Bonum Certa Men Certa

'Social Dialogue' at the EPO Broke Down, Team Campinos is Totally Delusional

Mirror mirror on the wall...

Mirror



Summary: Team Campinos is speaking to itself, reaffirming its own decisions, but it's trying to give the impression of consultation with staff; unfortunately for them, staff isn't gullible enough and there's good understanding of the false pretenses

The staff union of the EPO was crushed by Benoît Battistelli, but at least two of the people Battistelli aggressively ousted are now back in the union (SUEPO) and António Campinos shows that Battistelli's agenda remains in tact. Is there peace? 'Social dialogue' as Campinos likes to call it?



"As we noted last month, nobody was ever punished for what had been done to Laurent Prunier."Well, no.

To establish real peace and not a piece of PR more than smiles would be needed. It's reported that Campinos has temper tantrums, which show how detached he is from reality. Better shouting than screaming, right? Well, at least he was sober. Or so it seemed (remote working enables all sorts of things).

SUEPO Central 'met' Campinos a fortnight ago (a webchat) and then called it "Regress instead of progress" in a new publication, summarised as follows:

Mr Campinos showed again no interest in union rights and proposed a Memorandum of Understanding far below all expectations in International Organisations. Mr Campinos also vainly tried to minimise the flaws of his new salary adjustment procedure. The overall feeling of the participants is that Mr Campinos is only interested in ticking the checkbox that he met with SUEPO before the next meeting of the Administrative Council and to increase the KPI of his number of “social dialogue” meetings.


Here is the full publication (dated Tuesday):

01 December 2020 su20037cp – 0.2.1

Report on the SUEPO meeting with the President on 18 November 2020



Mr Campinos showed again no interest in union rights and proposed a Memorandum of Understanding far below all expectations in International Organisations. Mr Campinos also vainly tried to minimise the flaws of his new salary adjustment procedure. The overall feeling of the participants is that Mr Campinos is only interested in ticking the checkbox that he met with SUEPO before the next meeting of the Administrative Council and to increase the KPI of his number of “social dialogue” meetings.

Salary adjustment procedure – Broken promises

On litigation SUEPO has organized the filing of appeals by a group of test-appellants against the general decision CA/D 4/20 putting in place the EPO’s new salary adjustment procedure with a capping mechanism at Eurozone inflation + 0.2%. Mr Germond from Employment Law confirmed during the meeting that President would apply of the outcome of appeals to all staff as written in the reply letter1 of 22-09-2020. However, later in the meeting Mr Campinos emphasised that appeals are purely individual and it remained unclear whether he would apply the outcome of individual appeals on the salary adjustment procedure to all staff. This attitude confirms once again the lack of consistency and reliability of Mr Campinos. The appeals against the first implementing decision of the application of the salary adjustment procedure for the year 2020 will need to be filed early 2021. The statements of Mr Campinos confirm that SUEPO should always adopt a careful approach to secure the rights of all staff.

On the first results Earlier this year, SUEPO had warned Mr Campinos that the new procedure would result in a loss of purchasing power for all staff and pensioners. Nevertheless, Mr Campinos ignored our arguments and pushed his reform after being ill-advised by his close advisors and consultants2. By refusing to involve in the reform experts in salary adjustment procedures of International Organizations, Mr Campinos has now provoked an industrial accident which materializes immediately. Indeed, the results for 2020 are such that instead of adjustment of about 3.8% in July 2020, EPO staff and pensioners get 0.5% in January 2021 (in NL and DE) and 0.36% instead of 2.7% (in AT). This is equivalent to a pay cut of about one step. The savings are well beyond all expectations (see slides3 of the General Assembly in Munich) and the EPO scores again far below all standards in International Organizations (the adjustment will be +4.2% in the Coordinates Organisations).

_______ 1 “Legal action against the new Salary Adjustment Procedure” (re20034cl) by Mr Campinos (22-09-2020) 2 Directorate Compensation & Benefits under PD4.3 and Mercer 3 “The EPO salary adjustment procedure: Why it is not fit for purpose and how to fix it” (sc20021mp) by LSC Munich (19-11-2020)




In the meeting, we demonstrated that the results show that all the promises made in his Communiqué of 09-04-2020 are now broken: a reform “with the lowest intensity” and that there was “no desire to cut staff purchasing power or impose unnecessary savings”. This will deepen further the lack of trust in EPO management and destroy the engagement of staff in his Strategic Plan SP2023. Even worse, staff will now have to pay again for the mistakes of his services.

