Brussels, 13/02/2001 (Agence Europe) - On the eve of the General Assembly of European Commission personnel, on 15 February, and two weeks before the adoption by the College of proposals on the reform of the pensions and salaries, the trade unions are increasing the pressure and denouncing the administrative reforms as well as the way in which they are being carried out, by threatening to call a strike. At the same time, President Prodi, in his speech to the European Parliament, this Tuesday, said he was "proud" of the Commission personnel, from which "we have asked a great deal" with the "radical internal reforms".
The trade union federation has just denounced the proposals that target "the programmed deterioration of employment conditions". Other than its basic criticisms, one of the knots of the problem is found in the difficult relations between the team of Commissioner Kinnock and the trade unions. As throughout the reform process, the trade unions denounce "the method of fact" used by the Commissioner. They feel that they should be consulted before the text passes to the Commission and, on the initiative of the trade union federation, that on 28 February, call for the Commission to work to "take stock of the projects and options presented by Mr Kinnock, by postponing all decisions to the end of the negotiations with the trade unions". ECSF accuses the Commission of voluntarily circumventing the trade unions, and by replacing the consultation of trade unions, "experts" on these issues, with both archaic and "censured" consultation of all the personnel, though the Internet and in the services. In the Commissioner's circle, such accusations are denied, considering it is quite normal for the Commissioner to first obtain a clear mandate from the College before discussing with trade unions and then presenting the text for final adoption by the College. The reduction, proposed by the Commission and challenged by the trade unions, in the number of officials posted with trade unions can also explain these difficult relations. The executive committee of the trade union federation obtained a mandate from its own general assembly for using all trade union means - including striking - to reach its objectives. On the ECSF side, neither is it ruled out to call for a strike given the "atmosphere that reigns among the staff", if the "consultation meeting on consultation planned for Wednesday afternoon among the Commissioner and the trade unions, and Thursday's working breakfast during which the Commissioner is expected to present texts to be adopted on 28 February do not allow the situation to be improved".