By Matthew Russell Lee, Exclusive
UNITED NATIONS, May 3 -- In the wake of the May Day protest by UN staff against working conditions and "forced relocations," Inner City Press has obtained and is exclusively publishing a UN memo bragging about "abolishing" 99 jobs in Publishing. Click here.
In a session in which other departments also bragged of cost cutting and job cuts, the Department of General Assembly and Conference Management recounted that Hurricane Sandy allowed it to drive the final nail into Publishing, vacating the third sub basement and leaving those who worked there without posts.
While all 39 "Trades and Crafts" jobs, and 60 General Services positions, are to be abolished, the number of higher paid Professionals actually goes up. This is Ban Ki-moon's UN.
Ironically, DGACM lists under "What We're Doing Well" the purported "frequent communications between management and staff."
Then, under "Next Steps," it urges to "be prepared for any possible UNDT cases (assemble good records)." UNDT is the UN Dispute Tribunal, where cases have already been filed. Did the UN "assemble good records" to defend its abolition of posts?
Of most concern to DGACM, according to the memo, was and is "staff being intimidated by a small (?) group of outspoken staff."
That would the staff members who proposed the "no confidence" resolution as to Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's leadership, which passed overwhelmingly.
Rather than learn any lesson from that vote -- for example, don't in response to a Press question call those who work for you "selfish," as Ban characterized those staff in New York who oppose his mobility proposal -- management blames it on a "small (?) group of outspoken staff."
And you know, on World Press Freedom Day, the UN doesn't like those who are "outspoken." We will be publishing another memo soon. Watch this site.
