Brussels, 13/11/2002 (Agence Europe) - The Union Syndical has launched a controversial strike at the Committee of the Regions. The strike began on Tuesday and aims to get the Committee of the Regions to foreclose it project for an internal competition that would give official status to temporary agents. The strike is being led by some of the translators, interpreters and planning leaders. These civil servants belong to joint services of the Committee of the Regions and the Economic and Social Committee. Neither Union Syndical nor the Committee of the Regions were available for comment on Wednesday, with regard to how many people are on strike. According to Union Syndical the planning service was all out on strike. The Union intends to carry out other action leading up too the plenary on 20-21 November with refusing access to texts and a demonstration during the session. The personnel committee, which represents the staff at the Committee of the Regions, had agreed to the internal competitions. The President is against the strike and has made clear on a number of occasions in press statements that he strongly supports the General Secretary and the management committee of the Committee of the Regions in organising the internal statute competitions. The Secretary General of the Regions, Vincenzo Falcone, wrote to all staff members on 11 November indicating that he regarded the strike as illegal and the personnel going on strike without giving prior warning the day before to his management committee would be subject to disciplinary action. Union Syndical, the personnel committee and the Secretary General are accusing each other of applying pressure, blackmail and lack of accountability. Organisation of the internal competition was voted for by the policy bureau of the Committee of the Regions on 9 October with 12 in favour and 11 against, despite the opposition of the Committee Chairman, Albert Bore, who voted against. Union Syndical believes that the competition is an example of "jobs for the boys" and aims to bestow "functionary" status on temporary agents who have been allocated places by the political groups at the Committee to the detriment of external competitions. In a letter addressed to personnel, the Secretary general gave assurances that methods for organising the competitions, "are only at a reflection stage for the moment".
On Wednesday, the Chairman of the Committee of the Regions, Albert Bore published a communiqué in order to "put on record my commitment to ensuring that the competitions are organised in the most fair and transparent manner possible and in full compliance with all relevant legal requirements".