WHERE DID YOU EAT, YESTERDAY ?
By a message to the staff, from January 11th, 2018 till 11:07 am, OIB informed us that catering services would be interrupted the same day at the BERL, BU-5, EEAS, CCAB, MADO, PLB3, MO34 and L130 further to a spontaneous strike by the staff of CIANO and UNIJOLLY firms.
CONF-SFE through its partnership with the largest Belgian trade union ACV-CSC, has been informed that the OIB has been aware for some time of the social problems in these companies, which would face major problems of cash flow. This would have negative consequences on employee compensation payments.
In addition there would be a situation of non-compliance with working conditions and pressures on the staff. ACV/CSC supports the employees concerned and is with them in this social conflict, with the sympathy of CONF-SFE.
CONF-SFE, in its role of defending the interests of staff at the Commission, regrets that the origin of the suppliers ‘problems lies in the strategy of slicing service contracts; putting different providers in permanent competition with the inside the different canteens at the Commission.
This now results in one-off interruptions, or even permanent interruptions in the event of bankruptcy of the suppliers, a basic service to be rendered to the staff. When OIB presented this strategy a few years ago, CONF-SFE had already warned OIB about this risk, as well as the risk of mistreatment, including exploitation of external employees by suppliers finding themselves in difficulty as a result of this permanent competition and the restrictive contractual requirements imposed by the OIB in the various framework contracts.
CONF/SFE reminds that the staff, following all savings in the downsizing and the increase in its weekly schedule up to 40hours, is under permanent pressure to streamline, among other things, the time to eat. Thus, should staff be able to lunch in fast and efficient way without too much loss of time and at modest rates, which is not possible in case of sudden or permanent interruption.
CONF/SFE therefore asks again the OIB:
To conduct immediate measures to ensure the continuity of food services in all cafeterias in case of sudden or permanent interruption in some places.
To review its strategy to put in competition different suppliers, demonstrated insufficient, preferably by returning again to the internalization of services, by the recruitment of statutory staff, as before.
To examine the possibility of access to the system of luncheon vouchers for the staff, as that exists in all the other large international companies.
To become aware of the risk of harmful effect to the image of the Commission as indirect employer of personnel for whom the social rights and the working conditions are not observed.
