14 October 2002

The High Level Committee on Management (HLCM) held its fourth session in Geneva on 7 and 8 October 2002. FICSA and CCISUA were invited to attend the opening discussions to exchange views on the agenda items and propose topics for future discussions.

During the opening discussions, the UN representative informed the senior managers that the interaction between staff representatives (FICSA and CCISUA) and the HR Network had been positive in 2002 and that staff representatives had made constructive contributions to the deliberations on the pay and benefits review.

There was a brief exchange of views on long-term care health insurance. Several organizations (e.g. IAEA and UNIDO) are considering schemes, however, the costs and debates over payment of premiums are unresolved problems.

Unfortunately, there was insufficient time to discuss all the agenda items with staff representatives.

FICSA based its remarks on the statement below which was provided to all the participants in the HLCM session.

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1. FICSA welcomes this opportunity to provide our views to the HLCM. We would like to comment on some of the items on your agenda (CEB/2002/HLCM/4/CRP.1) which are of greatest concern to staff. In addition, we would like to make some suggestions for future work.

Security and Safety of Staff (CEB/2002/HLCM/R.8 and CEB/2002/HLCM/R.9)

2. FICSA attended the Inter-Agency Security Management Network meeting in May 2002 and we would like to say that we welcome the work that UNSECOORD and the individual organizations are doing to improve staff security and safety.
3. However, we were very concerned to read in document R.8, that there has been slow progress in terms of compliance with the Minimum Operating Security Standards (MOSS). FICSA stands ready to assist in encouraging field staff to take ownership of MOSS as proposed by UNSECOORD.
4. At the Vienna meeting, we were impressed by the presentation on ICT and MITS (Minimum Telecommunications Standards). To paraphrase our colleague from WFP, all staff have the right to personal security, the right to communicate and the right to access information.
5. Regarding aviation safety, FICSA appreciates the affirmation that safety should take priority in selecting air carriers. Political and financial considerations should not infringe on the safety and security of staff members.
6. FICSA would like to emphasize the importance of informing staff of their right to refuse to travel on aircraft where their safety might be compromised. In addition, we fully support the view that organizations should discontinue the practice of requiring staff to sign insurance waivers prior to boarding the aircraft. We would like to note that other forms of transport, for example, boats, can pose risks as well and thus request that policies related to other types of transport be reviewed.
7. FICSA welcomes the initiative to improve risk management and preparedness for crisis situations. Unfortunately, preparations for less dramatic incidents and accidents can be inadequate as well.

Pay and Benefits Review (CEB/2002/HLCM/4/CRP.2)

8. FICSA made extensive comments on the pay and benefits review during the meetings of the working groups, HR Network and ICSC, which are reflected in the reports. Our comments focus on the plans for the next year.
9. We look forward to receiving reports on progress made in developing the new master standard. We expect that the concept of the dual career ladder will be reflected in the new standard. In assessing the value of different types of work, we request that the new master standard eliminate any gender biases that might exist currently. We believe there should be an analysis of the implications of applying the new standard as well. For example, staff will be anxious to know if occupations are upgraded or downgraded.
10. Many of our concerns about the Senior Management Service (SMS) were addressed in the working group and ICSC sessions and some remain. For example, one of our concerns was an assumption by some that good managers had to be recruited from outside. We believe that organizations should develop good managers from within the system. This is important because many functions require in-depth understanding of the particular organization and acquiring this knowledge takes many years. As we argued during the ICSC, years of experience are important and should not be discounted.
11. We believe that training in managerial skills and assistance in planning for a career as a manager would be one way to improve prospects for advancement for General Service and Professional staff at the lower grades. In relation to this, we would like to express our appreciation for the Secretary-General’s remarks about staff in his report to the General Assembly (document A/57/387). We note in particular his strong support for enhancing career prospects of General Service staff; recognition of the need to achieve gender balance among Professionals at the senior levels; and recommendation to increase resources for training of staff.

Noblemaire Principle and Professional Salaries

12. While recognizing that the ICSC did not consider review of the application of the Noblemaire principle to be part of the pay and benefits review, FICSA welcomes the inclusion of this topic as a separate item on the ICSC agenda next year. We view this matter as a high priority and look forward to these deliberations.
13. On a separate but related matter, FICSA was pleased that the ICSC decided to recommend that the margin be restored to 115, in accordance with the resolution of the General Assembly.
14. FICSA would prefer less differentiation among grades than was recommended in the ICSC report. We believe that P-5s and D-2s, who may receive raises of 6.5% and 10.7% respectively, will be perplexed to learn that D-1s may receive 13.3% increases. The history and reasoning for the differences in the margin among grades should be investigated and clearly explained to staff. While appreciating the need for technical accuracy, any raise should be understandable and meaningful in terms of human resources management as well as statistical analysis.

Greater Commonality in Health Insurance Arrangements (CEB/2002/HLCM/INF.1)

15. Regarding the document on health insurance, FICSA appreciates this review of a complex topic. Clearly, staff in the common system should have health insurance arrangements that provide comparable levels of coverage for comparable costs. We agree with others that the insurance schemes need not be exactly the same.
16. We would like to highlight a few points: first, the issue of extending health care coverage to domestic partners has not been addressed; second, the question of long-term care for both active and retired staff is a matter of concern for our members,
17. We disagree with the view taken by the HR Network that increased health care costs resulting from stress must be accepted as part of doing business. We propose that the medical and human resources specialists within the UN examine the reasons for stress-related illnesses and make recommendations to address the problems.
18. As an aside, we believe that one cause of stress is the lack of proper procedures for preventing and resolving conflicts within organizations. We welcome the Secretary-General’s comments on improvements in internal justice systems.

Changing relationship between regular and voluntary funding (CEB/2002/HLCM/R.10)

19. The trends in funding and increase in voluntary funding raise a number of issues for staff. Undoubtedly, staff will be concerned about the potential impact on posts, staffing and contractual arrangements.
20. Once again, we would like to draw attention to the Secretary-General’s report which highlights one type of contract problem. He mentions the issue of long-serving staff finding themselves with short-term contracts and limited career prospects. The goals of creating longer-term contractual prospects should be taken into consideration in discussions on the changes in funding.
21. We understand that this is a preliminary review and we look forward to future discussions on this important topic.