Bulletin of the Former ITU Staff Association

July 2016Bulletin No 34

The President of Honour of our

Association, Jean BALFROID, left us on Tuesday 2 February 2016. The members of the Committee agreed to dedicate this editorial to him to pay him a final tribute, in recognition in particular of having in his time laid the foundations of our present Former ITU Staff Members' Association.

The President of Honour of our Association, Jean BALFROID, left us on Tuesday 2 February 2016. The members of the Committee agreed to dedicate this editorial to him to pay him a final tribute, in recognition in particular of having in his time laid the foundations of our present Former ITU Staff Members’ Association.

The minute’s silence at the Annual General Meeting on Tuesday 5 April 2016, in honour of our departed colleagues, was followed by personal tributes paid to Jean, along the lines of the one below:

«Dear Jean, Dear Friend, Dear Colleague,

All those who had the privilege of knowing you will always preserve the memory of the wonderful sense of comradeship you were able to convey to all around you. Your commitment, in the first place for the benefit of the Union’s working staff, then of its retirees, reflects the importance you always attached to

Contents

1 Editorial

3 Minutes of General Assembly

9 Health insurance

9 Complementary insurance

11 Member statistics

11 Autumn luncheon 2015

12 River cruise Douro October 2015

14 Spring luncheon 2016

15 Outing: Le Nant d’Avril

16 Reminder concerning emails and phone calls to the secretariat

16 Urgent call for help

17 Web site

17 Office hours and Meting point

18 Meals, outings, walks and travel

18 They have passed away

19 Committee of the Former Staff Members’ Association

EDITORIAL

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There came a time when, in the hope of keeping alive the bonds of friendship built up over many years of active service with the Union, Jean brought together a few retired colleagues who shared the same feelings.

Having long presided over the ITU Staff Union, Jean did not hesitate to make use of the experience he had acquired defending the interests of active staff in order to extend a similar service to his retired colleagues. Thanks to the contacts Jean had been able to maintain with the Union’s administration and the officials in charge of running the Staff Union’s affairs, a set of «Regulations of the Former ITU Staff Members Section « was finally approved on 2 June 1998 by the General Assembly of the Staff Union, with Jean fittingly appointed as the new President. Then, after 10 years, in recognition of his tireless efforts, Jean was named President of Honour on 20 November 2007.

As such he was able to steer our Section (which was part of the Staff Union) successfully towards becoming a legally independent Association, recognized as such by the Management of ITU. Thus Jean became the leading artisan of our new Statutes, which were approved by a Constituent General Assembly on 17 November 2009.

After Fabio BIGI took over the functions of President of the Association, Jean made a point of continuing to serve on the Committee, until he was no longer able to on account of his failing health. Through this homage, the Committee members wish to reiterate their recognition for the selfless sense of duty with which Jean presided over, represented and defended the interests of the Former ITU Staff Members Association.operation of telecommunications/ICTs.

The Committee English version by Peter Whiting

human relations. The example you set will live on in our memories. Our thoughts full of heartfelt gratitude go with you on your last journey. You will always remain our friend.

We would also like to express our gratitude to Terry, his dear wife, for the great deal of time she gave to the Association, not least by consenting to Jean’s absences while he went about his presidential tasks and representative duties with his customary care and devotion.”

Apart from Jean’s exemplary work as President and later President of Honour, performed with his unfailing openness and skill, we should not forget the part he played for so many years in the disguise of a benevolent Father Christmas. We feel sure that Jean’s appearances as that mythical figure will long remain etched in the memories of all the children on whose heads he placed a kindly hand as he handed them their Christmas presents.

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MINUTES OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE ITU FORMER STAFF MEMBERS’ ASSOCIATION

Held on 5 April 2016

The President of the Association, Mr. Bigi, opened the meeting and welcomed the 60 or so former staff members present. He asked the Assembly to observe a minute’s silence in memory of our departed colleagues, and especially of Mr. Jean Balfroid, President of Honour of the Association.

