EPO demo in Munich attracts 900

Around 900 people attended a demonstration against the alleged harassment of a member of the Staff Union of the European Patent Office (SUEPO).

The demonstration took place on Wednesday, October 14, in front of the EPO’s Isar Building in Munich and was in support of Elizabeth Hardon, chair of SUEPO Munich, who is in a dispute with EPO management.

The protest took place as the supervisory body of the EPO, the Administrative Council, held its 145th meeting.

Hardon is defending herself against claims that she “ orchestrated and promoted” a harassment campaign against a member of staff at the EPO’s The Hague office. She has requested that an independent body review her request that, as a result of those claims, she has been on the receiving end of institutional harassment from EPO management.

According to SUEPO, the protestors were denied the right to protest on the EPO’s office grounds by management. SUEPO said the EPO’s decision was “utterly irresponsible”.

Because the demonstration could not take place on office grounds, SUEPO said staff and police ended up on the road in close proximity to moving traffic.

“It says a lot about how much the current top management hates its staff union that it allows Greenpeace to demonstrate on office grounds, but not SUEPO,” the union added.

SUEPO said it has tentatively planned another demonstration to take place on November 18.