STU/66th Council/16/010
26 February 2016

Let us not forget downgraded colleagues!

The redeployment of colleagues to posts at a lower grade during the redeployment exercise (2013-2014) was presented to the staff as an integral part of UNESCO’s “reform’. While costs savings have been minimal (the financial impact following the downgrading was of 10,000$**** for 2014), the demoralizing effect on affected colleagues has been tremendous.

Who was affected by redeployment to lower-level posts? Out of the 16 downgraded staff members, 13 are at the General Service level, and 12 are women.

Two years have now passed past since colleagues were downgraded. The redeployment of colleagues to posts at a lower grade must now be set against a background where other staff are being promoted and recruitment is in full swing (more than 100 posts are currently vacant according to the latest HRM figures).

The STU has repeatedly advocated for the reattribution of former grade to downgraded colleagues. Despite these efforts, the Administration has not accepted to re-attribute former grades “in order to avoid creating a precedent”. Is this a forewarning that the practice of downgrading will become increasingly commonplace?

It is time for the Administration to find a solution for these cases. At the beginning of this new biennium, HRM should strive to identifying and proposing vacant posts to downgraded colleagues so that they can recover their former grades and continue their professional life in UNESCO with dignity and motivation.

The STU Council.

The STU urges the Administration to intensify efforts to find a solution for all downgraded colleagues to recover their former grades.