Over 300 of you came yesterday: a strong turnout and a sign of unity. This staff council, along with the other councils of the United Nations system, will act on a number of fronts to bring Management back to the negotiating table and protect our fundamental right to negotiate, especially in this time of rapid change. We we very encouraged by your unanimous vote of support and interventions. Allow us also to address some of the points raised:
- You showed that despite what Management claims, its rushed proposal to strip us of our basic negotiating rights bears little relation to General Assembly resolution 67/255
The resolution of this April, which Management claims came as a surprise and which it is “duty bound” to implement, simply asks that the negotiating rules be in line with the staff regulations. We believe the current negotiating rules are in line with the staff regulations, especially as these rules were promulgated by the Secretary-General after consultation with the Office of Legal Affairs. Of greater concern is a note we uncovered from last October in which the Secretary-General actually asked the General Assembly to take up the issue. We also note that in contrast, a General Assembly resolution from 1948 calling for United Nations staff to be given greater negotiating rights was never acted upon.
- A number of you called for an immediate strike
The Council can take the initiative to organize a strike ballot. Certain timelines must be respected.
- We are not alone
A letter from the International Trade Union Confederation, representing 176 million members, is attached. The intervention of the President of the ILO staff union brought a round of applause.
Colleagues, your show of unity and support was much appreciated by the Council. As we move forward, we will keep you informed and on board with what you do. Let us move forward, united in strength.