International Labour Organization staff demand decent working conditions

Wednesday, 10 November at the ILO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, hundreds of ILO workers gathered for an extraordinary general meeting. The ILO Staff Union members were ready to take industrial action at headquarters and field offices to bring to the world's attention their claim that their employer, the UN agency responsible for ensuring that governments and employers uphold international labour standards, is violating collective agreements, staff regulations and the principles of Freedom of Association.

The start of this first worldwide staff action in the ILO’s 90 year history coincided with an ILO Governing Body meeting. Employees carrying banners demanding "Decent work", "Fair hiring processes" and "Job security" blocked the representatives from entering their meeting room, resulting in the Governing Body meeting being postponed.

"Shocking news", comments General Secretary of Public Services International, Peter Waldorff. He showed PSI support by attending the union's extraordinary meeting. "I believe firmly that the ILO must lead the way by demonstrating that progress requires partnership. The values which we call on our member states to promote and respect must serve as the basis for a healthy industrial relations framework within the ILO. It is surprising that the union feels forced to take global industrial action during the current session of the Governing Body. The claims being made by the union, that the Office is violating collective agreements and the staff regulations, as well as principles of Freedom of Association, are shocking," says Peter Waldorff. The ILO Staff Union has been affiliated to the PSI for one year. In a letter to ILO Director General Juan Somavia, General Secretary Peter Waldorff shows support of the ILO Staff Union and PSI's members’ pursuit of decent working conditions at the ILO.

According to the Staff Union, the ILO refuses to enter into negotiations and has not respected the legally-negotiated rules governing recruitment and selection processes and the use of precarious contracts. The use of precarious work contracts has increased sharply in recent years.

"At a time when the ILO is called upon to respond to the global financial crisis, and is promoting international labour standards and social dialogue as a means to finding solutions, we believe it is hypocritical that the ILO cannot apply inside its own walls the policies that it promotes to governments, employers and workers the world over,” says Christopher Land-Kazlauskas, chairperson of the ILO Staff Union Committee in a media release.

The Staff Union also alleges that the ILO has violated freedom of association rights, including censoring the union’s communications and interfering with its right to hire its own staff.

“Under such conditions, true collective bargaining cannot exist,” Land-Kazlauskas says.

Download the ILO Staff Union's media release (PDF)

News footage of the ILO Staff Union extraordinary general meeting blocking the ILO Governing Body meeting (Le Journal, Léman Bleu TV, French only)