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Covid-19: border workers and residents will have to present a certificate at the French border

Les travailleurs et résidents frontaliers seront tenus de présenter une attestation de domicile, mais pas de test PCR négatif à la frontière franco-suisse. Le gouvernement français a annoncé vendredi la fermeture des frontières hors-UE, sauf motif impérieux.

Voilà la situation clarifiée après un temps d’incertitude. Les autorités françaises ont annoncé dimanche 31 janvier que les travailleurs et résidents frontaliers ne seront pas concernés par les tests PCR obligatoires pour traverser la frontière franco-suisse.

Vendredi, le Premier ministre Jean Castex avait annoncé de nouvelles mesures pour lutter contre la pandémie de Covid-19, en particulier la fermeture des frontières françaises aux personnes venant de pays extérieurs à l’UE ou à l’Espace Schengen. Et d’ajouter qu’un test PCR négatif serait demandé pour toute entrée en France en provenance d’un pays de l’UE, “à l’exception des travailleurs transfrontaliers”.

Le doute planait donc sur la situation des étudiants et résidents frontaliers, nombreux à traverser la frontière chaque jour, notamment entre la Haute-Savoie et la Suisse. Mais la préfecture de la Haute-Savoie vient de préciser dans un communiqué que les transporteurs routiers, travailleurs frontaliers et “résidents des bassins de vie frontaliers dans un rayon de 30 km autour de leur domicile” sont exemptés de l’obligation de présenter un test négatif.

En cas de contrôle, ces derniers devront toutefois se munir de leur pièce d’identité, d’une attestation employeur pour les travailleurs frontaliers et d’une attestation justifiant de leur domicile, ajoutent les autorités françaises. Pour les autres voyageurs, les documents et attestations nécessaires sont à retrouver sur le site du ministère de l’Intérieur.

Cette série de restrictions, annoncées par le Premier ministre lors d’une prise de parole inattendue à l’issue d’un Conseil de défense, est qualifiée de “dernière cartouche” par une source gouvernementale interrogée par l’AFP. Jean Castex a par ailleurs annoncé un renforcement des contrôles du couvre-feu de 18 heures, des fêtes clandestines et de “l’ouverture illégale” des restaurants, afin que “les dérives de quelques-uns ne (…) ruinent pas les efforts de tous”.

Source France 3 : Auvergne Rhône-Alpes (internet du 1 février 2021)

https://france3-regions.francetvinfo.fr/auvergne-rhone-alpes/haute-savoie/haute-savoie-les-travailleurs-frontaliers-devront-se-munir-d-attestations-pour-se-rendre-en-suisse-1933600.html

Covid-19 : Information

Statement of the ILO Workers’ Group on vaccine equity

Download the statement

Extension of teleworking for staff at HQ until at least 4 May 2021

The Director-General has decided to extend the current mandatory teleworking arrangements for staff at headquarters until at least 4 May 2021.

Following the decisions of the Swiss authorities to maintain COVID-19-related restrictions announced on 19 March 2021, the Director-General has decided that the current mandatory teleworking policy will remain in place for staff at ILO headquarters until at least 4 May 2021.

The arrangements and timing of the return of ILO staff to the office will be subject to the evolution of the pandemic and any further decisions by the Swiss and French authorities. Further announcements are expected to be made by the authorities in mid-April and we will update staff on return to office arrangements at that time.

As previously, those staff whose presence is required in the office for a specific purpose prior to 4 May will be informed by their manager.

Requests for exceptional access to the HQ building will continue to be considered in accordance with the current procedures.

We recognize that this extended period of teleworking and continued uncertainty are a source of anxiety for many staff. The Office continues to give the highest priority to the safety and well-being of staff, and we ask all colleagues to continue to take care of your own health and that of others around you at all times.

Covid 19: How do I get the vaccination in France? / Intranet ILO: update of 10 of March

Staff living in France

• ILO staff, dependents or retirees living in neighbouring France with a valid Swiss carte de legitimation may register for vaccination in Switzerland. The telephone hotline (0800 909 400) should be used until international insurance cards are recognized by the online system. The hotline takes into account specific requests for appointments, but only for people who meet the criteria for priority access to vaccination.​​
• Retirees or dependents of staff living in France without a legitimation card will not have access to Swiss vaccines and should be vaccinated through the French system. They are included in the planning of the French authorities and will benefit from the same measures as those planned for the population and in the same order of priority.
• As of 14 January, vaccination will be available for people aged over 75 and frontline/health care worker​s, and it will be progressively available for other parts of the population. ​​Reservation is possible by phone or via the website sante.fr.

