Council staff call off strike

But unions threaten to disrupt next week’s summit of EU leaders if member states insist on deep cuts to administrative spending.

Trade unions representing staff at the Council of Ministers have called off a strike scheduled for tomorrow (16 November) after talks with Herman Van Rompuy, the president of the European Council. But they warned that a strike on Wednesday (21 November) might still go ahead if their demands are not met.

The staff unions are worried that negotiations on the EU’s multi-annual financial framework for 2014-20 could result in deep cuts to the EU’s administrative spending.

EU leaders are scheduled to hold a summit in Brussels on 22-23 November to discuss the MFF.

The majority of Council staff took part in a strike on 8 November.

In a statement issued today, the unions criticised the cuts foreseen in Van Rompuy’s draft of the MFF, which was discussed by member states’ ambassadors to the EU this morning. But they also described Van Rompuy’s proposed cuts to the EU’s administrative spending – a reduction of €500 million from the European Commission’s initial proposal – as “responsible” in comparison with “unreasonable demands from certain member states” for even deeper cuts.

While there will be no strike tomorrow, staff will hold a demonstration in the lobby of the Justus Lipsius building in Brussels, the seat of the Council of Ministers.

The unions are threatening to hold a strike on 21 November in case the member states insist on budget cuts that are “incompatible with the proper functioning of the institutions” and suggested that the strike could go on throughout the summit.

A decision on next week’s strike will be taken on Tuesday (20 November).

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