The Assembly observed a minute’s silence in memory of departed former staff colleagues.

1. Election of Assembly Chair

Mr. Pierre André Traub was elected Chair by acclamation.

The Chair expressed a warm message of friendship to all those present and to all those throughout the world who followed the activities of the Association at a distance, until such time as they would be able to view the Assembly’s proceedings live by webcast.

He paid a personal tribute to Mr. Balfroid and praised his sense of friendship and his commitment to the service initially of active and later of retired staff. Mr. Balfroid’s interest in human relations was familiar to all around him. No one would forget his appearances for many years as ITU’s Father Christmas. He also extended his thanks to Mr. Balfroid’s wife for her devoted support.

The Interim Chief of the Human Resources Management Department, Mr. Dahlen, said that the Secretary General and all ITU serving staff endorsed the tribute to Mr. Balfroid. As the latter’s successor as ITU’s Father Christmas, he could vow that Mr. Balfroid had always played the part with the greatest pleasure and commitment.

2. Election of Rapporteur

Ms. Claude Briand was elected Rapporteur.

3. Activity report

The President of the Association welcomed the representatives of the Health Fund Management Committee and the CIGNA representative, the representative of the Staff Council, the President of the Staff Union and the President of the Association of Former International Civil Servants (AFICS).

After thanking all the members of the committee (Mr. Araman, Mr. Berthet, Ms. Clerc, Mr. Estero, Mr. Justrich, Ms. de Michely-Jeanmonod and Ms. Scolari Molina) and all those who contributed to the work of the secretariat and the Bulletin, which, he hoped, would continue to be issued in paper form for the sake of the many members who were not equipped with computers, he said that Ms. Scolari Molina had taken

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over from Mr. Augsburger as Vice-President of the Association and that Ms. Josserand and Mr. Masson had joined the Committee.

- Rando Plaisir

Mr. Berthet, on behalf of Mr. Estero, introduced the report of activities organized in 2015 by the Rando Plaisir section. Ten outings had been held in the Canton of Geneva and in Switzerland, as well as a river cruise on the Douro in Portugal, which had beaten all records of popularity. Altogether 202 participants had attended the outings held in 2015, compared with 172 in 2014. For 2016, in addition to the usual outings, two major cruises were scheduled and were already fully booked: the first, from Budapest to Bucharest, would take place from 22 to 29 August 2016, and the second, from Avignon to Aigues Mortes, from 5 to 9 December 2016, on a barge reserved entirely for the ITU group.

The President of the Association thanked Mr. Berthet, Mr. Estero and Mr. Justrich for their excellent work.

The Secretary, Ms. de Michely-Jeanmonot, reported that the Association had organized two meals in 2015 and that the next would be held in Yvoire in mid-June.

The President of the Association thanked the administration of ITU for its assistance to the Association in the form of a subsidy, which, he said, was very important for maintaining links among the Union’s former staff members.

- Pension Fund

The Secretary, Ms. de Michely-Jeanmonot, reported that the Association had organized two meals in 2015 and that the next would be held in Yvoire in mid-June.

The President of the Association thanked the administration of ITU for its assistance to the Association in the form of a subsidy, which, he said, was very important for maintaining links among the Union’s former staff members.

- Pension Fund

The President of the Association said that newly retired staff were experiencing difficulties receiving their pensions.

Mr. Jones explained that a new software system had been installed in the Pension Fund without the

necessary precautions (full migration rather than partial migration applicable to new retirees only), which had had disastrous consequences and had led to delays of over 6 months in the payment of pensions. For persons who, like himself, had left Geneva, the situation was even worse, since without an income statement, it became impossible to obtain a credit card, or to make a tax return, which in turn gave rise to a tax penalty. He could not opt for one of the tracks and was left with no monthly statement for his pension or for the Health Fund. Moreover, he had no information or reaction from the Pension Fund and he had been unable to access the system online. In his case, he had been told that he would not be able to access the online system before June. In order to make things easier in future, he proposed entering a mention of the start of the tax year of the country of residence on the form that had to be filled in prior to retirement.

