02.24.16

Federation of International Civil Servants’ Associations Bemoans EPO Climate of “Fear, Threats, Intimidation or Retaliation”

Posted in Europe, Patents at 5:40 am by Dr. Roy Schestowitz

Summary: The Federation of International Civil Servants’ Associations (FICSA) is “calling on the delegations of the Administrative Council of the European Patent Organisation to intercede with EPO Management”

THERE is plenty to write (and unveil) today about the EPO, so we shall start with the easy stuff.

Last night (I stayed up until after 4) a request was made to transcribe this document [PDF] which is shown below as images:

One person sent us a manual transcription:

FICSA
Ref: 69th Council EPO
Geneva, 12 February 2016

Dear Sir/Madam,
I have the honour to share with you FICSA Resolution 69/4 calling on the delegations of the Administrative Council of the European Patent Organisation to intercede with EPO Management in order to ensure that all staff representatives may defend the interests of staff without fear, threats, intimidation or retaliation and that the recently dismissed staff representatives and SUEPO officials be reinstated without delay. This Resolution was unanimously adopted by the members of the Federation of International Civil Servants’ Associations (FICSA) attending the 69th session of the Council at the headquarters of the ICAO in Montreal from 25 to 29 January 2016.
The FICSA Council therefore requests your full support in ensuring that the above issue is properly addressed and that normal staff/management relations are restored at the European Patent Organisation.
The Federation places high importance on healthy relations between management and staff representatives and as such looks forward to hearing from you in due course.
Yours sincerely,
Diab El Tabari
President
To:
Ms. Elzbieta Bienkowska, EU Commissioner
Mr. Battistelli, President of the EPO
Council Secretariat
SUEPO Central
FICSA Executive Committee

Resolution 69/4
THE STATUS OF STAFF/MANAGEMENT RELATIONS AT THE EUROPEAN PATENT OFFICE (EPO)
The Council of the Federation of International Civil Servants’ Associations (FICSA) at its 69th Session (ICAO Montreal, 25 to 29 January 2016),
Noting that in the course of 2014, 2015 and 2016, the basic principles of freedom of speech and right of association were severely undermined at the European Patent Office (EPO),
Noting further that the President of the EPO went beyond the recommendations of the disciplinary committees and punished arbitrarily and disproportionally Ms. Elizabeth Hardon, Chair of the Local Staff Committee in Munich and Chair of the Staff Union of the EPO (SUEPO) Munich by dismissing her with a 20% cut of her pension rights and Mr. Ion Brumme, Member of the Central Staff Committee Munich and former chair or SUEPO Munich by dismissing him and Ms. Malika Weaver, Member of the Central Staff Committee in Munich and Treasurer of SUEPO Munich, by downgrading her 8 steps,
Noting further that the recent deterioration in the working relations between EPO Management and the Staff Committee members has recently led to unfounded investigations and allegations which may lead to further retaliation,
Calls upon the delegations of the Administrative Council of the European Patent Organisation, in the interest of restoring effective staff/management relations and mutual respect, to intercede directly with the EPO Management in order to ensure that the dismissed staff representatives and SUEPO officials are reinstated without delay and that all staff representatives can defend the legitimate interests of staff without fear, threats, intimidation or retaliation in keeping with the basic principles of freedom of speech and right of association.

Another person wrote to us this morning: “Here’s the requested OCR, that’s easier than a translation [of a French article]. Practically zero polishing required, the source material is perfect.”

Ref.: 69th Council EPO
Geneva, 12 February 2016

FICSA
Federation of International Civil Servants’ Associations

Fédération des associations de fonctionnaires internationaux

GENEVA FICSA Secretariat Room Dep.201 Palais des Nations CH-1211 Geneva
10 Switzerland

Telephone: (41 22) 917 3150
Facsimile: (41 22) 917 0660
Email: ficsa@unog.ch

http://ficsa.org

Dear Sir/Madam,

I have the honour to share with you FICSA Resolution 69/4 calling on the delegations of the Administrative Council of the European Patent Organisation to intercede with EPO Management in order to ensure that
all staff representatives may defend the interests of staff without fear, threats, intimidation or retaliation and that the recently dismissed staff representatives and SUEPO officials be reinstated without delay. This Resolution was unanimously adopted by the members of the Federation of International Civil Servants’ Associations (FICSA) attending the 69th session of the Council at the headquarters of the ICAO in Montreal from 25 to 29 January 2016.

The FICSA Council therefore requests your full support in ensuring that the above issue is properly addressed and that normal staff/management relations are restored at the European Patent Organisation.

The Federation places high importance on healthy relations between management and staff representatives and as such looks forward to hearing from you in due course.

Yours sincerely,

Diab El Tabari President

To: Heads of Delegation to the European Patent Organisation
Administrative Council of the European Patent Organisation

Encl.
cc. Ms. Elzbieta Biehkowska, EU Commissioner Mr. Battistelli, President of the EPO Council Secretariat SUEPO Central FICSA Executive Committee

Bioversity • BIPM • CERN • CSSA • CTBT0 • ECB • ES0 • FA0 • Global Fund
• IAEA • IARC • ICAO • ICC0 • ICO • IFAD • IL0/ITC Turin • IM0 • IOC •
I0M • IPU • ITER • ITU • 0PCW • PAH0 • SCBD • UNAIDS • UNESCO • UNFCCC •
UNGSC • UNRWA • UNWT0 • UPU • WHO • WIP0 • WM0 • WT0/0MC

---

Resolution 69/4

THE STATUS OF STAFF/MANAGEMENT RELATIONS AT THE EUROPEAN PATENT OFFICE (EPO)

The Council of the Federation of International Civil Servants’ Associations (FICSA) at its 69th Session (ICAO Montreal, 25 to 29 January 2016),

Noting that in the course of 2014, 2015 and 2016, the basic principles of freedom of speech and right of association were severely undermined at the European Patent Office (EPO),

Noting further that the President of the EPO went beyond the recommendations of the disciplinary committees and punished arbitrarily and disproportionally Ms. Elizabeth Hardon, Chair of the Local Staff Committee in Munich and Chair of the Staff Union of the EPO (SUEPO) Munich by dismissing her with a 20% cut of her pension rights and Mr. Ion Brumme, Member of the Central Staff Committee Munich and former chair of SUEPO Munich by dismissing him and Ms. Malika Weaver, Member of the Central Staff Committee in Munich and Treasurer of SUEPO Munich, by downgrading her 8 steps,

Noting further that the recent deterioration in the working relations between EPO Management and the Staff Committee members has recently led to unfounded investigations and allegations which may lead to further retaliation,

Calls upon the delegations of the Administrative Council of the European Patent Organisation, in the interest of restoring effective staff/management relations and mutual respect, to intercede directly with the EPO Management in order to ensure that the dismissed staff representatives and SUEPO officials are reinstated without delay and that all staff representatives can defend the legitimate interests of staff without fear, threats, intimidation or retaliation in keeping with the basic principles of freedom of speech and right of association.

If someone starts writing an English translation of the article from France, please let us know so that we can reduce the chance of duplicate (simultaneous) efforts. █

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