Communiqués

Class action: Where do we stand?

The ILO Staff Union Committee launched on 8 August a class action following the concerns expressed by staff members on the non-respect by the Office of the Collective Agreement on a Baseline Classification and Grading at the headquarters and in the field. The claim is related to procedural delays and in some cases of interference from HRDD in the procedure. The "class action" appeal, to which 80 individuals adhered, was presented to the Joint Panel on 15 August. Since then, an oral hearing has taken place as well as three consultation meetings between the Committee and the concerned staff. This communication is to inform all ILO staff on where we stand with the action.

Following a consultation meeting with the "class" appellants on 21 November it was decided that the claimants would proceed with a "representative" action, meaning that a number of cases would be identified as the "most representative" in order to cover in fact the variety of individual situations. The Joint Panel indicated that it would extend the reach of its recommendation to all persons in a similar situation.

Six cases have been identified as most representative: three working in the general services, three professionals; three from Headquarters, three from field offices. After securing approval from the individuals, the documentation was presented to the Joint Panel on 9 December.

The Joint Panel should provide a response to the parties by mid January. The SUC will duly inform all ILO staff accordingly and consult with the appellants on a suitable subsequent course of action.

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