EPO managers and staff hold talks to heal relations

Managers at the European Patent Office (EPO) have met staff representatives to “re-launch social dialogue” and overcome their dispute.

According to the office, a meeting was held on April 23 between EPO president Benoît Battistelli, Jesper Kongstad, the chair of the office’s supervisory body, the Administrative Council (AC), and two staff unions.

During the meeting, discussions were held with the Staff Union of the EPO (SUEPO) and the Fédération de la Fonction Publique Européenne (European Federation of Public Service), a newly formed union for staff in The Hague office. The EPO said the talks could lead to the groups’ “formal recognition as trade unions at the office”.

In a statement, Kongstad said: “It wasn’t an easy meeting, but sitting at one table has been an important first move and marked the beginning of a constructive process.”

It comes after series of strikes and protests at the office.

According to the EPO, all parties agreed to continue the talks and create a working group in the coming days to discuss further details.

After the meeting, SUEPO said that, although AC representatives seemed to understand the staff’s perspective on some of the problems that have beset the office, it was “disappointing” that the only initiative being offered was formal recognition of the unions.

“It remained unclear what union recognition ‘within the EPO’s legal framework’ could actually mean,” SUEPO said.

“SUEPO recognises that restoring a social dialogue is a necessary first step to addressing any other issues. We therefore agreed that we would participate in a working group that will look into the matter.”

A second meeting has been scheduled for May 28.

At the beginning of the month WIPR reported that the AC had proposed a meeting to heal staff relations.

Certain staff members, unhappy with various governance issues at the office, have staged a series of protests and strikes against the AC and Battistelli over the last 12 months.