Brendan Ryan, former President of USB and CCP of the European Commission, has passed away.
Our thoughts are with the families at this difficult time of loss.
The funeral will take place on Thursday June 13 at 10:00 am in Watermael-Boitsfort at St Clément church.
In the 1980s, Brendan, a young civil servant at SCIC, joined the interpreters’ delegation in a long and difficult negotiation concerning working conditions, interpreter recruitment and training. Three essential issues negotiated under the Staff Regulations in an extremely tense social context.
The interpreters’ delegation, elected by their peers, was an offshoot of CLOP (Comité de Liaison des Organisations Syndicicales et Professionnelles), in which US played a decisive role.
It took a strike in 1986 to reach an agreement on working conditions in 1987.
In 1989, the interpreters’ delegation ceased to exist for two years.
Brendan, on the strength of this experience, stood for election to the staff committee, where he was elected and re-elected for many years. Thanks to his efforts, the 2 outstanding cases were settled through negotiation between the staff committee and DG9.
Twenty years later, he represented the Staff Committee in the negotiation of the inter-institutional agreement on tele-interpreting.
Brendan Ryan was a friend, colleague and comrade in struggle.
Michel Lesseigne, member of the interpreters’ delegation 1982-1989.