Ms. Leslie Jones confirmed that the persons who had retired in November had still not received their pensions. She deplored the cruel lack of information and the often contradictory nature of whatever items were available.

Mr. Muccioli asked whether the administration had proposed any measures to remedy the situation.

The President of AFICS, Ms. Foudral, said that AFICS had queried the Director General of the Fund, Mr. Arvizú, about the delays and had requested an interim solution, which he had turned down on the grounds that it was not possible to pay advances. When AFICS had argued that the payments in question were outstanding dues and not advances, the Fund had replied that opting for an interim solution would only cause further delays. She said that the introduction of the new software had been completely chaotic, as the problems inherent in any migration had not even been taken into account. The Fund had pointed out that former retirees continued to receive their pensions, which was only to be expected. It had ignored the case of Geneva (local track) and focused on New York, where all retirees opted for the dollar track. Only in February the officials had finally come to Geneva to consider the situation. She was well aware that for isolated retiree widows or widowers the payment delays were particularly critical.

Next summer, FAFICS would insist, on the occasion of its meeting in Vienna with the Joint Committee, firstly on having an estimate of the real cost of the migration that had been undertaken and the financial

July 2016 Page 5

loss incurred by retired civil servants, and secondly on ensuring that the management of the transition should be an integral item of the periodic report of the Fund’s Director General. The number of cases of delays had been estimated at 1700. AFICS was trying to gather as many complaints as possible from retirees. The United Nations appeared at last to have sized up the problem and had established a schedule for the Fund to follow. However, apart from the fact that the schedule was unrealistic, the staff recruited by the Fund to do the work involved would still need to be trained. She noted that the Fund in Geneva was doing its best but was altogether submerged by the magnitude of the problem. Lastly she regretted that the Fund’s website no longer contained any relevant information.

The Interim Chief of the Human Resources Management Department said that as soon as the problems had started the ITU administration had contacted the Fund’s Management Committee as well as the Administrator of the Fund, Mr. Arvizú. The Network of Human Resources Directors of the Organizations of the United Nations Common System had sent a joint letter to Mr. Arvizu, copied to the United Nations Secretary General. Some 10 cases had surfaced at ITU and the situation was clearly unacceptable. He said that in some organizations, the delay was considerable, especially for staff in the field, and could amount to as long as 14 months. The explanations given by the Fund were equally unacceptable, in view of the fact that the Administrator of the Fund just blamed the organizations for the delays, whereas all the organizations had shown that the data supplied concerning their members were complete, with very few exceptions.

The plan of action launched by the Management Committee did not appear realistic, in view of the number of cases involved. The Geneva and New York organizations had suggested that the Fund should detach extra trained staff to make up the delays, but so far the Fund had not acted on the suggestion, except in a few instances in the New York secretariat.

In response to ITU’s request for advance payments, the Fund had replied, as it had done to AFICS, that it was not possible. ITU had considered setting up its own internal system of advances, but the repayment procedures would be too complicated. The Fund had promised to deal with the problems of the small agencies such as the Union as a matter of priority and to issue a periodic report on outstanding cases. Lastly, he advised retirees who were experiencing difficulties to contact the administration.

The Deputy Chief of the Human Resources Department, Ms. Wilson, thanked the ITU team, who were making every effort to solve the problems. The staff of the Fund in Geneva were doing all they could, but in view of the magnitude of the problem a great deal still remained to be done. The Health Fund was also affected.

The Interim Chief of the Human Resources Management Department said that “former retirees” were equally affected by the situation, because the quality of the information transmitted by the Pension Fund which was used to determined the amount of contributions paid in to the ITU Health Insurance Fund (CCAM) had deteriorated, giving rise to a great number of errors for the Health Fund: contributions in particular had to be checked manually, which was very laborious. Participants should report any error they spotted to the administration, which he assured them was doing all it could to put the situation right.

