2010: a decisive year
Salaries, Health Insurance, Pensions
The year 2010 will see the LHC reach an energy likely to open a new window on the microscopic world.
Furthermore, in 2010, the Organization, in its role as a State, will have to consolidate the social security system of its present, past, and future employees. This means our Pension Fund, which is showing a deficit of two thousand million Swiss francs, and our Health Insurance Scheme, which is also in deficit.
The next five-yearly review of our salaries will also end in 2010.
During this time of good wishes, let us hope that the level of our salaries and of our health insurance remain attractive in order to attract, retain and motivate the staff of the highest competence needed by CERN to carry out its current and future projects.
Adhere to the principles as well
On Thursday 17 December, the Staff Association called on you to participate in a gathering in the main building and to sign a petition (see photos). More than 800 of you attended that day, for which we thank you.
The aim of this gathering was to show the Member State delegates that the employee college (active and retired staff members) of the Pension Fund Governing Board (PFGB) did not intend to be sidelined in the relations between this committee and CERN Council. The PFGB is based on the principle of equality between the employer and employee colleges. It is therefore totally unacceptable that CERN Council, with is dual responsibility as sponsor and employer, discusses with the PFGB experts – in the absence of representatives of the employee college – matters concerning the CERN Pension Fund.
The principles of equal representation must be respected in order to guarantee constructive dialogue between the negotiating partners responsible.
Excellence in all areas
Finding solutions to these problems in order to keep CERN a centre of excellence not only as a physics laboratory, but also as a social laboratory, will require a lot of work and collaboration from all parties involved. There is no doubt that at the decisive moments, we will call on you to help us convince our negotiating partners of our determination to ensure that the rules and principles of law are respected.
Furthermore, in 2010, the Organization, in its role as a State, will have to consolidate the social security system of its present, past, and future employees. This means our Pension Fund, which is showing a deficit of two thousand million Swiss francs, and our Health Insurance Scheme, which is also in deficit.
The next five-yearly review of our salaries will also end in 2010.
During this time of good wishes, let us hope that the level of our salaries and of our health insurance remain attractive in order to attract, retain and motivate the staff of the highest competence needed by CERN to carry out its current and future projects.
Adhere to the principles as well
On Thursday 17 December, the Staff Association called on you to participate in a gathering in the main building and to sign a petition (see photos). More than 800 of you attended that day, for which we thank you.
The aim of this gathering was to show the Member State delegates that the employee college (active and retired staff members) of the Pension Fund Governing Board (PFGB) did not intend to be sidelined in the relations between this committee and CERN Council. The PFGB is based on the principle of equality between the employer and employee colleges. It is therefore totally unacceptable that CERN Council, with is dual responsibility as sponsor and employer, discusses with the PFGB experts – in the absence of representatives of the employee college – matters concerning the CERN Pension Fund.
The principles of equal representation must be respected in order to guarantee constructive dialogue between the negotiating partners responsible.
Excellence in all areas
Finding solutions to these problems in order to keep CERN a centre of excellence not only as a physics laboratory, but also as a social laboratory, will require a lot of work and collaboration from all parties involved. There is no doubt that at the decisive moments, we will call on you to help us convince our negotiating partners of our determination to ensure that the rules and principles of law are respected.
| December Council: BLACKOUT Despite our actions on 17 December (see Echo no. 92), at the closed session of CERN Council discussions on the report (White Paper) of Working Group no. 2 of the Pension Fund Governing Board nonetheless took place in the absence of the employee college. Only the two experts who sit on the PFGB were invited. The following day, at the open session of CERN Council, no information was given concerning the content of these discussions, nor any ensuing decisions. Even worse, not even the members of the PFGB received any information. It should be reminded that it is however this structure, put in place by Council in 2007, that drafted the White Paper examined by Council. Why this BLACKOUT? Beyond the absence of consideration for the staff, this lack of transparency shows that our fears were therefore well founded. We were right to take action in December. It would appear that we will need to make our concerns heard even more in 2010. |
