An initiative launched last week by Hungarian MEP István Ujhelyi (S&D, Hungary), consulted by EUROPE on Tuesday 7 April, has received the support of nearly 170 MEPs from all political groups in recent days to safeguard the salary rights of parliamentary assistants who have returned to their home countries for the duration of the confinement necessitated by the COVID-19 health crisis.
Since the beginning of the spread of the pandemic, the European Parliament has been operating in slow motion, and the overwhelming majority of officials, assistants and MEPs are teleworking (see EUROPE 12454/2). Many accredited parliamentary assistants have, therefore, returned to their home countries and cannot return to Brussels due to travel restrictions in the wake of the pandemic.
But the situation regarding their contractual conditions is very unclear, according to the MEP’s message: at first, Parliament accepted 100% teleworking in places of residence, then, in another communication, the same assistants were asked to return to Brussels immediately. As a result, says the MEP, if the assistants were unable to return to the Belgian capital, it was decided that their contracts would be changed to part-time work or local assistant contracts. “There is misleading information about possible salary cuts and reduced health insurance coverage”, the MEP concluded in his message.
On Friday 3 April, Parliament’s internal services clarified the situation: assistants returning to their home countries will only be able to receive 75% of their salary, and the expatriation allowance will not be granted. This corresponds to a loss of about 40% of salary, we are told. “This is not outrageous, but the form is problematic, as many parliamentary assistants have gone to their home countries without being informed of this specific treatment”, our source adds. (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)