Union No. 368 - ILO Staff Union

September 2011 No. 368
• HQ BUILDING RENOVATION
– Special section:
Design concepts for temporary
building
• KNOW YOUR RIGHTS GAME
• STAFF (UNION) MOVEMENTS
ILO Staff Union Bulletin - OIT Bulletin du Syndicat - OIT Boletín del Sindicato
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The more things change…
Plus ça change …
You’d have to be in solitary confinement – or working on a
document for the Governing Body – not to notice the rapid pace
with which change is coming to the ILO. From the building
renovation, including a move to temporary accommodation
(and a return to between one and three floors of the building
being rented out privately), the fun that goes with the new performance management cycles, retirements, new hires, changes
to the GB structure and functioning, even the rentrée scolaire in
many duty stations. Without even realizing it, “change” has
become the unofficial theme of this issue of UNION. Even
UNION itself is undergoing some changes, with the previous
Editor-in-Chief stepping down (but staying on the Editorial
Board) and we would like to sincerely thank him for his creativity and dedication.
Peut-être étiez vous confinés en cellule ou au travail sur un
document du Conseil d’administration au point de n’avoir pas
remarqué la rapidité avec laquelle le changement atteint le BIT. A
partir de la rénovation du bâtiment en passant par l’hébergement
temporaire et le retour à l’un des étages non réservés pour la location privée à des entreprises extérieures, tout le plaisir couvre
l’exercice des nouveaux cycles des gestion des performances, les
départs à la retraite, les nouvelles embauches, les changements de
structure et de fonctionnement du Conseil d’administration sans
oublier la rentrée scolaire dans nombre de lieux d’affectation.
And speaking of the past, UNION was excited to learn of the
development of HRD’s latest learning tool: the ILO History
Game. As great lovers of ILO history, and keen learners ourselves, we look forward to playing the game. In the meantime,
and in typical UNION fashion, we have ourselves launched the
“ILO Staff: Know Your Rights” game, with a selection of questions included in the current issue, with more to come in the
future.
In the meantime, keep your ideas and contributions coming!
Fidéles lecteurs d’UNION, vous aurez sans doute remarqué, à
travers ses quarante années d’existence, que, jour après jour,
année par année, nous nous retrouvons souvent devant les
mêmes problèmes, les mêmes dilemmes. George Santayana est
l’auteur d’une célèbre formule: «Ceux qui ne peuvent se souvenir
du passé sont condamnés à le répéter». Nous avons, au BIT, la
chance de posséder une riche mémoire institutionnelle et, toujours dans ce numéro, nous reprenons la question du risque de
privatisation de la CAPS qui a déjà défrayé la chronique au cours
des dix dernières années.
Tenez, justement, tout en évoquant le passé, UNION a découvert avec beaucoup d’intérêt le nouvel outil de formation de HRD
: le jeu sur l’histoire de l’OIT. En tant que passionnés de l’histoire
de notre organisation et désireux de toujours nous perfectionner,
nous avons décidé de «jouer le jeu» et de l’accommoder à la façon
d’UNION. C’est ainsi que vous pourrez commencer à tester vos
connaissances en participant à cette rubrique: «Personnel du BIT
– Connaissez vos droits». Un choix de questions figurent dans ce
numéro 368 et d’autres suivront dans l’avenir.
En attendant, affûtez vos idées et vos contributions: nous les
attendons avec impatience.
Chris Land-Kazlauskas
LA JOURNÉE DU SYNDICAT
s’est tenue, au BIT, le 20 septembre
Nous en parlerons dans le prochain numéro d’UNION
A travers les embarras de procédures juridiques, dans les
enchevêtrements des comités, des commissions, des conférences, sous l’apparente vanité des résolutions des congrès,
dans le fatras des textes, c’est merveille de voir s’accomplir,
dans l’ensemble du monde, lentement sans doute mais inéluctablement, et parfois contre tout espoir, les réformes
espérées.
Albert THOMAS, 1930
UNION Magazine: “The best 15 minutes I have spent reading in my time at the ILO.”
Union 368 – Septembre 2011
If there is one thing you notice when reading through 40
years of UNION Magazine, it is that as much as we feel things
are changing from day to day and from year to year, we often
find ourselves, decades down the road, facing the same problems, the same issues, the same dilemmas as those who came
before. And as George Santayana famously said: “Those who
cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” We are
fortunate to have such institutional memory here in the ILO,
and in this issue we address the question of privatization of the
SHIF, which has oft raised its ugly head over the past decades.
3
In this issue, we bid farewell to colleagues who leave on welldeserved retirement, including a familiar face in EUREST and a
stalwart of UNION Magazine. We welcome two new(ish) members to the Staff Union Secretariat. We also provide you with the
latest news on the building renovation, with an exclusive interview accompanied by a special section which includes never
before seen conceptual design proposals for the temporary
building.
Sans que l’on s’en rende bien compte, le «changement» affecte
aussi ce numéro d’UNION puisque le rédacteur en chef quitte
son poste tout en restant membre du comité de rédaction. Nous
tenons à le remercier chaleureusement pour sa créativité et son
dévouement. Toujours dans ce numéro, nous saluons des collègues qui prennent une retraite bien méritée, y compris un
visage familier d’Eurest et celui qui fut un pilier de notre magazine. Et nous vous offrons les dernières nouvelles de la rénovation
du bâtiment, avec une interview exclusive suivie d’une rubrique
spéciale de suggestions illustrées «inédites» pour le logement
dans le bâtiment provisoire.
Négociation collective au BIT:
une expérience à partager
Negociación colectiva en la OIT:
una experiencia para compartir
Le BIT vient de boucler une formidable expérience de négociation collective destinée à résoudre un différend opposant son
management et des membres de son personnel d’un bureau
extérieur. Ce différend était parti d’une décision prise en janvier
2003 par la Direction du Bureau de Dakar de changer la durée
hebdomadaire de travail de 37.5 heures à 40 heures. Or les
grilles de salaires couvrant les périodes qui ont suivi cette décision étant calculées sur la base de 37.5 heures, les fonctionnaires recrutés localement au niveau de ce bureau avaient considéré être en droit de réclamer un différentiel sur les salaires
qu’ils avaient perçus depuis l’effectivité de ce changement de
durée hebdomadaire de travail.
Les premiers échanges entre le management et le personnel
de Dakar sur cette question ont été marqués par d’énormes difficultés de communication entre les deux parties, ayant entraîné
une radicalisation des positions respectives et une progression
vers une situation de conflit ouvert. Dans ce contexte, le comité
du syndicat du siège avait, naturellement, pris position et s’était
mis à la disposition du comité local de Dakar pour lui apporter
conseils et soutien actif. En effet, pendant cette étape le comité
du siège a même participé (par vidéo conférence) à une assemblée générale pendant laquelle le personnel de Dakar prenait
l’engagement de faire usage de tous les moyens, y compris
conflictuels, pour avoir gain de cause.