Mr. Jones reiterated that the form that needed to be filled in prior to retirement should be more detailed and should emphasize the fact that the new retiree should have an income statement for life, and not just an estimate, which was not accepted in some countries. He suggested that ITU should add an explanatory page concerning the income estimate supplied by the Fund.

The representative of retirees on the Health Fund Management Committee, Mr. Sanchez, was prepared to recognize the efforts made by the administration but suggested that for the ten or so former staff members concerned, ITU, in case of need and in the event of financial difficulties, might draw on the Reserve Fund. Since the pension service knew the monthly amounts of retirees, it would be possible to open a transfer fund, which would ensure that ITU could recover the sums paid out by the Pension Fund. He reminded the President of the Association that he had offered a formula for calculating the amounts of contributions to the Health Fund as well as the refund threshold for the Health Fund, which was available to all, based on the data of the ITU pension service.

Following a remark by Mr. Descalzi concerning an online petition addressed to the Secretary General of the United Nations concerning pensions and current rumours of a possible privatization of the Fund, the President of the Association confirmed that rumours were rife in that respect, which were aggravated by the Fund’s malfunction.

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The Deputy Chief of the Human Resources Department recalled that the management of the Pension Fund was two-headed: the payment of benefits was the responsibility of the Director General, Mr. Arvizú, whereas investments were the responsibility of the United Nations Secretary General.

In reply to a question by Mr. Sanchez concerning the possibility of retirees taking concrete action, such as holding a demonstration, the President of AFICS said that a request had been made at the Joint Committee for an enquiry, which would then become part of the Director General’s periodic report. For FAFICS, 6 very competent persons were attending the Joint Committee and would express their views. Regarding the investment division, it was worth noting that 5 key posts had not been filled and that the departure of the current Secretary General at the end of the year posed a further major problem.

The Interim Chief of the Human Resources Management Department said that consultation among the organizations would have a greater impact than a demonstration, which could turn out to be counter-productive, in view of the commonly held view that international civil servants were generally well off.

Mr. Escudero said he was appalled by the magnitude of the problems raised and suggested that retirees should bring them to the notice of the delegations.

- Health Fund

The President of the Health Fund Management Committee, Mr. Jamoussi, said that the Committee’s main objectives, in its second year, was to manage individual cases and to find ways of ensuring the durability of the Plan. The Committee had initiated far-reaching discussions regarding the long-term strategy needed and had set up a number of working groups to deal with such topics as communications, cost reduction and control, the franchise and the updating of the order of service. He recalled that, compared with the other organizations, ITU had more retired than active staff, and that the majority of its retirees lived in Geneva or in other European countries, which resulted in high medical costs. The information notes issued were part of an encouragement to obtain the best possible prices by notifying CIGNA beforehand, by using SIGNA’s network and by highlighting the difference in prices between France and Switzerland. The 5.5% increase applied by CIGNA was not reflected in the contributions of the insured, but there

was no guarantee that there not be any increase in the future. That meant that all members should stick to the guidelines established by the Committee and published in the information notes.

The representative of retirees on the Health Fund Management Committee, Mr. Sanchez, added that a review of the franchises was essential for officials in the field and for retirees who paid taxes; some preventive medical checks (such as mammographies or coloscopies) might not be subject to the franchise or be better refunded, in the same way as generics. It had been possible to close the second year without increasing the contributions paid by the insured and the guarantee fund should currently stand at around 6 to 7 million Swiss francs, thanks to the administration’s contribution and unused amounts. CIGNA was considering the possibility of introducing a complementary insurance for the whole of ITU before the end of 2016. As far as the critical aspects were concerned, there were more retired than active staff and the former cost more in terms of benefits (to the extent of about 127%). As all active staff would sooner of later become retired, it was important to maintain a spirit of solidarity and it was up to retirees to keep an eye on costs.

