Demonstration on Wednesday 22 June: well done!
You were more than 700 Wednesday morning to have answered the call of the Staff Council by participating in a demonstration to say “NO to the Diktat of the Member states” and “Yes to real concertation”. Those present also signed a Resolution adopted by the Staff Council. In parallel, the whole morning some sixty members of the Staff Council and members of GAC-EPA, former Staff delegates, blocked the entry to the Council Chamber, thus obliging the meeting of Finance Committee to be held elsewhere.
This Thursday morning, the president and vice-presidents of the Staff association met with the Presidents of CERN Council, Prof. M. Spiro, and Finance Committee, Dr B. Jacobsen, in the presence of the Director for Administration and General Infrastructure, Mr. S. Lettow, to transmit to them a copy of the resolution accompanied by the 700 signatures. We explained the reasons of our action of Wednesday morning, as well as the position of the Staff Council as expressed in the Resolution.
The president of CERN Council communicated the concerns of the Staff Association in the area of pensions to the Member States delegates in the session of Council on Thursday. Notwithstanding our arguments, Council decided to follow the recommendations of Finance Committee and accept the proposal of the Director-General. Nevertheless Council agreed that if the introduction of more recent mortality tables leads to the need to increase in the contribution rate of future staff, Management can come back to Council in December with a new proposal taking into account this increase. Council also agreed that Management can start to talk to the Staff Association on a voluntary part to complement the obligatory pension scheme.
The Staff Council thanks you all for your overwhelming support. By its action, which was dignified and controlled, but strong and visible, the CERN staff has shown its solidarity with the new generations, who are the future of this Organization. We cannot allow the Member States to put the recruitment of new staff in danger. CERN must remain a centre of excellence, not only scientific and technological, but also social. Through the dedication and continuous efforts of the staff, working hand in hand with the thousands of users of the CERN facilities, the LHC beats record after record and anti-hydrogen atoms are created and trapped by the thousands. For all this the staff deserves recognition and respect.
The Member State delegates have seen and heard us. They have noted our resolve. It remains to be seen whether in the future they adopt a more constructive attitude with respect to the interest of the staff as expressed by its delegates.
