In a joint statement following CESI’s Board meeting today in Brussels, where a moment of silence was held, CESI President Romain Wolff, Secretary General Klaus Heeger and Treasurer Urs Stauffer said:

“On behalf of all member organisations and affiliates, who as us learned about the decease of Pepe this morning, we express our deepest condolences to his family, friends and fellow trade unionists at CSIF. As a long-standing member of CESI’s central administration and finance trade council and, since 2015, as a Vice-President of CESI, Pepe showed extraordinary engagement and commitment in CESI. Pepe was a diplomatic, warm-hearted and humorous trade unionist, who stood up firmly for the defence of workers and for strong public services. He carried Europe in his heart, believing that more can be achieved together and that tolerance, mutual respect and cooperation are vital for the European cause. His passing is a great loss to our European trade union family and he will be dearly missed.”