LA Issues — Part 5: Your job and your future
- Sumeet Thakkar
- Jun 16
- 3 min read
Maja Vuckovic-Krcmar, Sumeet Thakkar, Sunil Kumar, Mahbuba Abdulloeva ,Lejla Sultanovic, Aminata Ongoiba, Helen Conefrey
Modernisation, job recognition, and the road to social dialogue in 2027
USHU is interacting closely and making proposals for improvement with both EEAS and Commission management on the implementation of the INTPA modernisation of EU DEL Network and other parallel restructuring process affecting DG ENEST, DG MENA and potentially other DGs of the RELEX Family
Where do we stand in May 2026?
Completed: LA redundancies in Albania, Montenegro, Serbia, Kosovo
In progress: Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia (18.6 Joint committee meeting held 27 March 2026)
Total economic redundancies foreseen in the Western Balkans: up to 29 positions
Mitigation Measures: in each affected Delegation, two LAs retained in the Finance and Contracts antenna; two to three redeployed to operations based on qualifications and performance. It should be noted that Turkey is a separate internal restructuring exercise (ENEST), not part of the modernisation programme, affecting fewer than 10% of Ankara-based Local Agents.
The next wave: future minimum diplomatic presence Delegations
The next phase targets 10 Delegations being restructured into ‘future diplomatic presence’ missions. The target date for LA redundancies in these EU DEL, is 1 September 2026.
These Delegations will retain only four Local Agent posts: a policy officer, an administrative assistant, a secretary, and a driver. Existing LAs will be assessed against these profiles, and those not selected will be identified for redundancy.
Overall scale: approximately 3% of the roughly 3,100 LA positions globally, including the Western Balkans, will have been impacted by the on-going restructuring processes.
Procedural concerns: lessons from Bosnia and Herzegovina
USHU raised serious concerns about how the redundancy process has been conducted and in particular in Bosnia and Herzegovina:
• No written notification of redundancy received to date, despite verbal communication in October 2025
• Selection criteria and their weighting were not disclosed until approximately six weeks before the meeting
• EVAL performance appraisals were used as a selection criterion, despite being designed to produce average scores, not to rank colleagues for redundancy
• Unreasonably short response deadlines on amicable settlement proposals — in some cases, close of business the following day
• Initial financial proposals below the minimum required under local labour law
• Vulnerable categories identified under local labour law were nonetheless included on the redundancy list
Local Agents are regularly referred to as the “backbone” of EU Delegations. They deserve support and respect — not to be pressured into signing settlement documents at close of business on the same day they receive them. |
USHU demands in on-going Social Dialogue meetings : that for all future redundancy processes, selection criteria and their weighting must be established and disclosed in advance to affected staff before selection decisions are taken. All settlement proposals must meet or exceed local labour law minimums with reasonable response deadlines.
Future Working Conditions of LAs
USHU is requesting the EEAS administration to initiate social dialogue on an LA reform package as soon as possible. The aim is to update the following key LA Decisions:
• The Local Agent Provident Fund Decision
• The LA Medical Decision
• The salary adjustment methodology
USHU is requesting an indicative timeline for discussions on these key Decisions and has also called on senior leadership to reinforce the team responsible for LA policy within the EEAS administration, which is structurally under-resourced for the scale of the reforms ahead.
USHU fights for the rights of all staff categories and prides itself on knowing your needs well after more than 15 years at the service of EU DEL colleagues. Join USHU and join a knowledgeable organisation that achieves results on your behalf. Join us now: https://www.ushu.eu/membership |
Make sure your voice is heard — contact USHU with your proposals and issues:
USHU stands ready to raise your issues with EEAS and Commission Management
Your elected members on the CLP-HU and the EEAS Staff Committee will keep asking the right questions
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