Staff Association declaration at TREF meeting on 5th October 2010
After discussion of the Management’s proposals in the framework of the internal concertation procedure (SCC), the Staff Association supports the CHIS component but is in disagreement with certain points relating to the Salary component. Therefore, we asked for arbitration by the Director General.
First, the staff is extremely disappointed by these proposals, in particular in view of the size of the gap observed with respect to the percentages given by the salary comparisons carried out in the framework of the five-yearly review.
Moreover, the LHC is currently working extremely well and the results obtained go far beyond what could have been reasonably expected.
However, due to the necessary increase in the contribution rates for health insurance and pensions, the majority of staff will suffer a cut in their net salary of up to 2% at the beginning of 2011.
Of course, you may reply that pensions are being brought into the discussions, whereas they do not formally belong to the five-yearly review which is nearing completion.
However, as CERN Council (and also the Tribunal in its jurisprudence) is in the habit of recalling, Organizations and its staff live in the real world where we cannot disregard economic figures. This implies that all elements of the economic and social reality are to be taken into consideration.
Consequently, it is economically and socially unacceptable that the excellent teamwork shown by the exceptional results of the LHC be sanctioned by a cut in net salary for the majority of the staff, in particular for those who earn the least.
This is why, for the sake of basic social justice, the Staff Association asks
First, the staff is extremely disappointed by these proposals, in particular in view of the size of the gap observed with respect to the percentages given by the salary comparisons carried out in the framework of the five-yearly review.
Moreover, the LHC is currently working extremely well and the results obtained go far beyond what could have been reasonably expected.
However, due to the necessary increase in the contribution rates for health insurance and pensions, the majority of staff will suffer a cut in their net salary of up to 2% at the beginning of 2011.
Of course, you may reply that pensions are being brought into the discussions, whereas they do not formally belong to the five-yearly review which is nearing completion.
However, as CERN Council (and also the Tribunal in its jurisprudence) is in the habit of recalling, Organizations and its staff live in the real world where we cannot disregard economic figures. This implies that all elements of the economic and social reality are to be taken into consideration.
Consequently, it is economically and socially unacceptable that the excellent teamwork shown by the exceptional results of the LHC be sanctioned by a cut in net salary for the majority of the staff, in particular for those who earn the least.
This is why, for the sake of basic social justice, the Staff Association asks
- For compensation of 2% in all career paths to be added to the Management’s proposal (0%-2%-4%), thus giving a new proposal (2%-4%-6%). In this way, no member of staff loses in terms of net salary.
- For the increases to be made in one go, in January 2011.
These two points were the subject of the arbitration by the Director General.
The Staff Association thus hopes that the social climate at CERN will be preserved on a long-term basis. This is particularly important considering the two major objectives for the LHC over the next two years, namely the tenfold increase in luminosity for 2011 and the doubling of energy for 2012. It is therefore crucial, at the dawn of these deadlines, to preserve the current motivation and commitment of all the staff.
The Staff Association thus hopes that the social climate at CERN will be preserved on a long-term basis. This is particularly important considering the two major objectives for the LHC over the next two years, namely the tenfold increase in luminosity for 2011 and the doubling of energy for 2012. It is therefore crucial, at the dawn of these deadlines, to preserve the current motivation and commitment of all the staff.