Convaincu que le dialogue serait le meilleur moyen d’aborder
ce problème, le Directeur de la Région Afrique a décidé de s’impliquer personnellement pour encourager l’ouverture de négociation directe et sincère entre le management et le syndicat du
personnel. Il a, de ce fait, fait inviter et facilité le déplacement à
Genève d’une délégation du personnel de Dakar pour rencontrer directement une délégation du management en vue de
démarrer, dans la paix et la sérénité, des discussions sincères.
La mission des délégués du personnel de Dakar à Genève a
permis d’ouvrir la voie à des séances périodiques de négociations qui se sont déroulées par vidéo conférence entre Genève,
Dakar et Addis-Abeba. Participaient à ces négociations, pour le
compte du management: le Département Ressources Humaines
(HRD), JUR, Finances et HR de la Région Afrique; et pour le
compte du syndicat: le comité du siège (Pierre Sayour, 3ème Vice
Président), le Conseiller juridique du syndicat (Nicolas Lopez)
et les membres du comité local de Dakar.
Durant les quelques mois de la négociation, une formidable
interaction syndicale s’est construite entre le comité au siège et
Dakar pour étudier et analyser toutes les positions et/ou propositions venant du management et préparer des contre-propositions et leur argumentaire. Avec le climat apaisé, la courtoisie et
les discussions constructives, les négociations ont fini par produire un accord collectif à la satisfaction de toutes les parties
prenantes. Cet accord a été signé par le Président du comité du
syndicat, celui du comité local de Dakar et la Directrice de
HRD.
Nous avions souhaité partager cette expérience pour les deux
raisons suivantes :
1. A partir de cette expérience, le management du BIT ne
pourra manquer de tirer cette belle conclusion : un dialogue social serein et sincère est la voie privilégiée pour
résoudre les différends dans notre espace de travail,
2. l’approche de la collaboration entre le comité du syndicat
au siège et les comités locaux du terrain doit être inscrite
dans toutes nos démarches syndicales car elle est porteuse
d’efficacité et de réussite.
La OIT acaba de concluir una formidable experiencia de negociación colectiva encaminada a resolver el conflicto que mantenían los miembros del personal de una oficina exterior con la
Administración. Esta controversia tuvo su origen en una decisión, adoptada en enero de 2003 por la Dirección de la Oficina
de Dakar, de ampliar el número de horas de trabajo de 37,5 a 40
horas. Dado que las distintas escalas salariales aplicadas a los
periodos posteriores a esta decisión se calcularon sobre la base
de las 37,5 horas, los funcionarios contratados a nivel local en
esta oficina consideraron que les asistía el derecho de reclamar el
porcentaje salarial que les correspondía luego de hacerse efectiva
la ampliación del número de horas de trabajo a la semana.
Las primeras conversaciones mantenidas entre la Administración y el personal de Dakar sobre esta cuestión se vieron dificultadas por enormes problemas de comunicación entre ambas partes, lo que condujo a una radicalización de las respectivas
posiciones y a una situación de conflicto abierto. En este contexto, el Comité del Sindicato en la sede adoptó, naturalmente,
una posición al respecto y se puso a disposición del comité local
de Dakar para proporcionarle su decidido asesoramiento y
apoyo. De hecho, durante esta etapa, el Comité del Sindicato en
la sede participó incluso (mediante videoconferencia) en una
asamblea general en la oficina de Dakar, durante la cual el personal se comprometió a utilizar todos los medios, incluso el
enfrentamiento con la Administración, para tratar de hacer valer
su causa.
Convencido de que el diálogo sería el mejor medio de abordar
este problema, el Director de la Oficina regional de África decidió implicarse personalmente para apoyar la apertura de una
negociación directa y sincera entre la Administración y el Sindicato del Personal. A estos efectos, invitó y facilitó el desplazamiento hasta Ginebra de una delegación del personal de Dakar
para reunirse directamente con los representantes de la Administración a fin de reactivar una discusión sincera, pacífica y serena.
La misión de los delegados del personal de Dakar en Ginebra
permitió abrir la puerta a la celebración de rondas de negociación periódicas mediante videoconferencia entre Ginebra, Dakar
y Addis-Abeba. En representación de la Administración han participado en dichas negociaciones el Departamento de Recursos
Humanos (HRD), los departamentos de leyes, finanzas y recursos
humanos de la Región de África; y por cuenta del Sindicato,
(Pierre Sayour, el tercer vicepresidente), el consejero jurídico
(Nicolas Lopez) y los miembros del comité local de Dakar.
Durante los meses de la negociación, se ha producido una formidable interacción sindical entre el comité en la sede y Dakar
en lo que se refiere al estudio y el análisis de todas las posiciones
y/o las propuestas planteadas por la Administración y la elaboración de las contrapropuestas y los argumentos que las avalan.
Con un clima de diálogo más relajado, la cortesía y los debates
constructivos, las negociaciones han concluido con un acuerdo
colectivo que satisface las aspiraciones de todas las partes. Este
acuerdo ha sido firmado por el Presidente del Comité del Sindicato, el del comité local de Dakar y la Dirección de HRD.
Hemos querido compartir esta experiencia por los siguientes
dos motivos:
1. A raíz de esta experiencia, la dirección de la OIT no podrá
dejar escapar la preciosa oportunidad de concluir que el
mejor medio de resolver las discrepancias en nuestro espacio de trabajo es entablar un diálogo social sereno y sincero;
2. La colaboración entre el Comité del Sindicato en la sede y
los comités locales en las oficinas exteriores debe formar
parte de todas nuestras acciones sindicales porque resulta
eficaz y tiene éxito.
Djibril NDIAYE
Membre titulaire, pour l’Afrique, du comité du Syndicat
(suite page 7)
Union 368 – Septembre 2011
COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMITTEE
Staff Union secretariat:
Tel. (+ 41 22 799) 7956
Email: [email protected]
5
AROUND THE CORNER
Mike Gautrey: richesse d’une inlassable activité
au service du syndicat et d’Union
Il vient de cesser son activité professionnelle au BIT après
plus de vingt ans de «bons et loyaux services» comme on dit.
Ce que les plus jeunes d’entre nous ne savent peut-être pas, c’est
que Mike Gautrey, parallèlement à son parcours professionnel
classique, a été très actif syndicalement dans les années 1990 et
2000. Plusieurs fois membre du comité du syndicat et pendant
près de dix ans rédacteur en chef du magazine UNION, il est
certainement l’un des plus fidèles témoins des relations professionnelles ayant existé au sein du BIT.