Further information

• ​​French Government: Public health and vaccination website
• French Government: Coronavirus vaccination​What is the cost of vaccination?

In Switzerland and in France, vaccination will be provided free of charge to residents and staff of international organizations in Geneva. In other cases, SHIF will reimburse the cost of the vaccine at 100%.

Covid-19: border workers and residents will have to present a certificate at the French border

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Message from the ILO Director General of January 13, 2021

You can see the ILO Director-General’s speech to staff on January 13, 2021 here :

Information from the SHIF on the Covid-19 vaccine

• PDF format
• Word format

Campagne de vaccination France/Pays de Gex

December 2020 – Message from the Director General and word from the Executive Secretary

Download in PDF format:

• Message from the Director General
• Word from the Executive Secretary

Staff in Geneva to full-time teleworking from October 19, 2020

As of Monday, October 19, 2020 and for an initial period of four weeks, all staff in Geneva will return to full-time teleworking, with the exception of designated staff.

Interview with former Staff union presidents

For the centenary of the ILO, the Staff Union as part of its blog has undertaken to conduct interviews with former Presidents of the Union.

• President from 2007 to 2012 : Christopher Land-Kazlauskas

• President from 2006 to 2007 : Maria-Luz Vega

• President from 2005 to 2006 : Pierre Sayour

• President from 2002 to 2005 : Jean-Victor Gruat

• President from 2001 to 2002 : Mike Shone

• Président from 1999 to 2001 : David Dror

• President from 1978 to 1979 : Karl H. Ebel

• President from 1995 to 1997 : Abdoulaye Diallo

• President from 1993 to 1995 : Ita Marguet

• President from 1979 to 1981 : Jean-Michel Servais

News from the return to offices at ILO headquarters – August 28, 2020

Extrait Intranet BIT 28 août 2020

Current status of return to office 

• The additional 310 staff cleared for this next stage will bring the total number of staff who have completed the medical and HRD clearance to return to the office to around 830 people, with a maximum of 700 (56% of the total ILO staff at HQ) permitted to be in the building at any one time. This limit has been determined after a thorough assessment of safety and health measures, and in particular the need to ensure 2 metre physical distancing in all places.
• Staff who have not been cleared for RTO will continue to telework, and staff on rotational arrangements will rotate between telework and presence at the office.
• UNICEF staff who will move to the ILO building will follow the same approach as the ILO.

HQ office arrival time tool 

• In order to coordinate arrival times and use of the HQ Cafeteria, all staff will be asked to indicate their preferred arrival and break times using a dedicated online arrival time tool.
• This tool is being introduced as an additional safety measure to optimise physical distancing arrangements during peak periods. The anonymous tool will help to limit the number of staff who arrive or have lunch at the same time.
• To facilitate the staggered arrival to and departure from office premises , core working hours have been suspended. However, all staff are expected to work a normal weekly schedule of 8 hours per day, or 40 hours per week, regardless of their arrival time.

Covid-19 – Update from the Staff Union – 8 July 2020

At headquarters, this week of July sees the start of phase 3 of the return to office and the building is finally coming back to life. After some discordance last week, the modalities of this phase 3 have been the subject of certain clarifications by the administration, at the request of the Staff Union. According to the latter, the key words for a successful phased return are: clarity, transparency and fairness. If, at your level, these three criteria are not being met, then take action: ask questions, ask to see the updated lists of who is supposed to return, and according to which criteria, as it seems that a communication deficit persists. And, most importantly, if you discover on the day you return to the ILO that the person with whom you are sharing an office is also present (which should not be the case as 2 or more people sharing an office is subject to a mandatory weekly rotation), then exercise your right of withdrawal.

