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UN staff revel against Annan
3/11/2006
UNITED NATIONS, Mar 10 (AP): The U.N. Staff Union overwhelmingly voted no confidence in Secretary-General Kofi Annan Thursday over his proposal to radically overhaul UN operations.
The union, representing more than 5,000 staff at U.N. headquarters, said it was dismayed at many proposals in Annan's blueprint, especially the call to consider outsourcing a variety of U.N. services from translations to billing.
The disappearance of permanent appointments and a new policy on job mobility without job security implied a "fundamental attack against the international civil service," it said.
The resolution said "in the future, all staff may be at risk" and expressed "a statement of no confidence in the secretary-general and his senior management team."
The staff revolt is just the latest in a series of problems the U.N. chief has been forced to confront in recent months, including heavy criticism of his management in the scandal surrounding the U.N. oil-for-food program for Iraq.
Annan also has struggled to deal with allegations of sexual abuse by U.N. peacekeepers as well as the fallout from corruption charges linked to how the U.N. awards work contracts.
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