At the bottom of this article, you will find the translation into the other working languages of the ILO.
As Chair and former Chair of the Staff Union, we would like to take the occasion of the 347th session of the ILO’s Governing Body to mark the culmination of several negotiations and celebrate the successful transition in the Union’s leadership. The Staff Union Committee has worked as One Union, supporting one another and taking into account personal circumstances.
Under the capable leadership of Catherine Comte-Tiberghien, the Staff Union developed a cadre of union members who stepped up as union stewards, committee members, Staff representatives in field offices, members of the JAAB and the Independent Review Group, independent panel members for recruitment processes, etc. The Staff Union strengthened its presence in every aspect of staff representation. We thank every single one of those who have engaged, and we are convinced that we are in a very strong position. We encourage everyone to consider the best contribution they can make to make the ILO a transparent, decent workplace.
In the past year, the Committee built on this work and empowered its individual members to lead and participate actively in the ongoing negotiations, with a view to conclude agreements on parental leave, flexible working arrangements, the harmonization of working conditions, the review of generic job descriptions, and others, in addition to the many recurrent discussions with the Administration. We have also engaged the help of other union members with the needed expertise.
We thank all those who have given their time and knowledge to the Staff Union. The Committee showed that it can manage many things at a time, but we need to consider the burden that it imposes on the personal life and health of those who voluntarily take up union work. That is why after the last session of the Governing Body, which was particularly fraught, the Staff Union Bureau discussed the need for succession planning and rotating the functions among us. For us to work as efficiently as possible and to protect each other, we decided to switch roles without diminishing the commitment of each one of us to advance the interests of the staff, which is our raison d’être.
As we have shown in the past year, the members of the Staff Union Committee are able to assume leadership roles and to speak for the members in different capacities, in a very democratic way. We are all devoted to continuing the work of this great Staff Union. We stand shoulder-to-shoulder in this task, and to share the responsibilities that it entails. You, the members of the Staff Union, deserve no less.
Carlos Carrion-Crespo et Séverine Deboos
Traduction deepl français: ici
Spanish version: Here