Background
In 2003 and 2004, FICSA
submitted a request for
financial support of its
activities to the HR Network
and HLCM. The
rationale for the request
was that, because FICSA
had an important and legitimate
role in representing
the views of staff on all
matters relating to personnel/
human resources
policies and practices at
inter-agency level, and a
statutory role in the work
of the International Civil Service
Commission (ICSC),
its preparatory work and
participation in relevant
inter-agency machinery
should be facilitated on
a cost-sharing basis by
the organizations of its
member associations and
unions.
Support for the Federation’s
request was weak, although the
representatives of several organizations
expressed their willingness to pursue the
matter.
Further reflection on the part of FICSA
led to the view amongst staff representatives
that the problem had deeper roots
that lay in the fact that organizations had
not yet embraced the guidance provided
by the Framework for Human Resources
Management and, further, had lost sight
of their agreement in 1982 to provide
facilities and support for staff representative
activities. Additionally, reports
from the FICSA membership revealed a
general decline in the effectiveness of
staff-management relations. It would
therefore be timely to meet with the representatives
of the administrations as a
whole to review staff-management relations
in the common system, with a view
to ensuring that the guidance set out in
the Framework and the 1982 agreement
was being followed in each organization,
and to develop ways to improve the situation.
To that end, FICSA presented a paper
to the July 2005 session of the HR Network.
The paper, “Enhancing Staff-Management
relations in the United Nations
System” (CEB/2005/HLCM/16), presented
a proposal for the creation of a Task
Force to draft recommendations for policies
and procedures for staff-management
relations in the UN system. It
reviewed the importance of effective
staff-management relations and the factors
that contribute to creating an
enabling environment for effective staffmanagement
relations, set forth a proposal
for the creation of a Task Force
and presented the Terms of Reference.
For its part, the HR Network: “Thanked the representatives of FICSA for the initiative and agreed to convene, as a first step, a video-conference, open to all interested organizations, to brainstorm on the issues that should be reviewed a nd discussed in greater detail. As a second step, a Working Group would be established to deal with the specific issues identified (FAO and UNDP volunteered to participate in the Working Group).”
Videoconference
Introduction
The Chairperson, Kristiane
Golze, CEB secretariat,
summarized the
background and explained
that the purpose of the
present meeting was to
have an initial
exchange of views on the issues, and
that no solutions would be sought during
the meeting. FICSA gave a brief
summary of its paper, stressing that
effective staff-management relations
were especially important at the present
because the UN system was functioning
in changing and difficult times.
CCISUA reiterated its support for the
paper, and drew attention to the ICTY “Collective agreement on mutual recognition”
as an illustration of the kind of
legal framework used to facilitate
effective staff-management relations in
the UN system.
The Chairman welcomed participants
from FICSA, CCISUA, IFAD, FAO,
UNDP, UNFPA, UN, UNIDO, IAEA, ILO,
ILO International Training Centre,
WIPO, WTO and the WTO Staff Association,
UNRWA, ITC, UNESCO and
UNSSC.
Identification of issues
Participants were asked in the first round of remarks to identify the issues. These included financing participation in meetings, improving communication and identifying the best media of communication, training in conflict resolution, differences between headquarters and nonheadquarters duty stations, the importance of making a distinction between the role of staff representation at the local and inter-agency levels, the importance of recognizing the particular situation in each organization, terms of office, transparency, the role of staff representatives in various internal processes such as recruitment and grievances, ways to enhance staff morale particularly for humanitarian workers, and release time for staff representatives.
FICSA and CCISUA comments
FICSA explained that it had initially taken a broad approach in its paper to stimulate thought on the subject. There was a direct relationship between local and inter-agency staff representation because the Federation depended on its membership for support, information, technical input and as a source of staff representatives to fill FICSA leadership positions. CCISUA emphasized the importance of finding out what each organization does, and identifying a general basis for staff representation and effective staff-management relations. Terms of office were a problem because an investment was made in establishing relations with the administration, and therefore the current minimum period should be extended.
CEB secretariat comments
The Chairperson further reviewed some of the background in response to a question from the representative of FAO who sought clarification about the scope of the Federation’s proposal. After FICSA had presented its paper, the HR Network had preferred to look at the broader issues. The CEB secretariat had discussed the possibility of facilitating training for staff representatives, but the objective of that training remained unclear. Thus, it was thought that it would be mutually beneficial to have an exchange of practice, and to share best practice.
Follow-up action
A second round of remarks focused on
how to follow up on the issues identified,
and whether a working group should be
established.
Participants agreed that an exchange
of practice would be beneficial and that
each organization would be asked to
complete a survey and attach the legal
framework governing staff-management
relations in their organization. The survey
questions would be drafted jointly
between the CEB secretariat, FICSA and
CCISUA. It was agreed that the administration
and the local staff association or
union would sign the completed survey.
The survey results also would serve to
assess training needs. Work would begin
on drafting the survey after the upcoming
session of HLCM, and it was planned that
the surveys would be completed this
year.
