Collective agreement on arrangements for the establishment of a baseline classification and grading between the International Labour Office and the ILO Staff Union

ILO is a specialized agency of the United Nations

ILO Staff Union

COLLECTIVE AGREEMENT
ON ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT
OF A BASELINE CLASSIFICATION AND GRADING
between
the International Labour Office
(hereinafter referred to as "the Office")
and the ILO Staff Union
(hereinafter referred to as "the Union")

Preamble

The purpose of this Agreement is to establish a baseline classification and grading based on principles of fairness and equity and aiming at ensuring consistency, timeliness, efficiency, objectivity and transparency, and in a manner consistent with existing collective agreements.

The establishment of a baseline is an integral part of a career development approach applying throughout the ILO. This also calls for the subsequent elaboration of a procedure for job classification/grading.
The Office and the Union, hereinafter referred to as "the Parties", acknowledge that generic job descriptions have been prepared in 2000 under the guidance of the Joint Working Group on Classification, reporting to the Joint Negotiating Committee.

The Parties recognise that this Agreement aims to improve on existing structures and processes. All substantive entitlements of staff members shall remain intact except where this Agreement states otherwise.

Article 1
General description of the job-matching/grading process

1.1 The Parties agree that the job matching/grading process will include three stages, as follows:

Stage 1: Initial matching/grading
Stage 2: Review of initial matching/grading
Stage 3: Re-examination of matching/grading

1.2 Where the initial matching/grading is acceptable to the staff member concerned, the subsequent stages for review will not apply.

1.3 The initial matching/grading may be the subject of review if so requested by the staff member concerned. Similarly, the review of initial matching/grading may be subject to an independent re-examination by the Independent Review Group (established under Article 7 below), if the staff member concerned requests it. Finally, the matching/grading, as determined by the Independent Review Group may be the subject of an appeal before the Joint Panel.

Article 2
Timetable for the job-matching/grading process

Stage 1: Initial matching/grading by 17 April 2001 Request for review of initial matching/grading by 15 May 2001

Stage 2: Review of initial matching/grading by 16 July 2001 Request for re-examination by 15 August 2001

Stage 3: Re-examination by the Independent Review Group by 1 October 2001 if second re-examination is needed by 31 October 2001

Article 3
Modalities for initial matching/grading

3.1 The provisional generic job descriptions, appended to this Agreement will be made available to all staff members and posted on the ILO Intranet no later than 31 March 2001.

3.2 Any changes to these provisional generic job descriptions shall be made only by agreement between the Parties.

3.3 No later than 17 April 2001, every staff member will be informed in writing of the generic job description applicable to their job as well as the grade allocated.

Article 4
Request for review of the initial matching/grading

4.1 A staff member who disagrees with the initial matching/grading may request a review by the Senior Director, in writing, by 15 May 2001. The staff member shall indicate the generic job description and/or the grade which in his/her view best corresponds to their job.

Article 5
Review of initial matching/grading

5.1 The Senior Director will review the initial matching/grading in all cases where a staff member so requests. Such review shall take place as soon as possible, and the staff member concerned will receive a reasoned reply in writing no later than 16 July 2001.

5.2 If no such reply is received by the staff member by this date, s/he may immediately refer the matter to the Independent Review Group.

Article 6
Request for re-examination

6.1 If the Senior Director has provided such reply and the staff member disagrees, s/he may request a re-examination by the Independent Review Group. Such request must be filed in writing by 15 August 2001 with HRD.

Article 7
Re-examination by the Independent Review Group

7.1 The Parties agree to appoint an Independent Review Group to re-examine and decide on the review under Article 6 above.

7.2 The Parties agree to jointly nominate 14 staff members to the Independent Review Group. The Independent Review Group will operate in teams of two staff members who, together, will re-examine and give a reasoned decision on each request. A decision by the Review Team must be unanimous.

7.3 If the Review Team cannot reach a unanimous decision, or fails to give a decision within the time allowed to it, the request for re-examination will be transferred to a second Review Team comprising three members. If the second Review Team cannot reach a unanimous decision it will take a decision by majority voting.

Article 8
Application to the Joint Panel

8.1 If the decision of the Review Team is not provided within the time allowed, or if that decision is contested on the grounds of alleged procedural flaw or unfair treatment, either the staff member or the Office may submit it for review to the Joint Panel created under the Collective Agreement on a Procedure for the Resolution of Grievances dated 13 September 2000.

8.2 The staff member and the Office will have 30 working days from the date of receipt of the decision of the second Review Team, or the date when the Team's decision was due, to apply to the Joint Panel. The provisions of the Collective Agreement on a Procedure for the Resolution of Grievances pertaining to the Resolution by Adjudication process shall then apply.

Article 9
General Provisions

9.1 The Parties agree that, wherever the grade allocated to a job as a result of the job matching/grading process is higher than the existing grade held by the staff member, the higher grade will be applied retroactively to 1 January 2000 or, in the case of a change of duties since 1 January 2000, the date of commencement of the new duties.

9.2 Staff members claiming that the higher grade should be applied to a date earlier than 1 January 2000 may invoke the Collective Agreement on a Procedure for the Resolution of Grievances dated 13 September 2000, to resolve this matter, notwithstanding Article 4.3 of that Agreement.

9.3 The Parties agree to select the 14 officials who will serve in the Independent Review Group and to establish terms of reference for that body no later than 30 April 2001.

9.4 The Office will provide training to the members of the Independent Review Group, in time for them to become operational on 15 August 2001.

9.5 Throughout the processes, the Classification Adviser will be available to provide technical advice, but shall not take part in the review, re-examination or decision on matching/grading.

9.6 This Agreement shall apply to all staff members in the Professional category, as well as to all staff members in the General Service category at headquarters. The establishment of a baseline classification and grading for locally recruited staff in the field will be dealt with by the Parties at a later date.

9.7 The Parties agree to conclude a Collective Agreement on a procedure for job classification/grading no later than 30 June 2001.

Article 10
Final clause

10.1 This Agreement shall become effective on the date of signature.

10.2 No term of the provisions applying to this Agreement shall be suspended, modified, cancelled or otherwise amended except by means of a written agreement signed by the Parties. The Parties may renegotiate any part of this Agreement.

10.3 In the event of a difference of opinion in the interpretation or application of this Agreement, the matter shall be submitted to the Review Panel, as per Article 7 of the Recognition and Procedural Agreement signed between the Parties on 27 March 2000.

10.4 The Office shall submit to the November 2001 session of the Governing Body any amendments to the Staff Regulations and other relevant texts considered necessary to give effect to this Agreement, in a manner which also preserves other substantive entitlements of staff members within the meaning of the Preamble to this Agreement. In any case of doubt between this Agreement and a relevant article of the Staff Regulations, the interpretation more favourable to the staff member(s) concerned shall take precedence and prevail.

Annex 1
14 March 2001

SIGNED in Geneva, this fourteenth day of March 2001, in two copies, in the English language, by the representatives of the Parties duly authorized to that effect.


Alan Wild Director Chairperson Human Resources Development International Labour Office	David Dror Chairperson Department Staff Union International Labour Office

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Updated by FQ. Approved by FH. Last update: 17 March 2001.