Brussels, 26/06/2009 (Agence Europe) - Trade union elections to the local staff committees at the European Commission in Brussels ended at 5.30 pm on Thursday 25 June, showing relative stability in the main trade unions as well as a breakthrough for the latest, “Union for Unity” (U4U), which wins two seats. According to non-consolidated results forwarded to us on Friday, the 27 seats are distributed as follows:
Union for Renewal and Democracy (8 seats), the trade union majority keeps the first place but loses two seats;
European Public Service Union (6 seats), main opposition trade union, with equal results;
European Civil Service Federation (FFPE) and the Confederation-Trade Union of the European Civil Service each with 3 seats;
European Solidarity, Association of Independent Officials (TAO-AFI) and the Union for Unity each win 2 seats;
Union of International and European Civil Servants (UIECS) keeps only one seat out of the previous three;
SID (trade union for solidarity, independence and democracy) wins only one seat.
There were 22,398 officials who turned out to vote. Over 66% of them had already voted on Wednesday, allowing the quorum to be reached. After the ballot, no trade union holds the majority of 14 seats needed for local staff decisions and still less the 18 seats needed to form the Brussels delegation of the central staff committee. The trade unions will therefore seek to form alliances. (L.P./O.J./transl.jl)