In saying a few words about the Brussels office … you could almost write a book! / Anita COLIGNON

In saying a few words about the Brussels office … you could almost write a book! / Anita COLIGNON

From 1973, when this beautiful mansion located outside the centre of Brussels was purchased, up until 2008 when we retired, the small office team of 4 to 5 people, (who had known the directors: Mr. Wilhelm Störmann, Mr. Raymond Goosse, Mr. Gérard Fonteneau, Mr. Marcel Bourlard and Mr. Eddy Laurijssen), was multifunctional. Between the various administrative and financial tasks, etc., we also had to go and buy a small dog (a poodle) for one of the directors of the ILO in Geneva, fetch the bag of the DG Mr. Michel Hansenne at Zaventem airport, queue at the post office to buy stamps or go to the bank (yes, there was no one else to do all this).

Of course, we didn’t lack for work because the computer era did not yet exist in our office and we had to manage with our big IBM typewriters. Our contacts with the European Institutions, the Government, the Trade Unions, the organization of study trips for groups of Chinese from the Turin Centre, the participation in conferences at the ILO stand as well as the sale of publications at the Book fair where King Baudouin visited us; all this was done with joy and excitement but everything always went off wonderfully. And I nearly forgot to mention the pleasure of welcoming our colleagues from the Geneva office, who always remembered us by offering us good Swiss chocolates!

We also laughed a lot because in this small office there was, for the most part, a great atmosphere and it was with pleasure that we went to work every day for 30 years.

We have fond memories of this happy time which we will never forget!