While Thousands of EPO Workers Are on Strike the President of the EPO, Who Bribes His Voters, Gives Himself Millions of Euros and 5,000 Euros Per Month in Housing Allowance
Some French officials (António Campinos is also French) lost their job over it, as covered in the long series about Thierry Breton, but Campinos is immune, inherently corrupt, and habitual briber of his 'voters' (who let him carry on despite massive strikes and cocaine scandals he's desperate to hide)
About a week ago the staff representatives at the EPO (elected by staff, not by people they bribe) dropped clues on the sorts of "bacon" the 'fat pig' Campinos brings home. Like Benoît Battistelli before him, he breaks the bank (of piggybank or cookie jar) to feed himself and his unqualified loyalists. This is the publication from Central Staff Committee:
Flash update
President surrenders yet again to the delegates
demandsDear Colleagues,
Today, at 2pm, we had a meeting with the administration to discuss the draft of wording to be included in the Service Regulations defining the salary adjustment procedure that they provided to us at 8pm last night.
Instead of solving any of the issues that we outlined in our previous meeting last week, they made further concessions to the delegates. The method now includes an entirely new anti-staff clause; the “high inflation clause”. This clause imposes an upper limit to the predefined reference, currently set to Eurozone inflation, of 6%. Any amounts above that will either be delayed to later years or cut and paid as a lump sum after six years of the method being applied. Should inflation reach high levels near the end of the six-year period, this could result in a substantial additional cut of our adjustment. For example, if inflation reaches 10% in the sixth year, 4% would be permanently lost from our salaries and pensions for every remaining year of our careers and retirement.
The inclusion of this clause is yet further evidence of the desperation of upper management to please the Administrative Council, because of a self-serving desire to secure the renewal of their own, exceptionally highly paid positions (well-above rocket scientist level). The codex shows us that our president earns 135% of G17 step 3, with an extra 10% supplementary allowance, and a monthly €5K housing allowance, which seems enough for him to use us as a bargaining chip. The President's resolve to make efforts to protect our working package against the calls for cuts is in question.
They underestimate our capacity for solidarity and determination to continue with the actions. In February alone, through strike and work-to-rule actions, we have achieved a 29% reduction in grants compared to last year. During the March Council meeting, one delegate complained about a 20% reduction in grants in 2022 and warned the Office that this must not happen again. The reason is clear: many of the national patent offices are financed in a large proportion by the renewal fees generated from patents we grant.
While our upper management may believe that yielding to the delegates demand for cuts is the only route to their re-election, they will soon be forced to reconsider. The delegates, in turn, will come to recognise the full extent of the impact on their income resulting from our industrial actions. We therefore call on all colleagues to remain united and resolute, as only our continued solidarity will ensure that our voices are heard and finally respected.
The EPO strikes can go on until next year. The media won't even mention these. █