Brussels, 15/02/2013 (Agence Europe) - The European civil service trade unions say the European Summit's agreement on the EU multiannual financial framework (budget for 2014-2020) is unacceptable, pointing out in a press release published on Thursday 14 February that Budget Heading 5 (Administrative Spending) has an overall reduction of €2.5 billion, and despite Commissioner Maros Sefcovic's claims that this is the best possible outcome and that the EU civil service has to live with it, it is wholly unacceptable.
The European Commission's draft budget included what the trade unions described as far-reaching cuts, with the workforce cut by 5%, the working week increased by 7% without extra pay, the retirement age extended by two years, the pay of new secretaries cut by 22% and huge increases in practice in the special tax for EU civil servants.
The trade unions explain that the extra €1.5 billion reduction demanded by the European Summit will result in a pay freeze for two years, which will have a considerable impact on workers, particularly new recruits, for the rest of their career and for their pension calculations, equating on average for a whole career to working for two or three years for free. The trade unions urge the European Parliament to stand up for the European Union and its civil service. (LC/transl.fl)