3 Percent Staff Pay Hike Voted

Daniel Pruzin

On staff pay, World Trade Organization members adopted a budget that will increase the organization's spending by 8.3 percent to 154 million Swiss francs (about $106 million) next year. Included in this is a 3 percent pay increase for WTO staff with effect from Jan. 1, with an additional 1 percent rise taking place July 1, 2003.

In addition, members committed to consider further adjustments as deemed necessary to reduce the gap in pay between staff at the WTO and the United Nations, and to undertake a review of methodologies for future pay adjustments. The latter was an important demand of secretariat staff, who want pay reviews to take place on an annual basis rather than the current practice of once every three years.

WTO staff are due to vote Dec. 13 on whether to accept the pay increase and bring a halt to their "work to rule" action. The staff's "work to rule," which involved refusal to work overtime, began on Nov. 15 in an effort to press their demands for an 8 percent pay increase.

The author is with WTO.