A big thank you for your support!

Dear SUEPO members,
Dear Colleagues,

On 18 March 2026, 700 colleagues and pensioners braved the Munich Spring cold to demonstrate in front of the Isar building. 500 additional attendees connected to the live feed put in place for the first time in the history of SUEPO demonstrations. A total of 1.200 attendees.

The strike on 19 March was also very well followed with 1.620 participants. Thank you for your support!

SUEPO had called to demonstrate against the “orientations for a new salary adjustment procedure” which plan an intensification of the erosion of EPO salaries, pensions and others benefits without any financial basis. During the demonstration, the speakers addressed the situation of 5-year contracts, the lack of respect from upper management, the importance of strike as a collective bargain instrument, work-to-rule for examiners and formalities officers and how BIT can support the industrial actions.

When closing the demonstration, SUEPO reminded that the most powerful action every one of us can take is to join the organised strikes and to contribute to the work-to-rule action which is having an impressive impact on the drop in number of products/grants and hence the income of the national patent offices of the delegates.

Read more in this paper.

Sincerely yours,

SUEPO Munich

Dear SUEPO Members,

As the year draws to a close, we would like to take this moment to thank you for your continued trust, solidarity and engagement throughout the past year. Your commitment to our shared values and collective interests remains the cornerstone of our strength as a Staff Union.

The festive season offers a welcome opportunity to pause, reflect and regain energy. We hope this time brings you moments of calm, warmth and connection with those close to you.

Looking ahead to the New Year, we remain committed to standing together with you, defending staff interests and working constructively to address the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. United, we will continue to speak with a strong and credible voice on behalf of our members.

We wish you a peaceful festive season and a confident start into the New Year.

In solidarity and with our warmest wishes,

SUEPO Munich

Dear SUEPO Members,

As we reflect on the past year, we are deeply grateful for your solidarity and unwavering commitment to our shared cause. Your support is the foundation of our collective strength and the progress we’ve achieved together in 2024.

This holiday season, we wish you moments of rest, joy, and connection with those who matter most. May this time renew your energy and inspire us all to continue standing united in 2025, ready to face new challenges and celebrate new successes together.

Thank you for being an essential part of our union. Together, we make a difference.

In solidarity and with warmest wishes,

Your SUEPO Munich committee

Please consider joining SUEPO if you haven’t done so yet!

Dear SUEPO Members,
Dear Colleagues,

SUEPO Munich invites all staff to demonstrate on Wednesday 29 June 2022 (the first day of the 171th session of the Administrative Council) at 12.30h in front of the Isar building.

Mr Campinos hopes that his “Mobility Package” (CA/32/22 Rev. 1) introducing seconded national experts posts for the delegations will guarantee him a re-election for a second mandate.

The demonstration is authorised by the Bavarian authorities. Please wear a face mask if physical distancing is less than 1,50 m.

This flyer was distributed today.

SUEPO Munich

SUEPO Munich invites all staff to demonstrate on Wednesday 29 June 2022 (the first day of the 171th session of the Administrative Council) at 12.30h in front of the Isar building.

Mr Campinos hopes that his “Mobility Package” (CA/32/22 Rev. 1) introducing seconded national experts posts for the delegations will guarantee him a re-election for a second mandate. In a letter sent on 10 June, SUEPO warned the delegations of the decentralisation risks and the requirement of a Conference of Ministers under Article 4a EPC.

The Technologia survey 2022 results are now available and disastrous for Mr Campinos. In this letter sent on 23 June to the Heads of Delegations, SUEPO urges the Council to take due account of the results and to give the proper mandate to EPO management to repair the situation.

Come to the demonstration to show the Administrative Council and the rest of the world that there can be no peace at the Office with a President who protects and pursues the Battistelli attacks on staff rights, who orchestrates a flawed Financial Study, who refuses to invest in younger employees who are the future of the EPO, who pushes for a decentralisation of the EPO to serve his re-election and who is unable to conduct social dialogue.

This paper gives further contextualized information about the current situation.

SUEPO Munich

The SUEPO action plan approved on 22 February started with Work-to-Rule actions and now culminates with 1 full day of strike on Tuesday 22 March 2022 during the meeting of the Administrative Council (see calendar).

Inflation is historically high and salaries frozen, but thanks to the Tribunal, there is at least one thing that has become cheaper for EPO staff this year: strike deductions! (down from 1/20^th to 1/30^th). Show Mr Campinos your discontent. Participate in the strike!

This paper gives you the latest updates.

Participate in the strike! Make Tuesday 22 March count!

SUEPO Munich

Today, the EPO Budget and Finance Committee meets in Munich. On the agenda are CA/83/19 and CA/84/19. Despite the excellent performance of staff during the last years, these documents foresee an unprecedented set of punitive financial measures.
 
Is it a fair recognition of staff's efforts ? Is this in the interest of the EPO and its stakeholders?

Please join us for the demonstration today in front of the Isar building if you don’t think so !

Our demo flyer can be found here.

On 23 and 24 October the EPO Budget and Finance Committee will meet in Munich. On the agenda are CA/83/19 and CA/84/19.

Despite the excellent performance of staff during the last years, these documents foresee an unprecedented set of punitive measures, among which:

• A further increase of productivity of 31% for formalities staff and 23% for examining staff, the latter on top of the + 36% already achieved,

• A reduction of the salary progression and a further reduction of the career perspectives for all but the happy few, additionally

• The introduction of a “solidarity tax” (solidarity with whom?) of up to 9% on salaries and pensions, and

• An up to 25% reduction of the pension accrual despite an up to 10% increase in the pension contribution by staff,

• With the further hundreds of millions in cash surpluses thus generated annually to be stashed away in an obscure “EPO Treasury Investment Fund” (EPOTIF).

Is this a just reward for staff’s performance?

Is this in the interest of the EPO and its stakeholders?

Please join us for a demonstration in front of the Isar building if you don’t think so !

Read more here.

The next meeting of the Administrative Council will take place on 27 and 28 June in The Hague.

So unless you want to travel to The Hague, today may be your last chance to demonstrate against the seriously flawed reforms that Mr Battistelli has imposed and continues to impose (CA/3/18 – contracts instead of permanent employment for all new recruits) on the EPO. 

EPO staff does not deserve a further degradation of their working conditions.

Please come and demonstrate in front of the Isar building
 
TODAY, 21 March, 12.30h

 
Suepo Munich

CA/3/18 proposes many changes to our service regulations. The EPO administration claims that the financial as well as the social implications of these amendments will be "minimal". A clear and detailed business case however is completely missing and instead CA/3/18 is filled with the usual management buzz words, such as "efficiency strategy", "long-term sustainability", "industry 4.0" and "flexible management".
 

EPO staff does not deserve a further degradation of their working conditions.