ITUC Calls on UN Secretary-General to Respect UN Staff Union Rights

In a letter to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, the ITUC has called on the UN to respect international labour standards within its own operations.

The UN’s central administration has decided to unilaterally adopt a labour-relations policy which rolls back hard-won negotiating rights for staff representatives introduced just two years ago.

“At a time when collective bargaining and negotiating rights are under attack around the world, the UN is sending precisely the wrong signal. The UN Secretary-General should ensure that the United Nations stands up for its own principles, rather than adopting authoritarian methods more often used by aggressive US corporations,” said ITUC General Secretary Sharan Burrow.

The UN Staff Union has criticised management for failing to seriously discuss compromise proposals put forward by the union, and for walking out on a negotiation session last week in Mexico City.

To see more from the UN Staff Union