By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS, May
30, more
here --
For weeks
there have
been rumblings
about “Helen
Clark's cut
backs” at
UNDP, the UN
Development
Program.
This week the
rumbling
spiked, with
the UNDP staff
union holding
a meeting in
the UN's
basement on
May 29 to
discuss the
loss of up to
30% of UNDP's
jobs in New
York.
Another
source
told Inner
City Press
that Clark
wants to
“force people,
many women,
many who are
head of
household, to
be deported
after one
month [when
their G-4
visas would
expire], and
force many
staff who are
just 2, 3, 4
years from
early
retirement age
out, so they
will miss out
on their
after-service
health
insurance. If
they get away
with this at
UNDP, it will
quickly spread
to the rest of
the UN system.
Oh, and by the
way, the men
and women at
D1, D2 and
ASGs are
unaffected.”
This,
Secretariat
staff say, is
similar to
current
Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon's
mobility or “5
year rule” -
now imposed on
regular staff,
but seemingly
not applied
Ban's higher
ranking
friends.
UNease is
growing.
Another
description here,
from IPS.
The
connection is
that Helen
Clark wants to
replace Ban
Ki-moon as
Secretary
General,
despite the
the post as
his successor
said to be
reserved for
the Eastern
European group
which has
never held it.
Clark is
banking on
gender
trumping
geography, and
job cutting
seems to be
her campaign
issue for
Western, donor
countries.
A well
placed source
tells Inner
City Press
Clark told
management
currently
employed at
UNDP to “drop
what they are
doing and work
on her
campaign” for
S-G, they
would be
rewarded with
a higher post
in the
Secretariat if
she comes to
replace Ban.
Footnote:
In
the
Secretariat,
the hold-over
staff union
which barely
fought Ban
during its
time in power
now presents
itself as
supporting
UNDP worker,
and as...
still the
staff union,
despite the
December vote
and
controversy
since.
This rift only
benefits those
pushing for
lay-off, just
like the UN's
Censorship
Alliance
getting the
first question
and big room
results in
softball
coverage of
the UN, here.
We'll and the
Free
UN Coalition
for Access
will have more
on this.
, 