Pour avoir été son adjointe et alter ego francophone au sein
du magazine, je peux vous assurer que Mike est un personnage :
c’est tout d’abord un éditeur professionnel hors pair, au moins
quadrilingue, profondément engagé syndicalement et doté d’un
humour dévastateur quoique, il faut l’avouer, pas toujours bien
compris des administrations qui se sont succédé. Mike a toujours eu en tant que rédacteur en chef le sens du travail de qualité si ce n’est de la perfection. L’autre qualité que l’on souhaite
pour un rédacteur d’un journal syndical, c’est le courage éditorial et ça, j’en suis une fois de plus témoin, Mike en a fait preuve
chaque fois qu’il a été nécessaire (ce qui arrive plus souvent que
l’on ne pense au BIT). Ce fut d’ailleurs certainement au détriment de bonnes nuits de sommeil, voire de sa carrière. Mais, à
l’époque, les centaines de clins d’œil ou de sourires de collègues
rencontrés dans l’ascenseur ou les couloirs lui confirmant qu’il
avait encore visé juste avec son dernier édito, constituaient,
pour lui, la meilleure des récompenses.
Union magazine lui doit beaucoup à plus d’un titre et nous ne
pouvions pas le laisser s’en aller sans saluer avec respect son
départ, lui souhaiter bonne chance pour la suite et lui demander
un dernier service: évoquer les bonnes pages et les coquilles de
sa vie syndicale au BIT.
***
6
Union 368 – Septembre 2011
UNION: Mike, une page se tourne, voudrais-tu nous raconter
un peu ton expérience comme rédacteur en chef d’UNION?
Tout d’abord, tu as été membre du Comité du syndicat pendant
un bon nombre d’années. Pourquoi cet engagement? Comment
se passait la vie syndicale au BIT pendant les années 90? Le personnel entretenait-il de meilleures relations avec la direction et
l’administration? Quels étaient les sujets de préoccupations du
personnel? Y avait-il également motif à faire grève?
Mike Gautrey: From about 1975, everywhere I had ever been
employed for any length of time I ended up as a union rep. I like to
think that’s because I always stick up for the underdog - but I can’t
rule out the possibility that I just enjoy provoking a good punch-up. I
was on the SUC for four years and a Union steward before that. My
previous employer was the ITU, where I was General Secretary of
the Union Committee when the organization fired me. That followed
spells at the FAO and the UN University, both of whose executive
heads gratifyingly saw union reps as the enemy. I came to the UN
system from the National Union of Teachers in London, where I was
a publicity officer. The guy who came from Tokyo to interview me for
the UNU job asked for my reassurance that I wouldn’t start a union
there. Of course that’s exactly what I did.
Six years later when the ITU handed me my notice (not, ostensibly, for my union activities) and the director of personnel circulated
my CV around the common system, it emerged that a number of
organizations had blacklisted me. But I managed to win an ILO competition (no Assessment Centre in those days, I’m glad to say - just an
exam). The job was with the ISSA, where I spent 17 good years until
someone with a tremendous ability to think outside the box took over.
But that’s another story.
Anyway, within a few weeks of my arrival at the ILO in 1990, I
found myself standing on a picket line when the Union voted to strike
(over pension entitlements, I seem to recall). Start as you mean to
carry on, as the saying goes.
UNION : Pourrais-tu évoquer l’un de tes meilleurs souvenirs
au Comité du syndicat et un moins bon…
MG: My best memory is certainly being part of the organizing
committee for the ILO’s 75th anniversary celebration in 1994. The
DG at the time was self-effacing to the point of invisibility (not an
accusation ever levelled at his successor). When he announced there
would be no staff event to mark the occasion, the Union stepped into
the breach, and a very good time was had by all as a result. The commemoration culminated in a self-service dinner and since the DG
could not be expected to queue for his food (the very idea!), the SUC
delegated me as his minder, sitting alone with him while others
fetched our meal. As colleagues started to file into the dining area, the
great man looked around him before confiding, with a puzzled air, «I
know hardly any of these people!» I had the presence of mind to
reply: «These people don’t know you, either, Mr Director General.
Maybe you should come to the cafeteria more often and get to know
your staff.» As far as I know, he never did.
I guess a bad memory would be the conclusion of that strike I mentioned. The SUC negotiated the creation of the Thrift Fund but failed
to put it to a vote. As far as I as a rank-and-file member was concerned, this was a betrayal of a firm commitment the SUC Chair had
given to the EGM. It’s all water under the bridge now, but a promise
is a promise.
UNION:
Syndicalement parlant, comment trouves-tu la jeune génération ?
MG: Aha! You want to provoke me as an old fart into slagging off
younger people (none of whom, after all, is likely to read this). It’s
true that I’ve often expressed bemusement or worse at the fact that all
the ILO’s interns and associate experts these days seem to speak perfect American and possess MBAs from US universities, even though
they obviously come from the four corners of the globe to drink at our
bottomless well of knowledge. The inference, no doubt mistaken, is
that they are being churned out by some giant sausage factory
designed to tighten capital’s dastardly grip over the global organs of
decision (whether the ILO is still one of these is a debate for another
day). On the other hand, a good number of units appear to treat
these hapless youths as little better than unpaid labour. So maybe a
balance is struck somewhere. And as a parent myself, I know the
world these days is a much more unforgiving place.
UNION: Une fois terminé ton mandat au Comité, tu as
accepté de prendre la rédaction du magazine du syndicat.
Quelle est l’importance selon toi d’un outil de communication
tel qu’Union magazine pour le syndicat ?
MG: I always saw Union magazine as soft propaganda. Deputy
Editor Catherine Comte-Tiberghien and I tried to ensure it was the
voice of the Union as a whole, not just the Committee. We learned
from our venerable predecessor, the late Robert Defour, the importance of regular publication, even when content was pretty meagre,
so that staff came to expect and, hopefully, look forward to it
appearig in their in-box more or less every month. He warned us that
once this aspect was lost, the magazine might well founder. Sadly, it
appears he has been proved right (and when our putative successor
described it to me as «a useful knowledge-transfer tool», I knew the
writing was on the wall). But I fervently hope to be proved wrong.
UNION: Pourrais-tu nous conter quelques anecdotes pendant
la période où tu as été rédacteur en chef et si quelquefois tu t’es
senti en danger, oui oui même au BIT …
MG: I never even remotely felt in danger myself. But Robert
Defour did receive threats and someone slashed his tyres in the ILO
car park after Union published the notorious spoof job vacancy for an
ILO dog. I always felt guilty about that because I was the one who
suggested he publish it - though someone else wrote it, who had better
remain nameless. It was a very funny piece nevertheless.
