To guarantee a dynamic and motivating career, Union Syndicale Luxembourg demands:

1) Full respect for the promotion rate of the IB Annex, and the catching up of the historical backlog through additional quotas or internal competitions

2) The increased role of the Promotion Committees to ensure the balance of the promotion system and the comparability of merits at the level of each Institution.

3) Regular internal competitions.

4) Transparent and participatory procedures linked to merit, equality and capacity to go beyond the AST9 and AD12 grades.

5) Gateways between CAs and AST/SCs and AST/ADs: external competitions must better value the merits of existing staff and allow for their progression.

6) The maintenance in practice of the principle of equivalence of pre- and post-2004 careers.

7) Preserving the annual nature of certification and revitalising it.

8) Seamless progression in steps: conditionality must remain the exception and under the control of a joint body.

9) A more objective and transparent evaluation system

10) Open and fair access to management on the basis of skills and expertise related to the function.

Union Syndicale Luxembourg is at your side to assist you in the interest of your career prospects.

Are promotions in danger in 2014? And beyond?

NO, the administrative career system – and therefore promotions – is basically preserved for AD 5 to AD 12, AST 1 to AST 9, for the new AST/SC category as well as for contract agents (USL is calling for more grades for GF I and GF II).

What happens after AD 12 and AST 9?

Promotions will be more linked to the level of responsibility exercised and the position held.

USL demands joint procedures that guarantee equal opportunities for access to the posts concerned on the basis of merit and competence and in absolute transparency.

Advice to colleagues

1. Ensure that the CDR accurately reflects your performance and the difficulties encountered.

2. Demand that your assessor fully assumes his/her duties and gives objective indications (good, very good, excellent) of your skills and performance, as well as languages and level of responsibility.

3. In case of problems, do not hesitate to lodge an appeal against the evaluation and against the non-proposal for promotion.

4. Always contact the USL representatives in the promotion committees in good time!

What does USL require and what does it commit to?

1. An objective evaluation system that allows for comparison of merits at the level of the institution

2. A credible appeals procedure – Joint Committee to be set up for evaluation, especially with the conditionality introduced for step progression

3. An effective social dialogue in the framework of the budgetary procedure on promotions to be planned year by year.

4. Full compliance with the promotion rates of Annex I B.

5. Respect for career equivalence before and after 2004

6. A re-evaluation of the Promotion Committees, which are the only ones capable of comparing the merits of the institution and adopting corrective measures in the event of abuses by certain DGs, before proposing a single list of those promoted to the Appointing Authority

7. Increase the number of promotion proposals available to the Promotion Committees.

8. The publication of relevant statistics on fast/normal/slow promotions by DG and at Institution level.

9. To assist all colleagues who feel that their legitimate expectations of promotion and evaluation have been violated