In reply to a question by Mr. Escudero concerning the amount owed by ILO, the Interim Chief of the Human Resources Management Department said that the Union was still not sure how much it stood to recover and that the matter of the liquidation of the guarantee fund was still under discussion with ILO. He recalled that the three basic pillars of insurance remained unchanged, namely solidarity, mutualization of risk and cover, and the free choice of service provider. Those principles were not in doubt, but the viability of the system in the long term needed to be assured. Throughout the common system, the health system was subsidized more by the Member States than by the insured themselves. It was therefore important to ensure the viability of the Plan, especially since the 5th Committee tended to be opposed to ASHI (After Service Health Insurance). For that reason, both the Management Committee and CIGNA advocated prevention and sound consumption.

In response to a comment by the President of the Association concerning the possibility of a common approach by the organizations, the Representative of retirees on the Health Fund Management Committee said that the population of WHO insured members, for example, an organization with which the

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Committee had been in touch, was completely different from that of ITU since the number of retirees came to only one third that of active staff. Moreover, ITU’s initial deficit was a serious handicap from the point of view of any joint action, which did not mean that it was not worth discussing ways and means of improving the ITU Plan.

The Interim Chief of the Human Resources Management Department said that the initial report of the Working Group set up by the UN System Chief Executives Board for Coordination (CEB) would be submitted to the United Nations General Assembly, but that in her opinion, it would take a long time for the recommendations to be approved. For the time being, the Geneva-based organizations, not to mention the various Funds and Programmes, did not wish to undertake any joint action, in view of their different population structures.

The President of AFICS said that the principle of ASHI was still accepted by the Working Group, which carried on working on the basis of the idea of a common health fund. The Group had not focused only on savings. On the other hand it had not reached agreement regarding the obligation for insurances to set up reserves for retirees. FAFICS, which had 4 representatives on the Working Group, expressed the views of retirees who were afraid of being deprived of insurance altogether.

The Representative of CIGNA announced that the anti-flu vaccination campaign would be launched earlier in 2016 than the year before.

- Complementary Fund

Ms. Scolari Molina, the Vice-President of the Association gave an account of the meeting she and Ms. Josserand had attended with the representatives of Henner, Vigny-Depierre and the Staff Union. She said complementary insurance was still referred to as MSPINT, even though MSPINT had in fact been taken over by Vigny-Depierre. Since January 2016, Vigny-Depierre had been subcontracting out the repayments and contributions services to the firm of Henner. A representative of Vigny-Depierre would be present at ITU for 2 half-days, on 7 April from 1 pm to 5 pm and on 21 April from 8 am to 12. In response to requests, both Vigny-Depierre and Henner had undertaken to send all insured members an explanatory note concerning the change of arrangements not later than 25 April. She recognised that not all insured had been

informed, as the Former Staff Members’ Association only had a list of its own members and not of all insured staff. All the insured who had given MSPINT their bank details at the end of December 2015 would be debited as usual but would receive a “call for contributions” from Henner. Those who preferred to pay by payment slip could do so, whether they were resident in Switzerland or in France. The insured who did not have an account in Switzerland could make out a transfer order with their bank in their country of residence. In addition, since January 2016, it had been possible through the SEPA banking system to receive payments in euros or in Swiss francs. Contributions could also be paid in by credit card. She added that the increase in contributions announced by Vigny-Depierre was less than expected, at 3% for insured staff with 25% franchise cover, 6% for those with 50% franchise cover, and 9% for those with full franchise cover. Lastly, she explained that the complementary insurance accepted new members up to the age of 70.

In reply to a question concerning the call for contributions, she added that MSPINT could not give the bank details of its members without their authorization. If bank details had been given, nothing more needed to be done.

Several speakers mentioned the difficulty of contacting the insurer by telephone, as calls were transferred either to Paris or Singapore, and said they had found mistakes in relation to beneficiaries and inaccuracies in the information provided.