The nearest I came to that was being served with a writ for libel by
an ED who had been suspended by the DG after he made a series of
intemperate remarks. Union’s deplorable ILO Diary column had
(suite de la page 5)
MG: You’ll have to indulge an older person here. Back in the day,
before Twitter, before Android, before Facebook, before blogs, even
before any of us knew enough to put two W’s in front of another,
Union magazine really did reflect a kind of worldwide social network
in the ILO. The Staff Union owned it, so the SUC had all the space it
wanted to put its case across; an autonomous editorial board ran it;
and advertising entirely financed it (the editors were unpaid volunteers too). Staff could let off steam about what was wrong with the
Organization or advocate new directions or provide amusing observations about day-to-day life in the ILO (c’est vraiment trop injuste).
Of course this required a lot of dedication and hard work to get the
thing out every few weeks. If those days are gone forever, to me it’s a
great pity but what’s done is done. I guess the SUC is doing the right
thing by trying to use the new media, but unlike a magazine delivered
to every office, this demands active effort on the part of consumers
committed enough to seek the material out.
I’m afraid I don’t know the solution but ILO People - a paid commercial for the catastrophe that is performance management - certainly isn’t it.
UNION: Un bon mot de la fin?
MG: In the immortal words of Bobby Womack, I used to love it but
it’s all over now. And when I see the farce that is results-based management; the hoops that, even after getting through the RAPS, new
staff have to jump through to get through probation (leading to worse
harassment than ever); all the vacuous clichés officials are expected
to spout about targets and pathways and gender («unpaid productive
work» being a special favourite of mine) and more besides, the conclusion becomes inevitable: Thank God it’s over!
UNION: Mike, tu restes avec nous!
Catherine Comte-Tiberghien
Mike reçoit aussi les futurs syndiqués!
The ILO has just completed a hugely successful process of collective bargaining to resolve a dispute between the management
and a staff union in the field. The dispute originated in a January
2003 decision by the Director of the Dakar Office to change the
working week from 37.5 to 40 hours. Given that the various
salary scales for the period following that decision were calculated on the basis of 37.5 hours, the locally recruited officials
considered that they were entitled to a differential on the salaries
paid since the change in the working week came into force.
Initial discussions between the management and the Dakar
staff were marred by a complete breakdown in communications
and, with both sides digging in their heels, the dispute seemed
to be heading towards open conflict. At this point the Staff
Union Committee at headquarters became involved and offered
to provide the local committee in Dakar with its advisory services and active support; a video link was even set up so that it
could participate in a General Meeting at which the Dakar staff
declared their intention to employ every means at their disposal,
including strike action, to win their case.
Convinced that the best way of defusing the situation was
through dialogue, the Director of the Africa Region decided to
get personally involved and to encourage direct and honest
negotiations between the management and the local staff union.
He therefore arranged for a delegation representing the Dakar
staff to travel to Geneva to meet a management delegation face
to face and engage peacefully and calmly in an open discussion.
The outcome of the union representatives’ visit to Geneva was
that a series of negotiations was held by video conference
between Geneva, Dakar and Addis Ababa. The management
side included representatives of HRD, JUR, FINANCE and the
Regional Office for Africa, while the Staff Union was represented
by the Union Committee at headquarters (Pierre Sayour, 3rd
Vice-President), the Union’s legal adviser (Nicolas Lopez) and
members of the staff union committee in Dakar.
During the months the negotiations lasted, the Staff Union
Committee at headquarters and the union representatives in
Dakar worked very well together as they analysed all the positions and proposals put forward by the management and prepared and defended a set of counter-proposals for the staff. It
was in this calm, courteous and constructive climate that the
negotiations eventually gave rise to a collective agreement that
met with the satisfaction of all the parties concerned. The agreement was signed by the President of the Staff Union Committee,
the President of the Dakar committee and the Director of HRD.
We feel that this experiment in collective bargaining was
worth sharing with all the staff for two reasons:
1. The ILO management will surely have learned the valuable
lesson that peaceful and open dialogue is always the best
way to resolve a labour dispute inside the Organization.
2.The Staff Union Committee at headquarters and local
committees in the field should always collaborate on staff
issues, because that is their best guarantee of success. 䡵
Editorial Board/Comité de rédaction:
Rédacteur en chef:
Chris Land-Kazlauskas
Secrétaire de rédaction:
Robert Falaize
Comité de rédaction:
Charlotte Beauchamp, Catherine Comte-Tiberghien, Oliver Liang,
John Myers, Azzédine Sefrioui, Richelle van Snellenberg
Contributeurs:
Anna Biondi, Carmelina Bonavia, Nicolas Lopez-Armand, Elizabeth
McCormick, Djibril Ndiaye, Giorgio Presidente, Maria-Luz Vega Ruiz
Courrier:
Syndicat, Bureau 6-20, [email protected]
Imprimeur:
Imprimerie Genevoise SA, 12 rue des Mouettes, 1227 Carouge
Régie publicitaire:
Publi Annonces SA, 25 rue Jacques Grosselin, 1227 Carouge
Union 368 – Septembre 2011
UNION: Aujourd’hui, UNION magazine a bien du mal à
trouver sa place entre les nouveaux outils de communication,
les réseaux sociaux et la nouvelle concurrence interne. Comment l’expliques-tu ? En tant que rédacteur émérite de la publication, quels conseils aurais-tu à donner pour mettre sur pied
un vecteur de communication actuel, attrayant et utile au syndicat ?
Collective bargaining at the ILO:
an experience worth sharing
7
made mention of this (I believe the word «riffraff» was used) and the
ED took exception. I had to go cap in hand to the DG (well, JUR) to
make sure he didn’t lift my immunity as an international official. A
more courageous campaigning journalist than yours truly would
surely have insisted on having his day in court. Maybe next time...
But we did succeed in laughing a proposed new ILO logo out of court,
as well as publicizing the curious case of the sacked Arabic translator
(subsequently reinstated).
Staff (Union) Movements List
The Staff Union secretariat rarely has the opportunity to welcome new faces to the fold. But this year they have an embarrassment of
riches! We were all very sad to see Brigitte leave on early retirement (see the heart-warming message from Ita Marguet in UNION
(No. 367), but we continue on. The Staff Union Committee had the pleasure (and the stress) of organizing two separate competitions in
the past months, and we are pleased to introduce you to the “new” arrivals.
Julia Lee, Executive Secretary
The Union is very happy to welcome Julia Lee to the Secretariat team. Julia
joined the Staff Union Secretariat after serving in EMP/ELM (and any number of
other iterations of the department following restructurings in the Employment
Sector) and before that in TRAITEXT. Born and raised in Edinburgh, Scotland,
Julia moved to Geneva to work for the ILO on a G1 “stage” (if you can believe
that) and hasn’t looked back since. She recently settled in France with her partner and her daughter.
