Hundreds Protest Planned Cuts and Layoffs at International Labour Organization
Translated & summarized from Davar by baba
Around 300 International Labour Organization (ILO) staff protested planned budget cuts and layoffs at their Geneva headquarters on Wednesday. The cuts aim to eliminate 120 full-time positions and 180 unfilled posts over two years due to a $300 million debt from member states. The union IndustriALL criticized the plan, warning it would weaken the ILO's ability to promote global labor standards.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Hundreds of ILO staff protested planned budget cuts and layoffs at their Geneva headquarters.
- The cuts will eliminate 120 full-time positions and 180 unfilled posts over two years.
- The ILO faces a financial crisis due to $300 million in unpaid member state contributions.
- The US accumulated a significant portion of the debt during the Trump administration.
- IndustriALL union warned the cuts would undermine the ILO's mission and capacity.
Approximately 300 employees of the International Labour Organization (ILO) demonstrated Wednesday outside the organization's headquarters in Geneva, protesting planned budget cuts that include significant staff reductions. The proposed plan, presented by ILO Director-General Gilbert Houngbo in August, aims to gradually eliminate about 120 full-time positions, representing roughly 7% of the current workforce, over the next two years. These positions account for approximately 12.5% of the ILO's budget for 2026-2027. Additionally, 180 unfilled positions are slated for cancellation.
The austerity measures are a response to a severe financial crisis, with member states owing over 260 million Swiss francs (approximately $300 million) in unpaid contributions. A substantial portion of this debt, close to 70%, was accumulated by the United States during the Trump administration, which halted funding to international bodies deemed not to serve American interests.
The international trade union IndustriALL expressed solidarity with the ILO workers, acknowledging the financial crisis but warning that balancing the books through layoffs would hollow out the institution. "Any cut weakens the ILO's ability to promote international labor standards, monitor their implementation, and support workers and their organizations," IndustriALL stated. The union emphasized that the decades-long build-up of technical, normative, and operational capacity cannot be quickly rebuilt, and the loss of institutional knowledge would be paid by workers globally.
In a letter to ILO management, IndustriALL General Secretary urged the organization to explore alternatives to layoffs, engage in genuine social dialogue with employee representatives, and cease replacing stable jobs with temporary contracts. He stressed that the ILO itself must uphold human dignity in work, social dialogue, and the promotion of decent work worldwide.
The ILO, founded in 1919 and now a UN agency, focuses on labor relations, aiming to strengthen workers' rights and improve their working and living conditions. It comprises representatives from 187 member states, including Israel, along with trade unions and employer organizations, who collectively draft international labor conventions.