of the EPC

LAST MONTH the Hague Staff Representatives (LSCTH) circulated a message to say that "one of the amendments to Art. 71 Serv. Regs. (education allowance) concerns the threshold for entitlement. In the new regulation, entitlement to the education allowance is now conditional on the education fees exceeding 500€. If you are in the situation of not being eligible since you pay school fees of less than 500€, we would like to remind you of your right to file a request for review for the decision of depriving you of the right of having an education allowance. The new Article 71 applies to all colleagues, irrespective of their nationality. Therefore, we remind the Dutch colleagues that under the new regulation, they are now fully entitled to receive a reimbursement of the school fees under Art. 71. Therefore, if you have school children and pay any fee to their school, we advise you to request that the administration reimburse the costs under Art. 71 Serv. Regs. If the administration refuses to do so on the basis of the 500€ threshold, or simply does not provide the reimbursement within a 2-month time frame, then we recommend that you challenge this discriminatory practice and start a legal procedure by filing a request for review."

Weeks have passed since LSCTH circulated the message explaining "[w]hat to do if the education fees are below the entitlement threshold."

Perhaps not so shockingly this month the message shown above (in video) and below (in text) was circulated to say:

01 June 2022 su22013hp

Education allowance portal – issues with school billing

Dear SUEPO members, dear colleagues

On the 31st of May, the Office has held a “drop-in session” concerning the launch of the new education allowance portal. SUEPO TH has been surprised by some elements associated with the new portal and has already received alarming feedback by our members. We have been informed that:

1. From the total school invoice, an amount ranging from 300 to 850 Euro corresponding to a “school trip” would be discounted from the tuition fees.

2. Colleagues submitting a request for full advancement without removing the trip costs could face delay in the application and would be contacted by HR.

3. Numerous colleagues could not submit the advancement request due to technical errors of the portal.

In any event, SUEPO TH advices you to send an e-mail to HR with the bill in annex and to request the full amount of the school invoice to be paid. It is up to the Office to demonstrate that a certain amount corresponds to “miscellaneous costs”, and by their own volition correct and reimburse the amount HR believes is applicable.

On this topic, we would urge you to contact SUEPO TH explaining further complications you are encountering. SUEPO TH will collect the information and contact the Office urgently to solve the problems arising from the implementation of the Childcare and Education Reform.

Your SUEPO The Hague Committee

As a result of the pandemic the EPO has made further savings; there's no excuse for the above cuts, especially considering soaring inflation rates (almost 12% where this staff is based).

This kind of disregard for staff assures the loss of high-calibre examiners. Recruitment, moreover, would fail to attract candidates who meet the standards specified in the EPC. Who does this benefit? It favours patent maximalists who prefer rubber-stampers, not skilled examiners. ⬆