Mr Campinos replied: “Maybe we did something wrong, but at least we generate savings.” This statement already contradicted what Mr Campinos said in the meeting with the Central Staff Committee (CSC) a few hours before: “It is producing the results we wanted.”

We insisted that there are ways to repair the EPO salary adjustment procedure and referred to the CSC letter4 of 17-11-2020. This must be done as early as possible to avoid another disaster next year.

Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) – Regress instead of progress

SUEPO filed in 2014 a draft proposal5 for a Memorandum of Understanding. At the time, Mr Battistelli refused to even consider it as the starting point of a negotiation. Instead, Mr Battistelli tabled a counter-proposal6 which actually binds unions to respect all circulars that the President can change at will and in particular the illegal strike regulations currently in place. In our view, the text is actually endangering unions rather than recognising unions.

After the beginning of his mandate, Mr Campinos tried to revive the topic and promised in a meeting in October 2019 that he would table “within 3-4 weeks a new proposal based on the text applicable at the European Commission”. This statement gave hopes that dialogue with SUEPO would be given a fresh start. Unfortunately, Mr Campinos never sent the promised text. In the latest meetings, Mr Campinos said that the only text on the table was the one of Mr Battistelli and declared: “I have the duty to listen to you. Not to negotiate with you.” Mr Campinos goes one step backwards and this change of attitude shows regress rather than progress.

Appeals Committee opinions – Bad faith and self-contraction

The Appeals Committee provides the President of the Office with legal recommendations which are either unanimous or made by majority. We recalled that for our internal justice system to make sense and to reduce litigation, the President of the Office should follow all unanimous recommendations.

On SUEPO facilities Mr Campinos stated that he follows 95% of the unanimous recommendations. Interestingly, among the 5% remaining features a unanimous recommendation in favour of SUEPO concerning its facilities and access to Office premises. In the meeting, Mr Campinos argued that if he were to follow the recommendation the consequences would be too far reaching also for other appeals but did not bring any further details. Mr Campinos only expressed his willingness to “settle” the case, namely to give SUEPO less than what the appeals committee recommends

_______ 4 “Proposals for repairing the EPO new salary “adjustment” procedure” (sc20172cl) by the CSC (17-11-2020) 5 “Draft Proposal for a “Framework Agreement” (su14020cl) by SUEPO Central & “WG on recognition of trade unions” (su15182cl) by SUEPO Central (29-05-2015) 6 “What is wrong with the EPO Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)?” (su16063cp) by SUEPO Central (31-03- 2016)




and concluded: “In any case, if SUEPO wants back access to mass-emails, it would be only in the framework of a Memorandum of Understanding. SUEPO will lose in Geneva anyway.” Bad faith won’t help to convince us to sign an already flawed text.

On excessive strike deductions The discussion moved on to the topic of excessive strike deductions over weekends. Mr Campinos followed the recommendation but in a letter so far refused to generalise the outcome to all staff on the basis that only a small minority of staff was concerned (sic!). When attempting to defend his position, Mr Campinos replied that there should be no incentive to strike on Fridays and Mondays and that it was therefore good to deduct over weekends. Mr Campinos actually contradicted his own decision which was actually not to have deduction over weekends. This constitutes yet another example of regress rather than progress.

Disciplinary cases

In the meeting, we maintained our long standing claim for a solution concerning the two disciplinary cases of Appeals Committee nominees Aurélien Pétiaud and Michael Lund. Mr Campinos stated again that he refuses to re-open these cases on the basis that they are res judicata: “It is a matter of principle. I am a man of principle.”

We note that with the planned reform of the Education Allowance, Mr Campinos is actually re- opening the SUEPO supported cases lost by nationals on the topic (Judgment 2870). This shows that when there is a will, there is a way for Mr Campinos to re-open cases which have the force of res judicata.

Mr Campinos can now trumpet in front of the Administrative Council that he met with SUEPO. The quality of the meeting was however far below all expectations.

SUEPO Central



We intend to publish some more documents related to the crushing of staff and defunding based on a lie. Later this month we can hopefully be done with that.

“It is a matter of principle. I am a man of principle," Campinos is quoted is saying. What principles? The ones that motivate Donald Trump to sack everyone who says truths which embarrass him? Those are the "principles" of "revenge"...

Since the above letter mentions Aurélien Pétiaud and Michael Lund, let's recall an old Laurent Prunier letter [PDF], sent about a year before the settlement.

