Latest Update: PSI's Steering Committee, meeting in Geneva on 11-12 November 2013 expressed their support to the staff unions of the United Nations and adopted a resolution on trade union rights for UN staff unions. In a context where workers’ rights face an onslaught in both the private and public sectors, PSI is convinced that the UN is sending the wrong message by denying fundamental workers’ rights to its own staff. PSI members have pledged to take this issue up with their respective governments.

In the summer of 2013, the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon unilaterally decided to strip UN unions of negotiating rights and suspend the Staff Management Committee. This sends an unacceptable message to the world that unions are not valid – and is especially hypocritical coming from the global organisation dedicated to peace, social justice and upholding the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights 1948 (Article 23 Section 4) and the international labour conventions on freedom of association and collective bargaining of the International Labour Organization.

For more information:

See our Urgent Action campaign
PSI Steering Committee SC-17 resolution
PSI delegates bring solidarity message to United Nations staff unions
PSI Solidarity letter to UN Staff Union and protest letter to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon

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UN derecognizes staff unions, refuses to negotiate

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