Nicolas Lopez, Conseiller juridique
Nous avons le plaisir de vous annoncer l’arrivée d’un nouveau venu au Syndicat en la personne de Monsieur Nicolas Lopez, notre Conseiller juridique. Nicolas vient d’être recruté et prendra ses fonctions le 1er octobre 2011. Nicolas a ses
foyers au sens de l’article 4.4 du Statut du personnel à Mèze dans le département de l’Hérault en France. Il est marié et a deux enfants qui n’ont cependant
pas le statut de dépendant selon les dispositions de l’article 3.1 du Statut du
personnel. Nicolas prendra normalement sa retraite conformément à l’article
11.3 du statut du personnel en 2039. Il est très heureux de rejoindre le Syndicat et de devenir ainsi son premier Conseiller juridique attitré.
Julia and Nico join Johanna Van Rijn and Céline Moiret who together make up the Staff Union Secretariat.
Don’t hesitate to drop by (6-20), call (x7958) or email ([email protected]) if you need assistance.
E
Anna Biondi
9
L’un des piliers des membres du personnel de notre Restaurant Eurest a
récemment pris sa retraite bien méritée. Pendant des années Georgette Cerruti a
été une amie et collègue très appréciée, toujours prête a vous trouver une bonne
table dans un coin tranquille avec gentillesse et qui ne se plaignait jamais d’une
fatigue due aux longues heures de travail debout durant les réceptions. Il a fallu
attendre l’heure de la retraite pour qu’elle puisse aller visiter sa fille qui habite
en Nouvelle Zélande! Un grand merci de nous tous Georgette, tu nous manqueras…
Union 368 – Septembre 2011
Merci Georgette !
The “ILO Staff:
Know Your Rights” Game
When I first heard about the new “ILO History Game” I
immediately thought to myself, “what an excellent idea – learning about events that should be required knowledge for any ILO
staff member, through a game.” This thought was (immediately)
followed with, “how can I use my own knowledge, and a similar
approach, in the interests of the staff at large?” It didn’t take
long for me to come up with the “Know Your Rights” game,
itself a light and playful way of discovering essential elements of
your terms and conditions of service.
Members of the Staff Union Committee were immediately
supportive of the idea, as they had themselves been seeking
ways to convey the contents of the Union Representatives Manual (recently published on the Union website) to the staff, without putting them to sleep. The following is a small sampling of
questions, focused on contracts, and chosen for their relevance
by a high-level selection panel. More will follow, on the Staff
Union website, and in future issues of UNION. If you have
questions yourselves, send them to us at [email protected],
and they may just make their way into the game!
1. A Short-Term contract should be given:
A. Whenever we want to avoid those pesky competitions.
B. To replace someone, during seasonal work or while a position is being opened for competition.
C. Mostly to young staff…either that, or retired officials who
want to keep working.
D. When the department does not have money.
2. The minimum notice period for the non-renewal of a contract
(including for staff assigned to technical cooperation) is:
A. There is none, the contract ends at its expiration date; you
have no expectation of renewal.
B. One (1) month according to the Staff Regulations.
C. Two (2) months according to the Tribunal.
D. As many as my boss mentioned in his last conversation
with me.
E. Whatever the budget allows.
3. In Judgements 2708 and 2838 the ILOAT has ruled:
A. Something which was completely wrong. They must have
been mistaken.
B. That people can stay in a position for as many years as
needed under Short-Term contracts.
C. That Short-Term staff cannot work in a job for more than
a year without having their contract reconverted into a
Fixed-Term contract.
D. That all staff should be engaged through a rigorous selection process.
4. Your boss does not have money and suggests extending your
Short-Term contract for four months through an external collaborator contract, with the same office and the same terms of reference.
What do you think?
A. That’s great! Sometimes people need to be more flexible to
advance.
B. My boss shouldn’t do this. An excoll should not be used to
extend a staff member’s contract. And besides, she shouldn’t be able to offer an office, as this would be a clear indication of an employment relationship!
C. I think I need to see how I’m going to get health insurance
coverage.
D. It can be done, as long as I don’t have an office.
5. What are the types of contracts which have been approved by
the Governing Body for the employment of ILO staff?
A. Without Limit of Time, Fixed-Term and Short-Term.
B. Without Limit of Time, Fixed-Term, Fixed-Term (Technical Cooperation or assimilated), and Short-Term.
C. Without Limit of Time, Fixed-Term, Fixed-Term (Technical Cooperation or assimilated), Short-Term and ShortTerm (Technical Cooperation or assimilated).
D. Without Limit of Time, Fixed-Term, Fixed-Term (Technical Cooperation or assimilated), Short-Term and ShortTerm (Technical Cooperation or assimilated), External
Collaborator, Special Service Agreement, Service Contract,
United Nations Volunteers.
E. The GB is pretty flexible, the Office can feel free to do
whatever it likes.
Nicolas Lopez
ILO Staff Union Legal Adviser
Rules of the game
The reader needs to choose the best response from among the different options.
But be careful, the correct responses are not necessarily based on what might be the simplest or most convenient solution, nor current
ILO practice, but rather on the applicable law. On your RIGHTS!
New questions, as well as the correct responses to these questions, will be published in the next issue of UNION.
10
Union 368 – Septembre 2011
Règles du jeu
Il s’agit, pour le lecteur, de deviner les réponses aux questions. Attention, ces réponses doivent être inspirées non pas de ce qui semble
être la pratique dans notre Organisation mais du droit applicable!
“Looks like Staff Movements came out again…”
Le «Burn-out» selon les experts
«Aujourd’hui, le burn-out est en train de devenir une véritable
épidémie dans de nombreux pays du globe. Nous ne sommes
pas en cause; c’est le monde et la nature du travail qui ont fondamentalement changé. L’univers professionnel - que ce soit
l’entreprise, l’hôpital ou les services publics - est devenu froid,
hostile et exigeant, tant sur le plan économique que psychologique. Les individus sont émotionnellement, physiquement et
spirituellement épuisés. Les exigences quotidiennes liées au travail, à la famille et à tout le reste ont fini par éroder leur énergie
et leur enthousiasme. La joie de la réussite et la satisfaction
d’avoir rempli ses objectifs sont de plus en plus difficiles à
atteindre et le dévouement et l’engagement professionnels sont
en train de disparaître. Les gens deviennent cyniques, ils gardent leurs distances, essayant de ne pas trop s’impliquer. Ce
phénomène représente un recul majeur dans la dynamique vers
une vie professionnelle meilleure.»
(Extrait de «Burn-out. Le syndrome d’épuisement professionnel» par
Christina Maslach et Michael Leiter. Les Arènes. (Le Nouvel
Observateur, No. 2415, Paris).
E
An Intern’s Perspective on the Internship Policy
Striking the Right Balance
This is an exciting moment to be an intern at the ILO. The negotiations between HRD and the UNION on the new policy regulating the internship programme have come to an end. Both parties
have agreed on the final draft of the two documents constituting
the internship contract. In particular, the attention of the interns’
community focused on an increase in their stipend, from 1,500 to
1,850 Swiss francs. If published this September, as expected, the
terms and conditions specified in the new contract - including the
stipend increase - will become effective in October 2011.
