Only One in 33 EPO Staff Voting on the Strike Opposed It
The management of the EPO is worried about the strikes. Many people didn't work today. They even put signs on their doors.
Let's go back a bit and look at how today's strike was arranged (as it's 6PM here, it's a Friday).
Earlier this week there was an announcement from the union in The Netherlands (where - statistically speaking - many Spaniards work; they must have found the whole Alicante Mafia thing rather embarrassing... a national disgrace like Battistelli was to France and to French EPO workers). The union sent this message:
Report on the SUEPO The Hague Extraordinary General Meeting of Tuesday 27 January
Dear members, dear colleagues,
At the end of 2025, SUEPO The Hague members mandated the preparation of an Action Plan to halt the erosion of salaries and pensions at the EPO. The ballot responses indicated strong support for a combination of strikes and Work-To-Rule measures. In parallel, three technical meetings took place between the Administration and the Central Staff Committee (CSC) on the new Salary Adjustment Procedure (“new SAP”) for 2027–2032. The proposed new SAP would reduce purchasing power even more than the current method and would negatively affect salaries, pensions, allowances and recruitment.
In coordination with SUEPO Munich, Berlin and Vienna, SUEPO The Hague drafted an Action Plan that was presented for discussion and vote during an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) on 27 January. The ballot results were 94% YES, 3% NO, and 3% ABSTAIN. The Action Plan was adopted and enters immediately into force. Similar plans have already been adopted at other sites.
The ILO Administrative Tribunal restored the right to industrial action at the EPO in Judgments 4430, 4432 and 4434, confirming that such measures are legitimate tools for staff. The adopted plan combines:
- Warning strikes: on 30 January, 23 February and 19 March.
- Work-To-Rule: for all staff, this means working thoroughly, avoiding rushing or overtime, and refraining from voluntary projects.
- A further EGM: on 24 March to assess escalation.
- Potential high-frequency strikes: from April to June if the March Administrative Council adopts damaging orientations.
Staff showed readiness to defend purchasing power and institutional integrity. Continued erosion is unjustified and detrimental to recruitment, retention and reputation.
Register for the strike of 30 January: q/StrikeTool → Create Request → Leave type: Strike, Date: 30.01.2026, Additional Data: Morning: yes, Afternoon: yes.
Notice (bold above) that only 3% voted against.
Here is the longer version of the same communication:
INTERNATIONALE GEWERKSCHAFT IM EUROPÄISCHEN PATENTAMT
STAFF UNION OF THE EUROPEAN PATENT OFFICE
UNION SYNDICALE DE L'OFFICE EUROPEEN DES BREVETS
Ortssektion Den Haag
Local section The Hague
Section locale La Haye28 January 2026
su26004hpAction Plan approved, strike on Friday 30 January
Report on the SUEPO TH Extraordinary General Meeting of Tuesday 27 January
Dear members, dear colleagues,
At the end of 2025, SUEPO The Hague members gave us a clear mandate: prepare an Action Plan to put an end to the ongoing erosion of salaries and pensions at the EPO. The responses to the ballot indicated strong support for a combination of strikes and Work-To-Rule measures.
In the meantime, three technical meetings took place between the Administration and the Central Staff Committee (CSC), during which the new Salary Adjustment Procedure (“new SAP”) for the period 2027-2032 was presented (see the reports here and here). The Office’s proposal would erode purchasing power even further than the current method. The long-term impact is severe: salaries, pensions, allowances and recruitment prospects are all impaired.
Consequently, and in coordination with SUEPO Munich, SUEPO Berlin, and SUEPO Vienna, SUEPO The Hague drafted an Action Plan which was put up for discussion and vote during an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) on Tuesday 27 January.
Vote results: Action Plan adopted
A ballot was held during the EGM on the draft Action Plan circulated to SUEPO The Hague members on 19 January. The results are:
• YES: 94% • NO: 3% • ABSTAIN: 3%
With a large majority of YES votes, the Action Plan is adopted and enters immediately into force in The Hague (see action plan calendar annexed below).
This follows the adoption of the Action Plan by the General Assembly of SUEPO Munich on 19 January. Comparable Action Plans have also been adopted in Berlin and Vienna.
Description of the Action Plan in The Hague
The ILO Administrative Tribunal (ILOAT) restored the right to all industrial actions at the EPO in its Judgements 4430, 4432, and 4434, underlining that such actions are legitimate tools available to employees to redress the imbalance of power with their employer.
The sequence and dates of the adopted Action Plan have been designed to create collective leverage at decisive moments. The plan foresees the following measures:
1. Warning strikes
- Friday 30 January, ahead of information sessions with the AC delegations;
- Monday 23 February, on the day before the GCC;
- Thursday 19 March, on the second day of the Administrative Council.
Please note that strike days are now counted as 1/30 th for salary deductions, as opposed to the illegal 1/20th that were deducted prior to the Judgements 4433 and 4435.
2. Work-to-Rule
For all staff, work-to-rule consists in carrying out one’s duties with complete thoroughness, avoiding rushing, refraining from taking on voluntary tasks, and never working longer than contracted hours.
For examiners: this means focusing on search and ensuring maximum legal and technical quality by applying thoroughly the EPC, Guidelines, case law and internal instructions throughout the entire patent granting procedure. It also involves objecting to reshuffling of divisions and redistribution of workload, and requesting written confirmation when such interference occurs.
For formalities officers: it means applying the EPC and procedural guidelines thoroughly and focus primarily on quality.
The Administrative Council delegations are particularly sensitive to the number of patents granted, for which they receive a share of the renewal fees.
3. Extraordinary General Meeting
A further EGM will take place on 24 March to assess possible escalation in light of the outcome of the March Administrative Council. The continuation and content of the action plan after this date will also be decided upon. If the orientations adopted in March place the EPO again at the lower end of international benchmarks for salary adjustments, SUEPO The Hague will prepare an updated Action Plan which may include two strike days per week from April to the end of June, as well as any other measures deemed necessary by our members.
Conclusion
Staff have shown once more that they are ready to defend their rights, their purchasing power and the integrity of the EPO as an international organisation. The erosion of salaries and pensions is not technically justified and is politically counterproductive for recruitment, retention and reputation.
Kind regards,
Your SUEPO TH committee, M18B10 and De Bruyn Kopsstraat, 15, Rijswijk
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Kudos to all those who participated in the strike. █