The topics

What is a union ? The Staff Union of the ILO The organs of the Union Its means of action

What is a Union?

According to ‘La documentations française’ 

A Union is an association of persons established to defend the rights and the social, economic and professional interests of its members Unions differ from political parties, although there may be links between them, since their aim is not to govern but to improve conditions of work

  According to TNG, Canada  What can a union do for me? A union helps level the playing field between you and your

employer, and gives you a real voice in your workplace. Acting individually, you have little power. If you ask for a salary increase or want something changed and your employer says no, what can you do? With a union, by bargaining collectively and speaking with a united voice, you can get results. Essentially, a union is democratization of the workplace. We would not dream of living in a community where we could not vote or have a say in how things are run. So why should we accept such a situation at work?

What is a union ?

What is a Union? According to CFDT, France

As we have said, unions represent all staff and not just their members. We are committed to defending everyone’s interests to the best of our abilities. And, in particular, the more of you support our action, through your votes as well as through your membership and contributions, the greater our abilities become. In addition, by becoming a member, you will be involved in our activities, you will be a player, you will have a say in matters, you will voice your opinion on specific matters, you will stress your point of view, etc. You will also be able to participate and personally commit yourself to the struggle, if you are willing and able to do so. Indeed, each person in our team provides their time and skills according to their abilities and motivation. The finger is not pointed at those who do ‘very little’ and content themselves with attending the annual meeting, all the more so since these are somtimes people who have given a great deal in previous years, or even new members who, it is hoped, will one day be motivated to do more.

What is a union ?

According to ACTRAVAs essential partners in collective bargaining and tripartite dialogue, trade unions play a fundamental role in translating the aspirations of the working person into coherent and structured strategies at the enterprise, sectoral, national and international levels

The ILO Staff Union

History : The ILO Staff Union Its origins and the commencement of its activity – published in 1973

                  

“ PREAMBLE TO THE RULES (new)The Staff Union of the International Labour OfficeReaffirming the following as its fundamental orientations1. To uphold the principles of accountability, transparency and

equal opportunity in all the structures and activities of the Union;2. To pursue and promote the creation and operation of collective

bargaining mechanisms within the ILO and in the United Nations, with a view to improving conditions of employment and work through collective agreements;

3. To promote the principles of democracy and solidarity among the staff of the ILO and among the staff unions and staff associations in the United Nations system;

4. To defend the independence, status and safety of international civil servants;

5. To defend the fundamental rights and principles embodied in the Constitution of the ILO and the Declaration of Philadelphia.

Adopts the following Rules of the ILO Staff Union.”

The ILO Staff Union

(Art.6) The Organs of the Union shall be:

a) the General Meeting, Annual or Extraordinary

b) the Committee

c) the Auditing Commission

The ILO Staff Union

Sixteen members employed at ILO headquarters, with half of these being elected every two years:

One titular member for each region (Africa, the Americas, Asia and the Pacific, Europe and the Middle East

One substitute member for each region who is employed in Geneva and elected for two years by members serving in the region

The Staff Union Committee

The Committee shall elect its Officers:A chairperson, 3 vice-chairpersons, one of

which for the field (new)The Committee shall appoint Coordinators:For Union StewardsFor relations at headquarters and in the field

The Staff Union Committee

Article 4 of the Rules

These objectives may be pursued by the following means, among others:

a) Concluding collective bargaining agreements

b) Securing due observance of collective agreements and of the Staff Regulations and other relevant texts appropriately amended to give effect to these, and attempting to improve them

c) Securing respect within the ILO itself for the provisions contained in the relevant international labour Conventions and Recommendations and other basic international instruments such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Union action (1)

d) Assisting its members in disputes regarding their conditions of employment, work and welfare

e) Nominating staff representatives for the various joint committees and other bodies on which the staff is represented or to which it has access and working therein to improve cooperation with the Director-General and his or her representatives with a view to safeguarding the interests of staff

f) Conceiving and initiating joint action and federating with similar staff unions and associations in other international agencies and affiliating to international trade union organizations allowing a better defence of the objectives of the Union

Union action (II)

Article 5 of the Rules

The Union may also provide assistance to members and former members of staff of the ILO and their families

The Staff Union Assistance Fund

“As per Article 12(e) of Appendix II of the Staff Union Rules, the quarterly financial Report is given below for the information of Committee members for the period 01.01.2005 to 31.03.2005

Number of admissions: 70 Number of resignations: 3

Number of members: HQ: 576 Field: 1048 Experts: 74 Total: 1698”. Total of ILO staff: 2.500 There is a high level of unionisation at all grades, at all duty

stations, for all types of contracts

Union members

Article 27 (As amended by the AGM of 30.01.2003, Bulletin No.1301)The following funds, which shall be administered by the Staff Union

Committee, are hereby established: a) An Emergency Fund to meet current unexpected expenses that are unlikely to be

covered by the Regular Budget or by other funds b) An Action Fund to pay for the expenses or costs incurred as a result of collective

action when such expenses or costs are unlikely to be covered by the Regular Budget or the Legal Defence Fund

c) A Legal Defence Fund to finance legal appeals made by members of staff within the limits and according the criteria laid down by the Staff Union Committee

d) A Contingency Fund to facilitate budgetary transition in case of affiliation of the Union to an international organization of public officials as provided for in Article 4(e) above

THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF RESERVES IN SEPTEMBER 2004: approximately:CHF 1.599.573

Finances (RESERVES)