Needless to say, Geneva is among the most expensive cities in
the world, ranked fifth according to Mercer Human Resource
Consulting. The poverty line was fixed at 2,239 francs by the
Swiss Government in 2009. Well aware of the situation, the International Labour Organization has always maintained very high
standards for its entire staff. However, the issue of the stipend
increase – among others – has been the object of negotiation for
what has been a long period of time. In the meanwhile, the
interns of the ILO were paid a stipend that in most of the cases
did not allow them "to cover basic subsistence costs", as stated in
the ILO internship contract (Article 24 in the new policy).
A more competitive stipend represents not only a success for
the interns, but for the Organization as a whole. Higher compensation will attract the best talent from all over the world, maintaining the standard of excellence typical of ILO recruitment.
Moreover, allowing prospective interns to be economically independent will ensure diversity, since otherwise the chance to
work and live in Geneva would become conditional on the possibility of receiving financial help from home.
Why didn’t the Organization immediately react to such an evident emergency? Bureaucracy certainly played its role. Some
issues contained in the new Directive – including the stipend
increase – were raised by the Union in discussions with manage-
ment which took place back in 2009. Since then, the first round
of negotiations on the first draft of the new policy only took
place in spring 2011.
However, beyond that, the structure of the internship programme gives to the Administration an advantage in terms of
bargaining power. Let me explain with an example. If HRD offers
a stipend increase against the acceptance of a clause allowing
managers to prolong the possible duration of an internship, the
interns will not have an incentive to refuse, since we know that
our status of stagiaire will last for less than a year. What is more
important to an intern, having more money to meet expenses
right now, or addressing issues to ensure future generations of
interns are protected?
Of course, one could argue that the extension of the internship
duration goes against her interests as well, since it would
decrease the probability to be offered a better job. However, in
the context of the current economic crisis, an internship
becomes a valid alternative to a “regular” job – or to unemployment – even if the internship is poorly paid.
The ILO Staff Union is a well established institution and has
long term goals, aimed at ensuring continued improvement in
the working conditions of everyone working in the ILO, including interns. They protect the interests of the interns as a category, beyond those of the current interns. More collaboration
and dialogue between the Intern Board and the Union is therefore fundamental. Together, we need to overcome, from one
side, the conflict between the interests of current and future generations of interns. On the other, we need to continue to prevent
abuses which could arise given the weak bargaining position of
interns, which is only further exacerbated by the high level of
unemployment characterizing the world economy today.
Giorgio Presidente, ILO Intern Board
11
Union 368 – Septembre 2011
Les anciens du
Comité du Syndicat
s’y retrouvent…
BUILDING RENOVATION – TAKING THE FIRST STEPS
An interview with Hans Hofmeijer, Director, FACILITIES
Moving is stressful. Most of you have moved house and understand the organization involved, the expectations and the uncertainty,
the disappointments, the missing items – especially that crucial file or trumpet – the sheer effort and exhaustion.
Now you are going to have to do it again, but en masse. 60% of staff in HQ will soon relocate to a temporary building in 2013 for
three years, then move back into the renovated building again. This is an area which raises concerns for a lot of people – from moving
and working in a temporary building, through the renovation itself and the disruptions and dangers that may arise. What will it look
like? Will we have to work in open-plan offices even though their use has been questioned and companies are reverting to “normal” cell
offices? In other words, what are working conditions going to be like over the next few years?
Information is one way of allaying fears; staff union involvement to ensure your concerns are addressed is another. Many of you participated in the public information session in April, and perhaps you have seen the GB documents which provide an overview of the
anticipated work, and the fact that several floors of the building will be rented out to pay for the renovation. The Staff Union appreciated
recent information sessions, and the informal communications between the project manager and the Union. But to get a better idea of
what to expect several months into the project, here we have it “straight from the horse’s mouth”. UNION magazine would like to thank
the project manager, Hans Hofmeijer, for answering the following questions which reflect many of your own questions and concerns.
*
UNION Magazine: The renovation project was finally
approved by the Governing Body last November. What has been
the progress to date?
Hans Hofmeijer: The first phase of the renovation project (201115) covers the following elements: asbestos survey; replacement of 16
main elevators; renovation of the kitchens; construction of a temporary office building (Annex) and refurbishment of two-thirds of floors
1 to 11. The asbestos survey started in August in the kitchens and will
start in the rest of the building in October. The international bidding
processes for the replacement of the elevators, the renovation of the
kitchens and the construction of the Annex will all be launched
between now and the end of the year, as will the bidding for the "project pilot" who will draft the detailed technical specifications for the
refurbishment of floors 1 to 11 and supervise the actual works.
UNION: Can you give us an updated time line for when you
expect everyone to begin moving to the temporary building?
HH: According to the latest tentative planning the moves to the
Annex should start at the beginning of 2013. We hope to be able to
spread the moves over a couple of months but the plans can only be
finalized once the "project pilot" starts working. The Annex will
accommodate about half the staff.
UNION: In the presentation made earlier this year, you mentioned that space allocation will be determined according to
existing rules, but probably less for P5 and up. Can you give an
update on what the rules currently state, and what this will mean
in the temporary building?
12
Union 368 – Septembre 2011
HH: The existing space allocation entitlements are: From G1
through to P3 two officials share a three module office, while officials
at P4 level and above have individual offices (P4 - two modules, P5 three modules, D1 - four modules, D2 - five modules, ED - six modules). According to current plans, during the renovation the allocation
will be based on the existing rules for G1 through P4 but P5 and
higher will have to give up one module each. We may have to modify
these allocations if there is an unexpected increase in staff at headquarters.
UNION: What will be the look and the feel of the temporary
space? Will we be looking at a larger version of the Annex which
we use for the language courses? Will we be in individual offices,
or open space?
HH: The new Annex will indeed probably be similar to the Pavillion
in terms of the exterior look. But obviously it will be much larger and
higher, with three wings and four floors. We hope to have a building
with offices and corridors similar to those in the main building but the
final configuration will depend on the offers that come in. Current
plans do not foresee open plan offices.
UNION: We understand that normally, on a project of this
size and nature, there is an architect who reports to the Project
Site Manager, as well as an external, independent Project Pilot.
The new position which has been posted is for the Project Site
Manager, which, from reading the vacancy announcement doesn't seem to be a dual architect / project manager position. If this
is so, and given the short time until work will need to begin on
the temporary building, have the architectural plans already been
drawn up? Can we see them?
HH: The plans for the Annex should be ready by the end of September and will be published as part of the bidding documents.
UNION: How far have the plans and the project for the temporary building come along, and how much will the Project Site
Manager be able to influence once s/he is recruited?
HH: Given the time it takes to recruit someone it is unlikely that the
site manager will be able to influence the plans for the Annex, which,
as indicated above, are close to finalization.
