General Staff Council

The General Staff Council is an independent body alongside the Staff Council for Non-academic Staff (NWPR) and the Staff Council for Academic Staff (WiPer). It performs its duties in matters that affect all Viadrina employees, regardless of whether they are employed as academics or non-academic staff. In contrast, the NWPR and WiPer are responsible for individual labour law matters or matters that only affect one of the two groups due to their specific situation.

In the areas in which the GPR is responsible, the university management can only take certain measures with the involvement (co-determination or participation) of the GPR.

Currently, the GPR is working in working groups and in discussions with the university management on issues such as teleworking/accommodation regulations, the Remuneration Transparency Act, personnel development at Viadrina and the structural process that has been initiated.

Other areas of responsibility include:

• Occupational health and safety and accident prevention (avoidance of occupational accidents and accidents at work)
Design of workplaces,
• Working time regulations,
• Work organisation (safeguarding employees during restructuring),
• Regulation of order in the office,
• Construction measures,
• Environmental protection,
• Data protection,
• Health protection (addiction problems, bullying, burn-out),
• Further education and training,
• IT procedures that affect both areas,
• Budget restructuring,
• Compliance with collective labour agreements.

In many matters, the GPR liaises closely with the NWPR and WiPer. We also attach great importance to constructive cooperation with the central Gender Equality Officer, the Family Affairs Officer, the Comissioner for Data Protection and the representative for severely disabled employees.