The Union Syndicale wants more and better for Contract Agents
Since the 2010s, the Commission has continued to use an increasing number of Contract Agents, while the number of civil servants is no longer increasing. The proportion of contract workers among the staff has risen sharply, making the European Civil Service increasingly precarious.
However, contract colleagues face a double challenge. First of all, the absence of a career since the contracts of Contract Agents falling under Art. 3 at RAA are limited to 6 years. In addition, Contract Agents recruited on the basis of Art. 3 Bis RAAs (who may have a permanent contract) benefit from professional mobility restricted to the offices (PMO, OIB, OIL and EPSO). In addition, the Commission offers few reclassifications (promotions) for these colleagues and almost no changes in function groups or professional development.
However, today, more and more Contract Agents are called upon to perform tasks similar to AST and AD civil servants, with lower levels of remuneration.
We believe it is important to put an end to the current situation and to organise employment conditions that are more in line with European standards and to take account of the demands of colleagues.
The Union Syndicale is proposing the following demands for Contract Agents:
- Offer priority to contract agents with 4 or more years of contract to fill temporary agent positions, and ensure transparency of information about AT positions;
- Review the Commission’s decision on the cumulation of contracts and adjust it to allow the combination of a contract period and a 4-year temporary agent period;
- Adopt a provisional calendar of internal competitions to be planned a year in advance, allowing Cas or CASs who have become Temporary Agents to have a chance to gain the status of the civil servant;
- Increase the reclassification quotas for contract agents to improve their career prospects;
- Provide for annual screening for a chance of function group, based on recent experience in Brussels and Luxembourg. This screening wil require a regular review of job descrptions;
- Organize voluntary mobility for 3bis contract agents within the institution’s departements, and provide for a mobility exercice for 3ter contract agents within the Offices, with EU representations and delegations, as well as with other institutions and agencies facing problems of job insecuritu identical to those of the Commission.
- This organised mobility could consider the arduous nature of the jobs (drivers, childcare nurses), so that they can move on to other positions.
Union Syndicale will be by your side to defend your rights and improve your working conditions.
