You will have seen a broadcast from management advising you of a new internal tax of 0.05 percent of your salary to help fund the Office of Staff Legal Assistance (OSLA), a body which provides legal advice and representation to staff to contest administrative decisions against them. The tax will begin with the April payroll.

This move marks the first time that the organization had set up an entity and then asked staff to contribute to its funding. This sets a dangerous precedent, and for the many reasons outlined in this joint message from all staff unions of the UN system, we encourage you to exercise your right to opt-out from the tax.

You may opt-out from this tax by following this link: https://www3.unog.ch/P.36

As the management broadcast explained, if you opt out of the tax you will still receive full assistance from OSLA and will therefore not be penalized. And if enough staff choose to opt out, the General Assembly, which set up the tax, may decide that this contribution scheme is not feasible.

If you choose not opt out, you will be charged as of the April payroll.