UNION: Who is the project architect for the temporary building and how were they selected? What are their competencies,
past experience, and references?
HH: We were lucky enough to be able to recruit on an SST contract
an experienced architect with a long career in WTO and other UN
organizations in Geneva. She is working with a number of local architectural and specialized engineering firms to develop the detailed
drawings and specifications.
UNION: If the Project Site Manager will only begin work in
the coming months, what other work has been undertaken vis-àvis the strategy for the new building?
HH: The Steering Committee defined the needs for the Annex and
decided on its size and location. In terms of strategy the goal is to
bring the different units of each sector together, either in the Annex or
in the main building, but final decisions on which units move to the
Annex and which ones will be concentrated in the South end of the
building will only be taken later this year.
UNION: Has the Office engaged an independent safety officer?
What qualifications will this person have?
HH: As during the urgent works, the safety expert will be recruited
through an external firm. The safety expert will only start working
when the construction of the Annex starts.
UNION: When can we expect another information session for
staff?
HH: In addition to regular updates of the dedicated Intranet page,
we are planning to organize regular "town hall" type meetings by
department or sector.
*
confidence. Perhaps we can get answers to these, and other
questions, in a future issue of UNION. In the words of the office
design consultant, Francis Duffy, “the office building is one of the
great icons of the 20th century”. There’s no need to think it’s otherwise a few years into the 21st.
So there you have it. It may raise some more questions for
you; it certainly raises one or two for the SUC. For example,
why is such an important position as the architect for the temporary building only worthy of a very temporary short-term
contract? And we now understand that she has left the ILO.
While the project may be technical, it is also fundamental to the
visibility of the ILO, in the Canton of Geneva but also in the
eyes of its staff, delegates and Member States, not to mention
the taxpayers. Surely a bidding process, which included the
design of the temporary structure, would have instilled more
And talking of icons, don’t you think it would be good to see
what the temporary building will look like? A model of the
building, perhaps nestling in the colonnades, would certainly be
interesting and allow some feeling of being kept informed.
E
Special section –
Some design concepts for the temporary building
“LEGO” temporary building
Colourful, long-lasting, (relatively) weather-resistant and
let’s be honest, pretty cool!
“LEGO” temporary building
gives a new meaning to “modular”, and allows you to move
from an open space to a private
office with a few hours of spare
time, a couple million little
bricks and some personal
initiative (which, of course,
will be reflected in your
end-of-cycle review)!
“Flat-pack” temporary building
With the proliferation of the IKEA “flat-pack” concept and the
introduction of the “flat-pack” house, the logical next step is the
“flat-pack” temporary building! It may
be a little less colourful, and the particle
board will most likely break after a few
years,
but
hey, it’s temporary,
right?
All
staff will be given the famous
“allen key” and the Medical Service
will be on call to deal with any
carpal tunnel symptoms from
turning those little buggers. The
only remaining question is: what
to do with the enormous box it
“Ms. Lopez, your meeting
came in?
room has arrived…”
The “Gingerbread” temporary
building – the challenge with this
one is scaling it up. Oh, and starving
interns are kindly requested NOT to
eat the building!
Nothing says temporary building
quite like a traditional yurt. Comfortable, attractive and environmentally friendly, it could be a perfect option for changing gears…or
gers…or ghers.
Colourful, fun, distinctive…what about circus tent temporary building? Plenty of open space! [Comes with or without
the smell of elephant droppings, we prefer without.] This building will be partially financed by parking fees levied on anyone coming to
work with fewer than 20 clowns in
their car.
Finally, our crack team of interior designers have been poring
over an endless supply of carpet samples, to find just the right
accent to give the interior walls of our temporary building the
“homey” feel. And don’t worry, when it’s time for the temporary
building to come down, this special “wall carpet” will be cut up
and you, the staff, will have the opportunity to take home a
memento of the temporary building experience!
*
Do you have any ideas for the temporary structure? For the
renovation itself? Let us know – write to us at:
[email protected]!
The UNION Magazine Design Team
Union 368 – Septembre 2011
So, we hired a couple of excolls (legally, we assure you) and
engaged a few UN Volunteers to come up with some of our own
“mock-ups” and suggestions of what the new building might
look like. These are shared, free of charge, with the Office.
Some other possibilities
13
While we asked FACILITIES if it would be possible to get
some of the sample floor plans or elevations to publish in this
issue of UNION, it was unfortunately not possible. Things could
change considerably and the Steering Committee had not seen
the latest plans, so the Office was a little reluctant to share any
of the details.
Allons nous vers une privatisation de la CAPS ?
Ainsi le rapport Dahlberg s’est penché avec bienveillance sur
notre vénérable caisse maladie. Et au nom d’une meilleure qualité des services (aïe, j’ai une impression de déjà vu… Ah oui, j’y
suis, c’est l’argument choc qu’on nous sert à chaque privatisation – mais si, vous savez, la privatisation de la poste, des chemins de fer, de l’électricité, du gaz, de la sécurité sociale), on
voudrait nous priver de la compétence et du savoir faire de nos
collègues de la CAPS.
Ce serait une amélioration nous dit-on. Mais une amélioration
pour qui? Les usagers ou les gestionnaires?
Personnellement, quand j’entends le mot «externalisation», je
sors mon… clavier. Après tout quoi de plus normal que de
chercher à savoir qui sont ceux à qui nous allons confier notre
santé.
Alors… Van Breda International … Très beau site, riche en
informations. Il y a même une page avec les postes à pourvoir.
L'un d'entre eux s'intitule "Custom Service Representative Contact
Center" et commence ainsi: "You are our plan members’ first
contact person for all their phone calls to the Medical Claims" (bref,
nos potentiels futurs intermédiaires.): Le "You are prepared to
work two week-ends shifts a month" n’a d’égal que le "You are
flexible" à la ligne suivante.
Amélioration, quand tu nous tiens.
14
Union 368 – Septembre 2011
«Les tâches reprises seront exécutées à Genève» nous dit-on.
Tant mieux, parce que je note que Van Breda International s’est
implantée en Malaysie depuis 2005 pour la gestion de ses programmes "Employee Benefits" (ce qui normalement inclut la gestion des remboursements maladie, des pensions, des programmes de paye, de ceux de la formation continue, des congés
maladie ou des congés tout court). C’est fou l’étendue des
domaines externalisables. Mais quid de la confidentialité des
données transmises sur des sujets aussi délicats que les maladies
dont on souffre, le montant de nos salaires, celui de nos pensions. Et je ne parle pas du recoupement possible des fichiers.
Mais tout cela ne nous concerne pas. Ce n’est pas parce nous
avons des propositions pour la reprise d'une des branches des
ressources humaines que d’autres vont suivre, n’est-ce pas?