The President of the Staff Union, Mr. Dufour, confirmed that problems had arisen with communications and said that the Staff Union had broached the matter with the insurer.

- Financial report

The President of the Association presented the financial report on behalf of the Treasurer, Ms. Clerc. The financial situation of the Association was sound and showed a surplus of CHF 1,197.61. Thanks to the subsidy of CHF 5,300 received from the administration, the Association had been able to continue its activities as normal. In 2015, only 5 new members had joined. Costs were under control, thanks to the assistance of volunteers, especially in the travel sector. In addition to the usual expenditure incurred for the Committee’s luncheon and the spring and autumn meals, it had been decided to offer CHF 1,000 for the cost of translating the Bulletin into English, as it

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was important that the publication should appear in both languages. It was proposed that the CHF 5,300 subsidy should be renewed for the year 2016.

The Chair extended the Assembly’s thanks to the Treasurer for her very professional approach.

The financial report of the Association was noted.

- Auditors’ report

Mr. Justrich, Mr.Descalzi and Mr. Sanchez certified that the accounts were correct and well kept.

The Assembly unanimously approved the work of the Treasurer and the accounts of the Association.

- Appointment of Auditors

The appointments of Mr. Descalzi, Mr. Justrich and Mr. Sanchez were renewed by acclamation.

4. Visit by the Secretary General and the Deputy Secretary General

The Secretary General greeted participants and recalled that no initiative could ever succeed without the staff’s support. He thanked participants for their past contribution to the work of the Union and for their continued support. Regarding the health insurance system, he said that the Union had had no other choice than to find a new partner and that the Union was doing its best to improve the Plan which had been set up. As far as the ITU itself was concerned, the situation was satisfactory. A balanced budget had been approved in 2015 without discussion and had not required any withdrawal from the Reserve Fund. For 2016, the Union had asked Member States for an increase in their contributions and he hoped to receive

some positive responses before long. In conclusion, he extended his best wishes to all retirees and encouraged them to keep up their activities.

The Chair thanked the Secretary General and the Deputy Secretary General for looking after retirees’ interests.

5. Appeal for volunteers

The President of the Association welcomed Ms. Josserand and Mr. Masson as new members of the Committee and said he hoped that more retirees would be encouraged to come and lend a hand.

6. Other business

Mr. Sanchez regretted the very low number of new members in 2015 and thought it would be a good idea to give the Association greater visibility in the course of the pre-retirement seminar. Participation arrangements could be considered in consultation with the administration.

Mr. Sanchez’ suggestion was noted.

Mr. Escudero thanked the members of the Committee for their excellent work.

The Chair, stressing the importance of retirees taking part in the Association’s General Assemblies, thanked all those present, as well as the representatives of the administration, the Secretary General and the Deputy Secretary General for their spirit of cooperation.

The Assembly rose at 12.30 p.m.

The Chair, The President of the Association

English version by Peter Whiting

July 2016 Page 9

Complementary insurance

As the Committee’s representatives, we would like to bring you the latest news about the complementary insurance fund. After our General Assembly, we attended a meeting at the end of May with representatives of the Staff Union and MSPINT. No one from Henner was there. In the light of the information received and our subsequent correspondence, we can report as follows.

On 1 February 2016, Henner-GMC took over the management of our complementary insurance scheme from MSPINT.

This subcontracting arrangement had been planned and organised by Vigny-Depierre/MSPINT (in consultation with the Staff Union) in order to facilitate our dealings with the fund, particularly as regards the free choice of payments and refunds in Euros or in CHF. We were also being given the option of paying our contributions on line, by credit card, through the Swiss Post Office or through a bank in either France or in Switzerland.

You need to send Henner your bank account details and to fill in, sign and return the direct debit LSV form (run by the Swiss banks, offering you a practical way

of settling your contributions in either CHF or Euros), if you favour this option, even if you have not changed your account. This is because MSPINT will not have passed on the details of your bank account to Henner for reasons of confidentiality.

