TELEGRAPH / B.WATERFIELD
When calls for widespread austerity are the rage...union leaders for the EU's 55,000 civil servants refuse to even discuss proposals for a 40 hour working week...an extra 2.5 hours.
It is the key measure to save taxpayers $1.33bn/E991mn a year by 2020.
"The attractiveness of the European civil service would deteriorate. It would be a socially-backward step that the unions and staff associations reject emphatically," claims the trade unions association.
An EU conservative leader says: "Public sector staff the world over are facing cutbacks and wage freezes. But here in Brussels they seem to think they live in an economic microclimate where money grows on trees and the world owes them a very comfortable living. They need to get real and start to talk to us about how they can help Europe out of this crisis."
Popular Posts
- SERBIA / LIBYA : Are Serbian Mercenary Pilots Bombing Protestors In Tripoli?
- PERU: Chaos Reigns In Lima's Streets With Unregulated Taxis And Ancient Buses.
- BRASIL: FIFA Ponders Guns Swap For World Cup Football Tickets; Lula's Tumor 75% Reduced.
- FRANCE: Angry Basque Force Sarkozy To Hide In Bar.
- MEXICO: Guapo But Bobo...PRI's Pena Nieto Still Leads To Succeed Prez Calderon.
- CHILE / CANADA : Court Suspends Barrick Gold Pascua Lama Mine Production.
- Wall Street Journal Profiles Mexico's notorious "El Chapo."
- CHILE: 16 Jan. UPDATE: Camila Vallejo Interviewed; May Run For MP As Communist.
- SERBIA / KOSOVO / EU : President Nikolic Talks Tough About Pristina.
- ARGENTINA / RUSSIA / BELARUS/ UK : Olympics News...Sort Of.