En tous les cas, pour ceux d’entre nous qui ont découvert le
bonheur des fonctions support privatisées en matière d’assurance maladie dans nos pays d’origine, n’avons-nous pas hâte de
retrouver le charme des plateformes d’appel unique, où ceux
qui vous répondent ne comprennent même pas la question que
vous leur posez parce qu’ils n’ont pas reçu la formation adéquate? Où à chaque fois que vous appelez, vous tombez sur
quelqu’un de différent auquel il faut tout ré-expliquer, mais qui
– non – ne peut pas vous passer la personne de la dernière fois
qui avait fini par comprendre quel était votre problème. Qui
s’impatiente parce que vous avez une deuxième question et qu’il
est minuté pour chaque appel? Qui se moque de savoir si sa
réponse a correspondu à votre attente? Qui abrège en vous
disant que tous les renseignements sont sur le site internet? Et
peu importe que vous lui expliquiez que c’est justement parce
que, sur internet, vous n’avez pas trouvé la réponse, que vous
téléphonez. Que votre question ne rentre pas dans les rubriques
proposées sur le formulaire «contact» pré-établi. Bip… bip …
bip….Tiens, on a coupé. Ça m’apprendra à poser une question
sur les soins programmés à l’étranger pour quelqu’un qui n’habite pas là où il pourrait habiter si les soins programmés étaient
accordés, etc. Trop de paramètres à prendre en compte. Les
équations à deux, trois inconnues, le programme de gestion des
demandes n'est pas là pour les résoudre, alors qu’un être
humain, oui.
Pardonnez-moi cet accès de passéisme, de refus du progrès et
de la modernité, et permettez qu’en pénitence je m’incline
devant l’autel de la Rentabilité.
Elisabeth McCormick
Une fidélité indéfectible des partisans au chef crée une relation qui n’est pas politique et qui n’existe que dans des cercles restreints et dans des structures sociales primitives. Dans un Etat où règne la liberté, le contrôle de tous et les changements de personnes sont de règle.
Karl JASPER 1946
Y volver, volver
POR LOS QUE SE FUERON….
Farewell, Elena.
Julio Godio y Oscar Ermida
Lo sé, Uds. mis lectores fieles no me lo perdonan. He dejado
ausente mi rincón y mis páginas, porque la vóragine de ser una
funcionaria de pro, no me ha dejado pensar en que les necesito
y que el deber de todo latino que se precie es el de Volver……o
el de nunca irse. Ese pensamiento es el que me ronda estos tristes días, en que en menos de un mes dos amigos, maestros y
actores centrales de la historia laboral latinoamericana y de la
OIT nos han dejado un poco huérfanos y un poco perdidos.
Quizás se han ido casi juntos para poder discutir allí, donde sea,
sobre la relación triangular de trabajo, o en cómo mejorar la
libertad sindical. Eso si seguro que estarán de acuerdo pues
ambos dedicaron su vida, a luchar por los derechos de los más
débiles.
Les conocí a ambos en Lima, allá por el 1990, cuando Sendero campeaba con bombas entre libros de Hernando de Soto y
una ciudad llena de Volkswagen escarabajo. No era ya la ciudad
Julius, sino la del caos y el miedo, pero también la de la solidaridad de todos los que trabajaban en la casita de las Flores, fría y
húmeda, pero llena de vida.
Oscar, con su estatura física e intelectual, su porte impecable
y formal, tenía esa mirada llena de saber y “quiero compartir
“que hizo de él , el maestro, el fundador de la escuela de Lima y
en cierta medida el padre intelectual de toda una generación de
latinoamericanos, en la que como adoptiva yo me encuentro.
Con él aprendí mucho de derecho, de cómo difundir mis
entonces primeras ideas, de cómo conocer esa región que me ha
marcado la vida, y también de pintura uruguaya, y peruana y
de cómo tomar maté y distinguir una buen bombilla. Me enseño
amar el Uruguay y a conocer el río de la Plata. Aún recuerdo
aquella reunión de los miércoles donde me presentó como una
“gallega muy lista”, lo que hizo caer de un puntazo el viejo mito
de los chistes tradicionales. Siempre me apoyó, siempre estuvo
ahí y fue parte de mi origen. Me enseñó mucho por su compromiso y su respeto , y eso y su amistad estarán siempre conmigo.
The ILO family has been devastated by the sudden passing of Elena Gastaldo. All those who had the
pleasure of knowing Elena are still struggling to accept
the fact that an extraordinary life that held such promise has been cut short, that a dear friend left us at such a
young age. Elena had just celebrated her 40th birthday.
She joined the ILO in October 2003 and the ILO’s New
York Office in 2006 and was working as the Senior Programme and Relations Officer.
Elena was dedicated to the ILO and the values it
represents, and embraced its mission with commitment
and passion. Her work was very much part of her professional and personal life. Over the years, we all witnessed her commitment to the meaning of work and
were deeply touched by the amazing example of
courage and cheerfulness that she gave to us all, living
life to its fullest.
Elena was a phenomenal woman, a real pleasure
to work with. She was an excellent colleague, and more
importantly, to many, a cherished friend. What a gift
she shared with us in terms of how to live a life! She
was always a vibrant young woman with a zest for life
and a truly admirable spirit of optimism, relentlessly
constructing and dreaming about the future. All who
knew Elena are thankful to have had the opportunity to
share her life, the life of the wonderful human being
that she was. She has left an inevitable void in the heart
and minds of us all. We are feeling at a loss without her.
However, we shall cherish Elena and her legacy very
dearly. We feel that she will be greatly missed but know
that over time the good memories will remain.
Carmelina Bonavia 䡵
ILO Office in New York 䡵
Julio era…… imposible de definir, mitad Einstein, mitad contador de cuentos, mitad artista y mitad intelectual, mitad burgués
y mitad nómada… café, pipa y servilleta. Vamos a tomar café!
Era su grito de guerra y su manera de contar la historia y de
mezclar ficción y realidad, te hacia tener momento únicos.
Había estado en todo el mundo y creo que en vario sitios a la
vez, era uno y múltiple, casi una trinidad sindical. Julio era
café, sindicato y papel. Una historia viviente.
Los dos nos dejaron, pero no quedó hueco, ya que siempre
dieron todo y nos llenaron de ideas y de principios. Seguirán
vivos en cada libro, en cada conversación de los amigos y en
cada paso que dé la OIT en la que los dos tuvieron un papel
central.
Oscar y Julio, hasta la victoria siempre, compañeros.
ML Vega Ruiz
15
Prometo volver con otros sones, pronto y con más alegría,
hay mucho que contar y que decir y no todo en mi vida es inspección, aunque lo parezca….
Union 368 – Septembre 2011
Volver a veces es triste y está vez resulta nostálgico y presiona el pecho…. Pero la tristeza también es alegría porque significa dejar huella.