If you have not yet done so, it is important that you should let Henner know what you have decided, because unpaid contributions could mount up, leaving you in the end with a sizeable amount to settle. The Staff Union have told us that many of the February and March contributions, for example, have still not been paid. You are advised to do this as soon as possible in order to save unnecessary reminders. We are 410 insured members and by the end of June only 127 of us had sent in their LSV forms to Henner.

The transfer of tasks did not come off as planned and many of you were not informed and only found out when you paid your bills or at our General Assembly of 5 April 2016.

Some of you have reported finding mistakes in the amounts of contributions and have experienced delays in the calls for contributions (for April and May) due to technical problems at Henner’s. The Staff Union

Health insurance

In addition to the information given in the Minutes of the General Assembly, we wish to report that we have been informed by Cigna that the delays in refunding which you will have experienced have been due to the fact that the number of their clients has risen sharply, which has led to a strong increase in the number of claims, to a change in their computing system, and to further delays in the supply of income data by ITU. Cigna say they have recruited some hundred new staff to cope with the increased demand and they estimate

that the repayment delays should be back to normal by September.

We shall continue to watch the situation of the delays attentively.

C. Briand and C. Sanchez

English version by Peter Whiting

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proposed a schedule for the payment of contributions, which was agreed by Henner. Owing to the delays, 4 contributions will be collected between 10 June and 13 July. From August onwards, all amounts will be debited at the start of each month. For the actual dates, we requested that they be aligned with the dates of our pension receipts.

As representatives of the Association Committee, we passed on the complaints made by the insured members of our association to MSPINT and the Staff Union. The representative of MSPINT, Mr Laurent Besombes, is certainly aware of the problems and hopes the situation will improve.

The Staff Union reminds us that the MSPINT collective contract does allow for a refund of franchises, which to our knowledge is not possible under any other complementary insurance scheme.

In order to make our contacts easier, we would like you to let us have your e-mail address, or, if do you don’t have one, the address of someone close to you (such as a family member, a friend or a kind neighbour). This way we could pass on information more rapidly while still sending you ordinary mail. If any of you are in touch with retirees who don’t have e-mail, kindly pass them the message.

One point to note is that you must send CIGNA all your claims even if they amount to less than your franchise.

Complementary insurance claims should be sent to HENNER or dropped in the appropriate boxes at ITU. They should be drawn up using the sheet on which CIGNA mentions refunds. No need to send copies of the bills.

Another point to note is that neither MSPINT nor HENNER will maintain a permanent representation

in ITU. If you wish to contact them, you must use the addresses given below.

We have asked MSPINT to provide us with an Insurance Card. Don’t forget that your complementary insurance also covers repatriation assistance. We have therefore asked them to provide us with a Card for that cover as well.

Useful addresses

STAFF UNION: syndicat@itu.int www.syndicat-uit.org President : Henri Louis Dufour: henri-louis.dufour@itu.int Treasurer: Christine Giménez: christine.gimenez@itu.int

HENNER: M. Yuri BASILE 6, route de Malagnou, 1208 Genève, tel. 022.8072902 Mme Aurélie ROY, tel. 022.8070275 e-mail: claims.ch@henner.com

Vigny-Depierre/MSPINT: M. Laurent Besombes, tel. 022.8103939 lbesombes@vigny-depierre.com

Association Office: retraites@itu.int President Fabio Bigi

The Association’s representatives hope you have found the above information useful and you may rest assured that all the insured and their problems remain our main concern.

