Members of the UNOG Staff Coordination Council have the possibility to take part in training courses carried out by the General Federation of Trade Unions (GFTU) in the UK. These training courses cover important topics, such as “negotiation & influencing skills” or “leadership skills”, specifically approaching them from a trade union perspective. These mainly two-day courses provide…

Many of you have heard that the Secretary-General is keen to encourage the use of flexible working arrangements (FWAs). FWAs are voluntary and not a reward or an entitlement. However, if managed properly, they can encourage work-life balance and positively impact on staff performance, morale, productivity, job satisfaction and organizational commitment. For memory, permitted FWAs…

As you may know, current staff management discussions on mobility have reached a turning point – at a special session of the global Staff Management Committee, taking place at the end of this month in New York, key decisions will be taken that will affect you. We would like to get your input before we…

As you may be aware, a memo was issued at the end of last week by the Department of Management in New York preventing as of 1 April 2012, with some exceptions, the use of regular budget vacant posts to fund temporary appointments. The full details are in the memo. The Council is aware that…

Vu aurez pu constater que le rapport de l’Equipe de gestion du changement (Change Management Team) vient de publier son rapport sur iSeek. Cette équipe fut créée par le Secrétaire-général afin de voir comment améliorer l’efficacité, la crédibilité et la qualité du travail de l’organisation. Les représentants du personnel ont agi en tant qu’observateurs à…

The Staff Union of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, in cooperation with several European partners, has launched an unprecedented EU Commission project designed to support and educate vulnerable staff members, for example those approaching retirement age, re-entering countries with high unemployment rates, or with particularly specialised sets of skills. The project will…

As you may know the Swiss cantons recently harmonized their education practices. Under a system called Harmos all children residing in the Canton of Geneva who reach the age of four by 31 July are required to enroll in primary school the following August. However, as the UN education grant is only applicable to children…

Today the Council presented a proposal to staff for a creche within UNOG grounds. The proposal was prepared by a group of Council members with assistance from members of administration. Participants were informed on the structure of the crechè, how it would function, staffing, building needs, possible locations and timelines. It was made clear that…

As you may be aware, a group of countries has submitted a proposal in the current budget negotiation, due to end on Friday, to introduce cuts to professional salaries of between 8 and 10 percent as of January 2012. We know that faced with rising living costs, staff in Geneva are already living on tight…