21 October 2014Patents

EPO union hits back in ‘defamation’ row

The staff union at the European Patent Office has challenged President Benoît Battistelli to prove that it has been lying after he accused it of running a “defamation” campaign against him.

In an open letter sent to WIPR, the EPO’s staff union said none of the information it has published has been false, and has challenged Battistelli to prove otherwise.

In the letter, Battistelli is urged to deny several allegations about his governance, including that he does not have to report to anyone, that key decisions are taken behind closed doors, and that intimidation has been used as a managerial tool.

The union was responding to claims by Battistelli last month that it was running a “defamation campaign” against him.

Speaking exclusively to WIPR at this year’s AIPPI World Congress in Toronto, the EPO chief said the union had “sent letters all over Europe” complaining about transparency and governance.

“The union has had a monopoly in staff representation; they were more or less controlling the office. You can't manage an office like that. We need to make reforms, and these are clearly explained in what we call our road map,” he said.

At the height of staff concerns are new staff investigation guidelines and an alleged lack of freedom of communication for unions and other staff members.

Two strikes have been organised by the office since March and staff are expected to vote on a third later this month.

The staff letter said: “If Mr Battistelli is so certain of being in the right, perhaps he should stop invoking immunity from jurisdiction and let independent courts and national labour inspectorates do their job and assess objectively what is truly going on at the EPO.”

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