Installing abject tyranny, one step at a time

Summary: Staff of the European Patent Office loses yet more of its basic rights, after the Administrative Council basically nods at/accepts one of Battistelli's most controversial proposals

THE EPO is in shambles. We at Techrights hope to save it from the tyranny, but 3 years down the line it seems like "mission impossible" because national representatives, namely heads of national patent offices, are largely complicit (with few exceptions here and there).

“...34 Delegations (with 4 abstentions BTW the 4 who abstained are NL, IT, IE, LI) in favour of Battistelli authoritarian reforms...”
      --Anonymous"Devastating for the staff!"

That's how one person described what happened yesterday at The Hague. "The nail in the coffin," the person added. To quote a source that is familiar with what happened:

the propositions of Battistelli related to the RFPSS (change of structure and composition) is not supported. Copy is back on table for later...

an amazing (read appalling) 34 Delegations (with 4 abstentions BTW the 4 who abstained are NL, IT, IE, LI) in favour of Battistelli authoritarian reforms and changes of ServRegs with regards to internal appeal committee, disciplinary procedures, new dismissal procedure for incompetence (be assured that this will not apply to top managers but to Fussvolk for sure), possibility to cease personal belongings in your office, 200 EUR fees for lodging internal appeals from 01.07 etc etc etc)

sighs.......... another day in paradise

It's as if delegates did not listen at all to what SUEPO an the Staff Committee had warned them about.

"To be clear, this is still Kongstad's Council, but the votes from delegates are not his own."Responding to "Silence is Golden," a new comment said: "And then the states voted 34-0 to pass BB's [Battistelli's] new and ridiculous discipline and investigation rules. Power corrupts. Some people."

To be clear, this is still Kongstad's Council, but the votes from delegates are not his own. So what hope is there that things will improve under the new boss, who many EPO insiders try to study these days? We will write more about him later...

Apparently, on top of all that, the Council decided or agreed on getting rid of the "irksome" judge, whose dismissal (or "house ban") was described as "irksome" by his colleagues.

"This week is a very bad week for EPO staff, many of whom will be on strike today (until Tuesday)."Does the Council care about staff of the EPO? Well, demonstrably no.

This week is a very bad week for EPO staff, many of whom will be on strike today (until Tuesday). Some of them already look into applying for a job elsewhere, realising perhaps that there won't be much left after Battistelli leaves. Will the vacancy for his job be published next week as planned? We shall see... ⬆