SUEPO News (Relaunched)

Demonstration of 18 March and Strike on 19 March

Mon, 23 Mar 2026 16:16:00 GMT

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

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Season's Greetings from SUEPO - Warm Wishes for the Festive Season and the New Year

Fri, 19 Dec 2025 16:00:00 GMT

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

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Season's Greetings from SUEPO

Fri, 20 Dec 2024 13:38:00 GMT

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!

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Reminder: Demonstration - Wednesday 23 October, at 12.30h in front of the Isar building

Wed, 23 Oct 2019 09:23:00 GMT

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.

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Demonstration - Wednesday 23 October, at 12.30h in front of the Isar building

Tue, 22 Oct 2019 16:01:00 GMT

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.

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[SUEPO] Reminder: demo today 12.30 - Isar building

Wed, 21 Mar 2018 09:03:00 GMT

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

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[SUEPO] Reminder: DEMO on 21.03.2018 - 12.30h - ISAR Building

Tue, 20 Mar 2018 08:46:00 GMT

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.

Demonstration in front of the Isar building on 21 March, 12.30h

SUEPO Munich

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Bavarian Parliament to discuss motion from the "Freie Wähler" in next session held on 13 March 2018, at 12.30h

Fri, 09 Mar 2018 19:02:00 GMT

In its next session on 13 March 2018, starting at 12.30h, the EU Committee of the Bavarian Parliament will discuss a motion from the "Freie Wähler" that calls upon the German government to use its influence at national and European level to ensure the independence of the EPO Boards of Appeal.

Read more, here. (link to motion)

Your SUEPO Munich committee

link to motion (previous announcement on our website):
https://suepo.org

[SUEPO] Feedback on DEMONSTRATION from Wednesday 13 December 2017

Thu, 14 Dec 2017 12:02:00 GMT

SUEPO feedback on the last demonstration in Munich from 13 December 2017.

For more information, read here...

[SUEPO] Reminder DEMONSTRATION Wednesday 13 December at 12:30 Isar building

Mon, 11 Dec 2017 19:10:00 GMT

Dear colleagues,

SUEPO Munich calls for a demonstration in front of the Isar building on the first day of the meeting of the Administrative Council on Wednesday 13 December at 12:30 in front of the Isar building. The aim is to signal to the Council that their governance is needed – if they want to avoid further criticism from the Tribunal.

For more information, read here.

SUEPO Munich

Call for Demonstration !!!

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[SUEPO] Aufruf zur Demo!

Fri, 08 Dec 2017 15:51:00 GMT

Liebe Kolleginnen und Kollegen,

die Ereignisse dieser Woche haben sich überschlagen:

Am Mittwoch hat das Verwaltungsgericht der Internationalen Arbeitsorganisation, VGIAO, entschieden, dass das seit Jahren suspendierte Mitglied der Beschwerdekammer „sofort“ wieder einzusetzen ist. Das Hausverbot ist aufgehoben. Auch sind die seit Jahren einbehaltenen Bezüge nachzuzahlen.

Der Präsident des Amtes hingegen setzt sich über das Urteil des VGIAO hinweg. Er hat das Hausverbot gegen das suspendierte Mitglied der Beschwerdekammer bekräftigt und verweigert ihm den Zugang zu den Dienstgebäuden in Haar und an der Isar. Er lässt zwar behaupten, dass er das Urteil respektiere, handelt ihm aber zuwider, frei nach dem Prinzip: „Urteil? Welches Urteil?“ (*)

Wenn die Urteile des VGIAO nicht mehr vom Amt beachtet werden, dann hat die Belegschaft KEINEN RECHTSSCHUTZ mehr! Dem müssen wir entschieden entgegentreten! Daher ruft IGEPA zu einer Demonstration auf! Wir versammeln uns am 13.12.2017, um 12.30, vor dem Isar Gebäude um dort für unsere GRUNDRECHTE zu demonstrieren!

Die Europäische Patentorganisation, und insbesondere das Europäische Patentamt, ist ein Organ der Rechtspflege in Europa. Die europäische Öffentlichkeit, und die Weltöffentlichkeit, verlassen sich auf die Integrität dieser Organisation und dieses Amtes. Wer nun einen Richter suspendiert und faktisch aus dem Amt entfernt ohne dass die dafür notwendigen Voraussetzungen gegeben sind, der untergräbt die Integrität dieser Organisation in einer unerträglichen Weise!

