Staff unions call off strike

Trade unions representing staff of the European Union's Council of Ministers today decided to call off a strike that had been called for tomorrow.  

“We have come to believe that a strike tomorrow [21 November] would not achieve more than our strike on 8 November has achieved,” said Günther Lorenz, a representative of Union syndicale at the Council. The unions will instead hold a demonstration in front of the Berlaymont building, the headquarters of the European Commission, at 12:30 on 21 November.   

Lorenz said that Herman Van Rompuy, the president of the European Council, had “solemnly pledged” in a meeting with staff representatives to “do everything to defend” administrative spending against further cuts.  

The strike had initially been called for tomorrow in a bid to disrupt preparations for a summit of EU leaders that starts the following day. The EU leaders are supposed to agree a multi-annual financial framework for 2014-20, with the Union's administrative spending certain to come under pressure.  

In his latest draft of the MFF, Van Rompuy reduced the European Commission's MFF proposal for administration spending by €500 million, capping it at €62.6 billion, or 6.44%, of the total MFF.  

The Council unions will hold another assembly next Tuesday (27 November) to assess the outcome of the summit and decide, if necessary, on a new strike.