Latest News and Meetings
The UN Secretary General must listen | Le Secrétaire général de l'ONU doit écouter
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- Published on Wednesday, 04 December 2019 15:48
The welfare of staff should be a prime concern for any organization. It’s clear from the huge number of stories we’ve received and responses to our survey that UN Geneva staff are not just angry and disaffected at the injustice of the illegal pay cut they have suffered, there have also been significant consequences for the lives of many of their families.
Any decent employer should want to listen to the views of their staff, however challenging. Trying to ignore such opinions and experiences hurts employees and is damaging for the wider organization, and that’s just part of why we were so disappointed to learn of the Secretary General’s refusal to meet with UN Geneva staff on the topic of equal pay.
This was a missed opportunity, but it is far from the end of the matter. The Staff Council doesn’t take no for answer.
We understand the Secretary General will be in Geneva in December, attending the first Global Refugee Forum and we have written to him asking that during his visit here he finds time to meet with UN Geneva staff, who every day work hard bringing the UN’s fine words for a better world to life, so that we can ask him about his position on the pay cut and the many other issues that affect all of you regardless of your category and grade. It’s the least he can do.
Our efforts, which have been so greatly helped by the contributions and support from staff, are making a difference and we are hopeful that the Secretary General will agree to our request to meet and listen to the people who matter. We will keep you updated in the coming days.
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Christmas concert, Friday 6 December | Concert de Noël, le vendredi 6 décembre
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- Published on Wednesday, 04 December 2019 15:47
You are cordially invited to a free Christmas concert this Friday 6 December at 5.00 p.m. in the Assembly Hall of the Palais des Nations.
Finish your week and ring in the holidays on a high-note! Drop by the Assembly Hall at the close of the day, to enjoy holiday music provided especially for those working in the Palais (and their friends) – see flyer below.
Those requiring guest entry to the Palais may register for a visitor’s badge athttps://indico.un.org/event/32864/#.
We hope this performance - initiated by staff, for staff - will give a jubilant start to your holiday season!
Staff Gala postponed until February | Report de la fête du personnel jusqu’en février
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- Published on Monday, 02 December 2019 18:07
As you may know the staff party takes places every year in mid-December. This year we had been planning, in light of these difficult times, to make you as staff the theme of the party, and to kick it off with a national costume parade. Other original ideas were in development too, as well as ways to ensure greater cost effectiveness.
In light of the Secretary-General’s decision to close the Palais after 6 p.m. and keep it closed at weekends, we were contacted by New York and ask if we would consider making the party an afternoon event.
We considered a number of options regarding format, including combining with staff parties being held around the same time by other organizations and exploring outside venues.
In the end none of the options would have delivered on your justifiably high expectations of the product nor provided an opportunity for the UN Geneva family (staff, consultants, interns – who basically all do staff work – as well as optionally, spouses and partners) to come together for a moment of fun, celebration and excess during the festive season.
We have therefore decided to postpone the party to the start of February next year, coinciding with the end of January gloom, the build-up to the February carnival season and the tail end of Chinese New Year. As the French might say, ce n’est que party remise!
We will send you more news and updates in due course.
Did you register your child correctly for the children’s party? | Avez-vous correctement inscrit votre enfant à la fête des enfants ?
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- Published on Monday, 02 December 2019 16:46
As you know, the children’s party is on Wednesday.
We have been contacted by a number of staff saying they registered on the “staff alliance” website which had a form to register for a party.
Please note that the “staff alliance” website does not have the correct form to register for the children’s party.
Registration for the children’s party this Wednesday was to be made exclusively by sending the duly filled form to the email address This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. , as per our broadcast of 11 November 2019, and payment of the participation fee to the Staff Council bank account (if applicable).
If you have mistakenly made the registration of your children on said website, please urgently contact our office at extension 73614 or to the above-mentioned email address.
If your children were correctly registered you will have received a confirmation email with your group number and names list, and you can disregard this message.
Restoring equal pay for UNOG staff - you can help make it happen | Rétablir l'égalité salariale pour le personnel de l'ONUG, vous avez un rôle à jouer
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- Published on Wednesday, 27 November 2019 17:50
Can you please take a few minutes to help in the next stage of the fight for equal pay? Many UNOG staff have already told us their personal experiences of the illegal pay cut, and these have really helped our campaign communicate to management and Member State representatives the damaging impact on daily life.
We now want to take this positive work further by undertaking a short survey of all UNOG staff. This will help show in more detail how staff are dealing with reduced salaries and the effect on morale and career choices at the UN. Your input is vital, so please take part now by clicking this link.
Our campaign is making a difference. We are influencing opinion and need to keep up the pressure for a solution that delivers equal pay justice.
Please help make it happen and take part in this short survey now.
More Articles...
- How your stories made a difference in New York | Comment vos histoires ont fait la différence à New York
- Where do UN internships stand today | L'ONU et les stages aujourd'hui
- #EqualPay4UNstaff : Secretary General responds and New York progress | Réponse du Secrétaire général et progrès à New York
- Introductory session of the UN Football Club | Séance d’introduction du Club de football de l’ONU
- 9th meeting of the 37th Council
- Good news, crèche places for UN staff | Bonnes nouvelles : places de crèche pour les fonctionnaires de l'ONU
- Children’s party 2019 | Fête des enfants 2019
- Speaking up for equal pay | Lutter haut et fort en faveur de l’égalité salariale
- Join the effort for equal pay in Geneva | Contribuez aux efforts en faveur de l'égalité salariale à Genève
- UNOG Equal Pay - the campaign grows | La campagne de l’ONUG pour l’égalité salariale gagne du terrain
- United Nations Day - Why UN staff deserve equal pay | Journée des Nations Unies - Pourquoi les fonctionnaires de l'ONU méritent-ils l’égalité salariale ?
- Equal Pay for UNOG staff – why your story matters | Égalité salariale: pourquoi votre vécu est-il important ?
- Equal Pay - We have called on the SG to face UNOG staff | Égalité salariale - Nous avons demandé au Secrétaire général de faire face aux fonctionnaires de l’ONUG
- A new staff magazine will replace UN Special from January | Un nouveau magazine remplacera le « UN special » à partir de janvier
- The UN cash flow crisis and its impact on you | La crise des flux de trésorerie de l'ONU et son impact sur vous
- Appel à candidature
- 8th meeting of the 37th Council
- What staff in New York think about open space and hotdesking | Que pense le personnel de New York sur l’espace de travail ouvert et partagé ?
- Percussion classes October to December | Stage de percussions d’octobre à décembre 2019
- Where to go in case of conflict at the workplace | Où aller en cas de conflit sur le lieu de travail?