| Abstract: | Abstract. The strike by the United Nations personnel in Geneva in February-March 1976 confirmed the tendency of international civil servants to unionize themselves and to apply collective pressure within a framework which, traditionally, did not lend itself to this type of action. Even though the strikers obtained salary increases for themselves and for their colleagues in other United Nations agencies situated in Geneva (essentially the World Health Organization (who ) and the International Labour Office (ilo )), the strike had unfavourable consequences with regard to the international secretariats. Thus the local and international press accused the un ‘bureaucrats’ of being too numerous, over-paid and too political. Some civil servants protested against the over-militant attitude of their own associations or unions and dissension arose within the Federation of these associations. The salary increases entailed an additional expenditure of 25.3 million for all the organizations involved. This made the who and ilo reduce their staff and drew criticism over staff management at the un from the Joint Inspection Unit (jiu ) and several governmental delegations. The negative reaction of who member states to the demands for additional funds, together with an initiative of the ‘77’ group aimed at reducing administrative expenses in order to redirect the organization's resources towards technical cooperation, led to a staff reduction at the who headquarters of some 20 per cent in four years; at the ilo , the staff was reduced by 7.3 per cent in two years. Following the serious criticism by the Joint Inspection Unit concerning the lack of coherence and strictness on the part of the administrations, the General Assembly of the United Nations decided to transfer the responsibility for setting up new salary scales in Geneva from the heads of the Secretariats to the Commission of International Public Service; it also called upon the un Secretary General to speed up the reforms in staff policy and administration. Through its repercussions the 1976 strike brought to light the fragility of international institutions, whose existence is entirely dependent upon the goodwill of member states, as well as the limits of union activities by associations of international civil servants. |
