UNion Win – United Nations reverses derecognition

UNion Win – United Nations reverses derecognition

Some good news from the international online union campaign group LabourStart (make sure to sign up if you’re not already a part of it)…

(As an aside, it begars belief that the UN took such a dramatically anti-labour move in the first place, when the generally pro-worker International Labour Organisation constitutes such a significant and strong part of the UN)

Eight months ago, I wrote to all of you asking you to support a campaign for workers’ rights at the United Nations.

On 11 July last year, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon derecognized the staff unions representing the organization’s 65,000 staff, many working in dangerous locations and war zones.  I asked you to join me in sending off protest messages to Ban Ki-moon, and you did in your thousands.

This week, I learned that our efforts paid off.

According to Ian Richards, President of the Coordinating Committee of International Staff Unions and Associations, “the campaign by UN unions to restore the recognition rights of UN staff has secured a successful outcome.

“On behalf of the unions of the United Nations, I would like to thank you, LabourStart and your 14,000 members who sent emails to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for their fantastic support during the campaign. Your efforts helped persuade the Secretary-General and his team that the UN should live up to its principles on human rights and labour representation.”

You can read the full text of Ian’s message here.

I thank you too — we did well.

And we demonstrated yet again the incredible power of the new communications technologies when combined with traditional trade union solidarity.

Have a great weekend!

Eric Lee

 acknowledgements to josiah mortimer