Nie wieder Grundrechtsverletzungen!

IGEPA München

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[SUEPO] Demonstration Tomorrow Tuesday 10 October 2017 at 12:30 Isar building

Thu, 05 Oct 2017 13:43:00 GMT

Dear colleagues,

We invite you to a demonstration during the next Administrative Council meeting which will take place tomorrow Tuesday 10 October 2017, 12:30 at the Isar building to:

show your discontent with the abusive management style of the present administration
demonstrate against the irrational reforms and the new decision against staff to abolish national holiday, ‘purely for production gains’.

Your SUEPO Committee Munich

For more information, read here.

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Bavarian Parliament session 1 June 2016

Wed, 25 May 2016 13:00:00 GMT

On 20 April earlier this year the Committee of European and international affairs of the Bavarian Parliament discussed an urgent request from Ms Gabi Schmidt, speaker of the party “Freie Wähler”, concerning the working conditions at the EPO. A short report of the meeting can be found here. The discussion will continue in a plenum session of the Bavarian Parliament in the afternoon of 1 June...

Report on the Bavarian Parliament session about the urgent request regarding the situation of the employees of the EPO

Wed, 20 Apr 2016 14:00:00 GMT

Yesterday, the Committee for Federal and European Affairs (Ausschuss für Bundes- und Europaangelegenheiten) of the Bavarian Parliament (Bayerischer Landtag) discussed the situation in the Office. The party "Freie Wähler" proposed a motion, noting the deficits in the staff policies of the EPO (part 1) and demanding the national government to work towards improving the working conditions in the EPO, in particular towards a review of the contested investigation guidelines (part 2 of the motion). The second part of the motion was unanimously approved. The first half, however, was not supported by the large CSU fraction. As a consequence, the motion as a whole did not pass. As a next step, it will be discussed in a full session of the Parliament in a few weeks time...

Bavarian Parliament session about the urgent request regarding the situation of the employees of the EPO

Mon, 18 Apr 2016 09:00:00 GMT

The urgent request (see communiqué dated 15 March 2016) made by Freie Wähler will be dealt with in an upcoming session (see request in section I.2.) of the Bavarian Parliament, which will be held on Tuesday 19 April, starting at 12:30. We received the following announcement, that we would like to forward to all interested people:

im Namen der sozialpolitischen Sprecherin der FREIE WÄHLER Landtagsfraktion, Gabi Schmidt, darf ich Sie darüber informieren, dass in der kommenden Woche ein Dringlichkeitsantrag bezüglich der Situation der Beschäftigten des Europäischen Patentamts im Europaausschuss des Bayerischen Landtags beraten wird. Die Sitzung findet am kommenden Dienstag um 12:30 Uhr statt und ist öffentlich. Im Anhang finden Sie sowohl die Tagesordnung als auch die entsprechende Drucksache. Gerne dürfen Sie diese Information an Ihre Mitglieder und weitere Interessierte weiterleiten.

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SUEPO News (Relaunched)

Demonstration of 18 March and Strike on 19 March

Season's Greetings from SUEPO - Warm Wishes for the Festive Season and the New Year

Season's Greetings from SUEPO

Reminder: Demonstration - Wednesday 23 October, at 12.30h in front of the Isar building

Demonstration - Wednesday 23 October, at 12.30h in front of the Isar building

[SUEPO] Reminder: demo today 12.30 - Isar building

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] Reminder: DEMO on 21.03.2018 - 12.30h - ISAR Building

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

Bavarian Parliament to discuss motion from the "Freie Wähler" in next session held on 13 March 2018, at 12.30h

[SUEPO] Feedback on DEMONSTRATION from Wednesday 13 December 2017

[SUEPO] Reminder DEMONSTRATION Wednesday 13 December at 12:30 Isar building

Call for Demonstration !!!

[SUEPO] Aufruf zur Demo!

[SUEPO] Demonstration Tomorrow Tuesday 10 October 2017 at 12:30 Isar building

Bavarian Parliament session 1 June 2016

Report on the Bavarian Parliament session about the urgent request regarding the situation of the employees of the EPO

Bavarian Parliament session about the urgent request regarding the situation of the employees of the EPO

Please come and demonstrate in front of the Isar building

TODAY, 21 March, 12.30h