In
Ban's
UN, Cafeteria
Workers Face 6
Month Layoff,
Catering Only
to
High Rollers
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
December 15,
updated Dec 16
-- While UN
Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon
parties and
takes photos
with shadowy
businessmen
the daily life
at
what remains
of the UN
grows more
barren, the
condition of
lower
level workers
more
precarious.
Elevator
operators were
fired; audio
engineers were
fired then
re-hired as
weekly
temporary
workers with
no benefits.
Now
the staff in
the UN
cafeteria face
a layoff of
six months or
more, Inner
City
Press has
learned. After
hearing from
staff that the
Capital Master
Plan intended
to shutter the
cafeteria
after
Christmas,
Inner City
Press waited
to speak to
CMP chief
Michael
Adlerstein.
On
December 14
Adlerstein
confirmed it
to Inner City
Press, saying
"there will
be a six month
gap" and that
the Staff Cafe
and Delegates
Dining
Room will
re-open on the
fourth floor
of the
Secretariat
Building in
December 2012.
Strangely,
while
the cafeteria
is being
closed,
Adlerstein
told Inner
City Press
that
the temporary
Delegates
Dining Room in
the back of
the cafeteria
space will
remain open
intermittently
with a reduced
kitchen.
(Ironically,
Ban appeared
Wednesday
night in a
satire video
washing
dishes. He at
least still
has a job, a
wag snarked.)
Ban Ki-moon on
film, layoffs
not shown (c)
MRLee
This
seems to mean
that the
cafeteria
space on the
first floor is
not being
fully
renovated,
since part of
it will stay
open for
events for
member
states and
other
high-rollers
who rent the
space.
So what is
the
reason for
shutting the
cafeteria,
used these
days by among
others
the
construction
workers and
those
remaining in
the UN, and
summarily
laying off all
of the staff?
Watch this
site.
Update
of
December 16 -
after the
story above
and Inner City
Press asking
at
the December
15 noon
briefing, at
11 am on
December 16
the UN issued
the statement
below. It had
been said that
when the
cafeteria was
renovated,
service and
the workers
would move up
to 4th floot
of
Secretariat.
Now, that is
not happening,
and it is not
explained in
the below. Bad
management.
Beginning
26
December 2011,
the
Secretariat
Lobby will
undergo
renovation as
part of the
United Nations
Secretariat
Capital Master
Plan. As a
result of
these
renovations,
the entrance
to the Main
Cafeteria will
become
inaccessible.
Consequently,
the operations
of the
Cafeteria
will be
suspended from
26 December
2011 until 30
June 2012.
During
this
time, basic
and necessary
repairs to the
Cafeteria, the
servery
and kitchen
will take
place. The
work carried
out during
this period
will ensure
the provision
of a full food
service to
staff members
on
their return
to the
Secretariat
building
starting in
July 2012.
Catering
services
will continue
to be provided
at 4 other
locations: the
DC1
and UNICEF
cafeterias,
the Viennese
Café
and the Coffee
Shop.
The
temporary
Delegates
Dining Room
will be closed
at least for
the first
six weeks of
this project.
It might be
made available
for events for
the Diplomatic
Community and
other
UN-approved
entities from
March
through to the
end of June
2012 subject
to the status
of the
construction
and renovation
progress.
The
management
of staff
resources
assigned to
the ARAMARK
operations at
the UN is the
responsibility
of the
contractor.
However, the
company
has indicated
that, in line
with its
arrangements
with the
union, the
employees
affected by
the closure of
the cafeteria
will be the
first
to be re-hired
upon the
re-opening of
the facility
scheduled for
July
2012. The UN
also
understands
that these
employees will
be called
upon to
service any
catering
events that
will occur in
the interim.
, 