"SUEPO is concerned that the Office does not appear to have contacted Laurent Prunier to reach an amicable settlement," said the SUEPO Web site under "Letter to the President about the situation of Laurent Prunier" (emphasis below is ours).

Laurent Prunier letter

As we noted last month, nobody was ever punished for what had been done to Laurent Prunier. In fact, one of the bullies still works with Campinos. Not a manager but an unqualified bully, assured to ruin the very department entrusted to handle (crushing humans, draining resources).

Recent Techrights' Posts

Annual Southern California Linux Expo (SCALE 22x) 'Bought' by Microsoft and Microsoft Exceeded Sponsorship Limits by Giving Double the Maximum Permitted Amount
When people get bribed they tend to forget how to utter a simple word: "No."
EPO Examiners Point Out to the Heads of Delegations in the Administrative Council of the EPO That the "AI Policy" of the Office is Illegal
"the Central Staff Committee (CSC) asks the Administrative Council to exert its supervisory role and instruct EPO management to enter into genuine dialogue with the staff representation on the AI Policy, to revise the “Leverage AI” target of 90% AI-automated classification in the SP2028 and to put in place the measures supported by staff in the resolution."
French Cities Dumping Microsoft Because They Recognise Software Freedom, Open Standards, GNU/Linux Autonomy
We hope that more French cities - maybe Paris - will follow Lyon.
LWN is a Voice of GAFAM (Through Linux Foundation, Their Front Group or Occupying Force Inside Linux)
remember who the chief editor works for and who sponsors many of the articles
The 'Case' of the Serial Strangler From Microsoft is a Lot of Copypasta (Maybe Also LLM Slop) From the Matthew Garrett 'Case'
5RB deserves to know and the matter shall be properly reported in due course (when the time is right)
EPO Squeezing the Staff - Part II - Office Breaks Rules, Ignores Courts, Defies Justice
False promises everywhere
IBM - Like Microsoft - is a Dying Company and Perishing Brand ("AI" is a Lie and Decoy)
"Arvind is cutting costs (layoffs, PIPs, forced RTO, etc...) like crazy. IBM offices are closing all over the place in the US."
"Code of Conduct" Invoked When Fedora and Red Hat Users (Since the 1990s) Don't Want to Use Wayland
That is IBM "DEI"
Microsoft Layoffs Next Week: About 10% to be Laid Off in Microsoft Gaming (2 Days Before Independence Day), About 20%+ of XBox Staff
Microsoft is rapidly collapsing
 
