European Patent Office (EPO) Adopting the 'Gig Economy' Mindset, Telling Staff "Contract is Over" Instead of Implementing Layoffs and Paying Compensation
Microsoft uses the same tactics to hide the full extent of the mass layoffs. This goes against labourers' safeguards which they fought and died for. The severance lessens the incentive to needlessly let people go.
THIS was all along expected.
The EPO under Benoît Battistelli constantly attacked EPO staff and took away their rights. Of course António Campinos not only defended Battistelli's measures but took them even further - to the point of breaking the rules to fake 'production' (which otherwise fell sharply), e.g. by granting loads of software patents by means of facilitating buzzwords like "Hey Hi" (AI).
Battistelli's "5-year contract" legacy is now beginning to rear its ugly head, 5.5 years after he left the Office (in the hands of his corrupt friend).
Last month the staff representation told staff:
Dear colleagues,The staff representation has been following the personal case of a DG1 Examiner notified that his 5-year contract shall not be extended.
Back in 2017, the motivation behind the “Modernisation of the Employment Framework” (CA/103/17, §7) was to improve flexibility in the workforce planning and employment structure. The EPO currently has sufficient workload for all 5-year contracts to be extended.
In this open letter to the President, we hope for a favourable review of the case.
Sincerely yours,
The Central Staff Committee
Here is the full letter in question:
Central Staff Committee
Comité central du personnel
Zentraler PersonalausschusscentralSTCOM@epo.org
Reference: sc23140cl
Date: 07/12/2023
European Patent Office | 80298 MUNICH | GERMANY
Mr António Campinos
President of the EPOISAR - R.1081
By email: president@epo.org
OPEN LETTER
Non-extension of 5-year contract in DG1
Dear Mr President,
The staff representation has been following the personal case of a DG1 Examiner notified that his 5-year contract shall not be extended.
Back in 2017, the motivation behind the “Modernisation of the Employment Framework” (CA/103/17, §7) was to improve flexibility in the workforce planning and employment structure. The EPO currently has sufficient workload for all 5-year contracts to be extended.
In our view, health issues caused by the pandemic and resulting in personal circumstances should not be prejudicial to an employee for obtaining an extension.
The case is currently under review by the conflict resolution unit.
We hope for a favourable review of the case.
Yours sincerely,
Derek Kelly
Chairman of the Central Staff Committee
It was correctly envisioned way back in 2017 that this would happen. Now they try to make it the "new normal". It's a willful race to the bottom of patent quality and they've been busy trying to game the courts which judge these patents (that are wrongly presumed valid and are very expensive to challenge at the UPC, so very few can afford to even bother). █