02.25.16
Repurposed Misinformation Campaign: The EPO’s PR Team is Lying to The Register in Order to Help Battistelli Save Face
“SUEPO Has No Standing in This Office. SUEPO Has No Role to Play in This Office.” -Vice-President Željko Topić, 19th of March 2015 (less than a year ago) in a meeting with the Munich Staff Committee
Summary: Misinformation spread by the EPO and its paid media (such as IAM ‘magazine’) tracked and rebutted in order to avoid further dissemination of lies
Several people notified us regarding this article, which is the EPO’s effort to recover after a “meltdown” was correctly claimed in a previous article. The article is basically a composition of lies — not by the author but by the respondents at the EPO (apparently the PR team). Among the lies: “Asked about the persistent rumors that Battistelli will resign or is negotiating a settlement to leave, the EPO assured us that the president intends to stay on until his term ends in 2018. The negotiation of the new MoUs has led to a “very positive atmosphere” in recent days, the organization said.”
Poppycock.
“Noteworthy from the article is the part which pretends that the EPO wants to finally engage with and recognise unions.”The Register, to its credit, wanted to keep things balanced, but letting the EPO sling mud (or lies) at the wall and hope something sticks isn’t the best approach. In the comments thread of his previous article (about EPO “meltdown”) at least one person accused the author of being biased and not balanced, as if letting the EPO utter some lies means “balance”. So The Register published a face-saving response from the EPO’s PR department. Isn’t that just great? Full of rubbish, misinforming people, creating more confusion…
“That The Register article is total bollocks,” wrote to us one EPO worker. Many others said the same thing, though not in these words. It’s total BS, bollocks, poppycock, or whatever… there are also non-English words which describe what the EPO management is doing here.
Battistelli won’t go without a fight, or without a lot of spin, propaganda disguised as "social study", and alleged blackmail (e.g. to sign letters of support). Noteworthy from the article is the part which pretends that the EPO wants to finally engage with and recognise unions. The PR department/team must be so desperate that it now reuses old lines, such as those which we covered in:
- Tomorrow’s EPO Protest to Target Union-busting Actions Disguised as ‘Social Dialogue’ or ‘Union Recognition’
- Over a Thousand People Protest at The Hague; The EPO’s PR Team is Lying Again About the Busting of Staff Unions, Pretends There is “Union Recognition”
When reading about Battistelli “extending an olive branch” to unions need to think of poison, maybe disguised as grossly overpriced wine. Battistelli wishes to get closer to such people so that he can stab them at the back or entrap them. See the accusations they sort of made up against Elisabeth Hardon.
“Battistelli wishes to get closer to such people so that he can stab them at the back or entrap them.”For those who believe that the EPO spreads its nonsense only through the latest article from The Register, look a little further. Here we have EPO-funded bloggers (to promote UPC) promoting the UPC in the UK and we have just found other new puff pieces in the British media (also about the UPC). Part of the media campaign of EPO and FTI Consulting perhaps? Either way, it’s disgusting because it distorts or corrupts the media so as to promote antidemocratic treaties/deals. Also today there was this pair of puff pieces about the EPO in Lexology [1, 2], one of which was echoing the EPO’s official hogwash of a malicious, discriminatory programme.
Expect more EPO propaganda. Please report it to us. █
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