What Linux Foundation 'Research' is: Paid Marketing
What is Linux Foundation 'Research'?
No, IBM Does Not Care About People With Disabilities
"Aktion T4" did not seem to bother Watson
Microsoft's Financial Problems Mean Shutdowns, Not Just Mass Layoffs
If the original rumour is true, then expect almost 30,000 Microsoft workers to be let go this year
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Thursday, June 26, 2025
IRC logs for Thursday, June 26, 2025
The Netherlands: GNU/Linux Measured at All-Time High
Are any Dutch cities going to announce dumping Microsoft?
Gemini Links 27/06/2025: "Interstitial Existence" and Autocorrect
Links for the day
Keeping Things Accessible
Gemini Protocol seems to be growing
Technical People Need Technical Lawyers
Technical Litigants in Person (LIPs) have many real and concrete advantages
10,000+ Articles in About 20 Months (and How We Got Here)
More bloat does not beget efficiency and "bells and whistles" tend to have a hidden cost
Links 26/06/2025: Illegal Kangaroo Court (UPC) Failing Scandinavia, K-Pop Agencies Abuse People
Links for the day
Gemini Links 26/06/2025: AuraGem Twitch Proxy is Back and UI Sluggishness
Links for the day
Links 26/06/2025: Noise Pollution Considered High in Europe, Mass Layoffs Next Week in Microsoft Confirmed, Very Large in Scale and Scope
Links for the day
No, I Don't Want Your Latest XYZ, ThankYouVeryMuch...
Wayland is finally ready?
China Keeps Breaking Into Microsoft Systems, So for True Sovereignty, Nations Wary of China Need to Dump Microsoft
Looking at data from Taiwan (not China) and Maharlika (not Philippines, the king is dead and Spain is out), there are encouraging signs
Linux Journal Wants Ads on Its LLM Slop or Ads as 'Articles'
it's basically another BetaNews
How to Kill a Monopoly
in 10 simple steps
Mozambique: GNU/Linux Rose From 0.5% Last Year to 3% This Year
what (or how) statCounter is measuring
Next Month Marks 11 Years Since Our In-Depth EPO Coverage
The same is happening to Microsoft right now
Free Software Foundation (FSF) Campaigns Against Vista 11, Adds 4 New Associate Members Per Day
If more people understood the underlying principles, more of them would flock to Free software overnight
Canonical Seems to Have Culled Some Sources of LLM Slop From Planet Ubuntu
It's like "junk food", it's not information
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Wednesday, June 25, 2025
IRC logs for Wednesday, June 25, 2025
On "Weak Claims"
For the record, they sent me unjustified threats, repeatedly tried injunctions (censorship)
EPO Squeezing the Staff - Part I - Burnout and Family Health
more exceptional circumstances
This Month's Mail (MX) Server Survey Shows Microsoft at 0.20% "Market Share"
We need to remind people that desktops and laptops decline (in proportion to other client devices) and at the "back end" GNU/Linux is already dominant and has long been dominant
Links 26/06/2025: Filespooler Guide and Learning to Code
Links for the day
Why Techrights Cannot be Vilified (and Instead It Gets SLAPPed Repeatedly by Microsoft People)
Attack dogs are all "bark"; because they have no actual "bite"
Austrian GNU/Linux Usage Up to About 5% as More of Europe Abandons Microsoft
Since inauguration day the Austrian people have adopted more and more of GNU/Linux
Why the "Wayland People" and "Rust People" Will Lose Hearts and Minds (Same Reasons)
Wayland pushers are fast becoming like "Rust People"
5,600 Pages/Articles Per Year
So far this year we've kept all the promises
BetaNews Beginning to Show What Its True Goals Are
The 'new' BetaNews won't be about journalism. It's trying to sell things.
Microsoft Has Lost "The War"
We'll soon see the 9th or 10th wave of Microsoft layoffs in 2025 alone
Slopwatch: A Wreck and a Dreck, "Flooding the Zone With Dreck" or Flooding the Web With Junk
"Slopwatch" continues today because we have many new examples
Links 25/06/2025: Thwarting More Software Patents, Overlap Grows Between EPO Corruption and Illegal Kangaroo Patent Courts in EU
Links for the day
Links 25/06/2025: Elon Musk’s Lawyers Caught Lying, WhatsApp Faces More Bans
Links for the day
Wayland Pushers Lose the Argument, Use LLM Slop and Chatbots to Make Up Arguments for IBM
Another new low and low blow
Brian Fagioli Created Another Slopfarm Targeting "Linux" After BetaNews Became a Slopfarm of Phantom Accounts and Pseudonyms
Mr. Fagioli even had slop about a dead Torvalds (hypothetical) as clickbait
Wayland is Perfect, Nobody Can Escape Its Perfection! (Or Not)
Do not form on opinion on Wayland based on politics
What is "MATA"?
Think of it as GAFAM or "Meta"
Moral Duty for "Linux Sites" to Speak Out Against LLM Slop
My wife has long complained about "Linux bloggers" keeping quiet and thus passive about a growing problem: slop
In Recent Hours Google News Promoted at Least 3 Slopfarms That Relayed Linux Foundation Propaganda Made by Bots or LLM "Bullshit Generators" (as Dr. Stallman Dubbed Them)
Google is circling down the drain and Google News too is hopeless
Linux Journal is a Slopfarm, It's Experimenting With LLM 'Authors'
Is Slashdot next?
WebProNews is a Slopfarm
Please avoid linking to WebProNews
Microsoft LinkedIn is Dying and Many More Layoffs Are on the Way
LinkedIn is just a failed acquisition of Microsoft. It causes losses and debt.
Gemini Links 25/06/2025: Combinatorial Music and Self Hosting
Links for the day
Richard Stallman Coming Back to Europe This Autumn to Give More Talks
His last talk in Europe attracted about 400-450 people
Over at Tux Machines...
GNU/Linux news for the past day
IRC Proceedings: Tuesday, June 24, 2025
IRC logs for Tuesday, June 24, 2025
Social Control Media, Technology & Catholicism: Synod on Synodality review and feedback
Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
How Many More Women Will Managers at Microsoft Strangle and Tell to Kill Themselves (or Try to Kill)?
The world needs to know what happened
The New BetaNews: 7 New 'Articles', All of Them LLM Slop
BetaNews is basically defunct. Nobody writes there anymore.
Another "Told You So!": XBox Mass Layoffs at Microsoft (Many Recent Reports Were Chaff and Spin), Many Other Divisions Affected
With mass layoffs at Microsoft the world would be much better