By Olivia Le Poidevin
GENEVA (Reuters) -The Worldwide Labour Group is assessing the impression of a $107 million funding reduce proposed by the Trump administration to the Geneva-based U.N. company, in line with an inside message reviewed by Reuters.
Employees on the ILO, which promotes worldwide labour rights, informed Reuters there are fears of additional job cuts because the U.S., which contributes 22% of the ILO’s common funds, seeks to row again on funding.
President Donald Trump has moved to unilaterally cancel $4.9 billion in international help authorised by Congress for a variety of worldwide programmes, together with a $107 million reduce to the ILO, a White Home assertion stated on Friday.
Within the inside be aware despatched to workers, ILO Director-Basic Gilbert F. Houngbo stated he lacks “full readability” on the reduce’s implications and is involved with the U.S. administration.
He informed workers that the U.S., the company’s largest donor, had but to pay its 2024 and 2025 dues.
“Particularly, we’re searching for to grasp if this discount applies to the ILO’s assessed contributions for 2025, the whole 2024/25 biennium, or future contributions,” the memo added. The ILO was not instantly obtainable for remark.
The ILO’s $930 million complete two-year funds for 2026-2027 was authorized in June.
A ILO workers member informed Reuters that the “appreciable reduce” might put workers jobs in danger. The workers member stated colleagues had been additionally upset by the White Home assertion which stated the organisation “works to unionise international staff and punish U.S. company pursuits overseas”, and stated it misrepresented the company’s values.
The White Home was not instantly obtainable for remark.
The Trump administration intends to implement the cuts via a “pocket rescission,” a tactic to bypass Congress.
Reuters reported on Friday that Nels Nordquist, a high financial aide to Trump, is slated to depart the White Home to turn out to be deputy director-general on the ILO, changing a former Biden administration official.
In Might the ILO confirmed it had reduce about 225 jobs at its headquarters and within the discipline.
(Reporting by Olivia Le PoidevinEditing by Peter Graff)