UN Workers Serve Strike Notice over Pay Cut

Related stories

Tinubu Departs Saint Lucia, Heads to Brazil for BRICS Summit

By Abiola Olawale President Bola Ahmed Tinubu departed Saint Lucia...

2027: Drama, Intrigues as Julius Abure Tells Otti to Quit Labour Party

By Abiola Olawale In a dramatic turn of events, Barrister...

FG Secures $100m for Lagos-Calabar Project from ECOWAS Bank

By Abiola Olawale The Nigerian government has reportedly secured a...

Ex- Arsenal Star Thomas Partey Faces Rape, Sexual Assault Charges in UK

By Abiola Olawale The Metropolitan Police have formally charged former...

Edwin Cortes: Prefers Being A Small Puerto Rican Than Big American

By Owei Lakemfa To be a citizen of the United...

UN staff in Geneva are planning a half-day strike on Tuesday , as dozens of ministers and other dignitaries attend high-level events at the organisation’s European headquarters.

The strike is over pay cut.

“We have tried other forms of protest before, to no avail… They have left us no choice,” Ian Richards, who heads the UN staff unions association in Geneva, said on Sunday.

He said it remained unclear how many of some 9,500 UN staff members in Geneva would participate in Tuesday’s work stoppage, or what impact it would have, pointing out that “this is not like a bus company where the buses just stop.”

“But we certainly expect this to have an impact,” Richards said.

The half-day work stoppage will come during what is arguably one of the busiest weeks of the year at the UN in Geneva, with around 100 heads of state, government ministers and country representatives from around the world set to attend the main annual sessions of the UN’s top human rights and disarmament bodies.

Speaking on behalf of the UN in Geneva, spokeswoman Alessandra Vellucci told AFP in an email that staff should be “reminded that actions which disrupt or interfere with official activity of the Organisation may be considered contravening staff obligations.”

She stressed though that “UN Geneva recognises and respects the right of staff to freedom of association and acknowledges the dissatisfaction of staff” linked to pay cuts.

She said “contingency plans” had been put in place to “minimise the consequences of the possible work stoppage in a period of intense diplomatic activity” at the UN in Geneva.

According to a letter sent to all UN agency chiefs late last week, Tuesday will mark only “a first day of action, (and will) be followed by others.”

The letter, sent by the unions and representatives of civil servants working for the UN, went out as staff received their first pay slips showing a 3.5-percent salary cut, and with the knowledge that the cut will swell to five percent by June, Richards said.

The signatories said staff had “lost confidence” in the International Civil Service Commission (ICSC) — a body appointed by the UN General Assembly to govern UN employees which has ordered deep cuts to pay and benefits for many staff around the globe.

Nan
Nan
Hamilton Nwosa is an experienced, and committed communication, business, administrative, data and research specialist . His deep knowledge of the intersection between communication, business, data, and journalism are quite profound. His passion for professional excellence remains the guiding principle of his work, and in the course of his career spanning sectors such as administration, tourism, business management, communication and journalism, Hamilton has won key awards. He is a delightful writer, researcher and data analyst. He loves team-work, problem-solving, organizational management, communication strategy, and enjoys travelling. He can be reached at: hamilton_68@yahoo.com

Subscribe

- Never miss a story with notifications

- Gain full access to our premium content

- Browse free from up to 5 devices at once

Latest stories

NDN
Latest News
Tinubu Departs Saint Lucia, Heads to Brazil for BRICS Summit2027: Drama, Intrigues as Julius Abure Tells Otti to Quit Labour PartyFG Secures $100m for Lagos-Calabar Project from ECOWAS BankEx- Arsenal Star Thomas Partey Faces Rape, Sexual Assault Charges in UKEdwin Cortes: Prefers Being A Small Puerto Rican Than Big AmericanJune 12 And The International Pursuit of Justice For Abiola, By Femi FalanaBreaking Down the West’s $146 Billion 2024 Defence Technology InvestmentG7 vs. the World: GDP, Population, and Military StrengthUS drillers cut oil and gas rigs for 10th week in a row, Baker Hughes saysExclusive! Tinubu Tips Late Ajimobi's Wife, Florence, Others for Ambassadorial PostsTinubu Mourns, Pays Tribute to Legendary Super Eagles Goalkeeper Peter RufaiNatasha vs Akpabio: Court Orders Senate President To Recall Senator NatashaHadi Sirika Denies Defection to ADC Coalition Rumors, Reaffirms Loyalty to Buhari, APCChina Snubs U.S. Crude for Third Month, Even as Ethane Trade RestartsHow Super Eagles Icon Peter Rufai passed Away at 61
X whatsapp