UN workers serve strike notice
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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 obligations1 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 organisations european headquarters1 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 onsunday1 he said it remained unclear how many of some 9500 un staff members in geneva would participate in tuesdays work stoppage or what impact it would have pointing out that this is not like a bus company where the buses just stop1 but we certainly expect this to have an impact richards said1 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 uns top human rights and disarmament bodies1 the strike is over pay cut1 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 cuts1 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 geneva1 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 others1 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 said1 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 globe1