An uncertain future for the Turin centre that requires our solidarity

You may not know it yet: the training centre in Turin is in turmoil. Its income is based mainly on training and a contribution from the Italian Government. Today the income is drying up and the Centre is looking for solutions to survive.

The Centre has therefore had to start reinventing itself by offering new products and services adapted to the situation and by looking for alternative sources of funding. A better employability of the Centre could be envisaged by the ILO itself, and we know that the administration is working on it. Nevertheless, a new business model must be accompanied by strong and reliable social dialogue to cope with the difficult situation. The staff must be involved in this new strategy.

This is why the ILO Staff Union joins the Staff Union of the Turin Centre under the banner “One ILO” to accompany and support them in all future dealings with their administration, and calls on our ILO administration to do its utmost to save the Centre and all its staff, who have gone through many hardships during this period.

UNDT decision

The decision of the United Nations Dispute Tribunal (UNDT) concerning the complaint of our UN colleagues on the Geneva post adjustment was made public on 30 June 2020. The complaint was dismissed (see the judgment here).

This is bad news as it now firmly puts the future of the UN common system at risk and has repercussions on the entire UN salary system worldwide. The Noblemaire and Flemming principles are in serious danger. Your Union must analyse this judgement in detail, and rapidly contact all the associations and unions and staff federations of the common system to discuss and decide on the next strategy. But it is clear that the future will not be bright, and strong struggles are to be expected.

The Staff Union also expects the administration to provide information and/or communicate its position on this matter as soon as possible.

Communication from the Bureau of the ILO former officials of June 15, 2020

Dear fellow members of the Section of Former ILO Officials,

Several months of the coronavirus pandemic have greatly changed the lifestyle of the majority of us. If the virus is in decline in many countries it is unfortunately not yet the case everywhere and the risk of a resurgence of the disease exists despite the efforts that we are all making in respecting the instructions of our governments.

As you may be aware, ILO officials in all offices around the world are mainly teleworking from home and access to ILO offices is very limited; this is certainly the case in Geneva. The Director General’s Notice IGDS No. 567 of 28 May 2020 provides for a “gradual, progressive and staggered” return to the offices.

Executive members of the Bureau of the Section of Former Officials have not been able to physically access their ILO office since mid-March. However, we can still access emails in our email box (anciens@ilo.org), access the ILO intranet and continue to update our website, which is hosted by a company outside the ILO.

You can therefore continue to contact us by email and post as necessary, the latter being transmitted to us via a colleague of the Section. You can also visit our website (http://www.anciens-bit-ilo.org) where we post information that you may find useful.

During this period, we received several admissions to the Section and have also noted that the deaths reported to us by the administration are fortunately no higher than those of the same period last year. Please continue to stay healthy!

The Bureau of Former ILO Officials expects to resume its normal activities eventually, and in the meantime remains at your service, in case of need, during this period of restriction.

The Bureau members send you their greetings and very best wishes.

Covid-19 – Back to the Office – Phase 1

Coronavirus crisis : Message from the Executive Secretary

Dear retired colleagues.

Above all, I wish you good health in this difficult time that we are all going through.

As you may know, ILO staff in Geneva are now teleworking from home. Although access to the ILO building in Geneva is no longer possible for us retirees, members of the Bureau of the Section of Former ILO Officials continue to communicate via the Internet and telephone networks.

I would advise you to regularly consult the SHIF and the Pension Fund websites, which provide regular updated information. You can enter both sites via ours (www.anciens-bit-ilo.org). The SHIF notes (attached) indicate in particular that retirees can continue to send their reimbursement requests by post.

The Union’s Centennial meeting on May 14 in the afternoon will probably be postponed to the fourth quarter of this year, and the reception offered by the Director General scheduled for the same evening has been cancelled.

If necessary you can email us at anciens@ilo.org as we regularly check the messages received.

Dear colleagues, it is important at this difficult time that we all stand together in solidarity and observe the recommendations of our Public Authorities.

Yours sincerely,

François Kientzler
Executive Secretary
Section of Former ILO Officials​

SHIF documents :

• CORONAVIRUS COVID-19 – IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR INSURED MEMBERS (as of 28 February 2020)
• HOW WILL COVID-19 AFFECT REIMBURSEMENT OF MY SHIF CLAIM?