Euro-staff fight pay reforms

There is anger in Brussels's corridors of power

By Justin Webb in Brussels

Staff at the European Commission - the body at the heart of the European Union - have been protesting against a package of measures designed to change their working practices.

Around 100 officials picketed the commission building in Brussels, and union representatives spent several hours trying to persuade the commission president, Romano Prodi, to drop the plans, which would see an end to a number of perks and the introduction of performance-related pay.

Neil Kinnock: bringing a wind of change to Brussels

The reform package has been put together by Neil Kinnock, the former leader of the British Labour Party, who is now a vice-president to the commission, as part of a campaign to try to persuade a sceptical European public that the commission is working more efficiently.

The centrepiece of the Kinnock reform plan is the linking of pay to performance.

Alien idea

At the moment, salaries for the commission's 17,000 staff can rise by up to 50% during the course of 14 years without the individual having received any kind of promotion.

Romano Prodi: Met unions for several hours

The Kinnock plan is that salaries would rise much more slowly unless an official got a new job with more responsibilities.

Some of the money saved will be paid out to those who perform particularly well - an idea alien to the existing culture of the commission.

Mr Kinnock also wants to reduce the number of perks, like the allowances for staff and their families to travel home twice a year, which are currently paid on the basis of the first-class rail fare and can be claimed even if no journey is made.

'No consultation'

After meeting Mr Prodi, union representatives claimed that they had support from some commissioners in their efforts to get the Kinnock proposals shelved.

However, the commission team is almost certain to approve them later on Wednesday.

With the commission president and European Union member governments desperately keen to improve the public image of Europe, blocking change is going to be difficult.

The unions complain that they have not been properly consulted and say their members are being punished for the past misdemeanours of commissioners themselves.

In Britain, the opposition Conservative party accused Mr Kinnock of doing too little too late.

"Mr Kinnock's reforms do not go far enough. There is little evidence of real change", said Francis Maude, the shadow foregin secretary.