Lydia Scolari-Molina and Astrid Josserand (English version by Peter Whiting)

July 2016 Page 11

Members statistics

2015 2016Members 426 425Men 187 183Women 239 242Local 332 332Non local 94 93With email 305 306

Country of residence

2015 2016Switzerland 224 221France 132 131Spain 12 12

Other countries

AUSTRALIA, BELGIUM, CANADA, CYPRUS, COLOMBIA, COSTA RICA, USA, ETHIOPIA FIJI ISLANDS, FINLAND, GREECE, IRELAND, ISRAEL, ITALY, JAPAN, JORDAN, MACEDONIA, MALI, NEW ZEALAND, THE NETHERLANDS, POLAND, RUSSIAN FEDERATION, SENEGAL, TURKEY, URUGUAY

New members

2010 192011 152012 122013 272014 212015 6

Autumn lunch 2015

For our traditional Autumn lunch, which was held on 10 November 2015, some 60 of us met once again at the Restaurant Le Pirate in Ferney-Voltaire.

As always, we were happy to see each other, have a good chat and enjoy the lunch, which, as usual, was really excellent (perhaps a wee bit too filling for my liking ... although I suspect a number of the gentlemen present did not agree with me ...!

When we left we were very pleased to have spent a good time together with our friends and former colleagues and we all expressed the wish that we

would be in the same good shape for our next lunch encounter.

P.S. We apologize to those who were there for the lack of photographs to brighten up this short announcement, but our official photographers were apparently all on strike on that day!

L. de Michely-Jeanmonod

(English version by Peter Whiting)

Page 12 Bulletin of the Association

From Oporto to Spain The Douro Valley (Portugal)

Salamanca (Spain)

From 28 September to 5 October 2015

The Douro region, the home of Port wine, with its open landscapes, is the oldest known registered wine-growing region in the world, «titled» as such since 1756. It stretches along the valley of the Douro River, listed among UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites, a wine-growing land with a rich history, full of delights and treasures.

Day 1: OPORTO – 28/09/2016

After several weeks of preparations for the Douro cruise, the grand departure finally arrived. On 28 September 2015, an enthusiastic group of 36 retirees met at Geneva airport to check in their luggage. We were all present and accounted for and it was with a light heart that we took off at 1.25 p.m., landing in Oporto at 2.40 p.m. local time, an hour earlier than Switzerland.

A CroisiEurope guide was there waiting for us. He took us to a private coach that drove us down to the quayside, where we boarded the good ship «MS Infante Don Henrique» and quickly found our allotted cabins.

We soon gathered for a welcome drink and to be introduced to the crew, including «Helder», the Captain, «Susana», the ship’s purser, and «Tania», our hostess. After a delicious meal, we boarded a comfortable CroisiEurope coach that took us on a guided tour of the brightly lit city of Oporto.

Day 2: OPORTO – 29/09/2016

After a buffet breakfast on board, we were taken for another guided tour to discover Oporto, which turned out to be one of the oldest cities of Europe, whose historic centre is listed among the World Heritage Sites of UNESCO, with its well preserved old neighbourhoods, its mazes of twisting narrow roadways, its house arcades and its superb churches. But of course, Oporto is above all the home of Port wine: among the wine cellars that stretch along the

Douro River as far as the eye can see at Vila Nova de Gaia, we were fortunate enough to visit one famous cellar where the exceptional wine matures slowly, surrounded by the greatest secrecy, and then to taste the precious beverage. That was followed by lunch on board and a free afternoon to do as we pleased. Some of us took the opportunity to go to the town centre on one of the traditional «rabelos». This type of boat, which is the very symbol of the city of Oporto, bears Mediterranean, northern and eastern characteristics, where none of these features really predominates. It acquired its name of «rabelo» as far back as 1792.

We had occasion to admire the town of Vila Nova de Gaia on the opposite bank, strategically situated on a hillside overlooking the mouth of the Douro River. Then back to the boat for dinner on board, followed by a typical fado evening.

Day 3 : OPORTO - REGUA – 30/09/2016

On the third day, we visited Braga, known as the «Rome of Portugal» because of its beautiful religiously inspired architecture. Meanwhile the boat continued on to Leverinho, where we returned on board to have lunch and to admire the wonderful landscapes as we cruised to Regua. We passed the locks of Crestuma and Carrapatelo, a 36-metre structure, which makes it the highest in Europe, We arrived in Regua around 8 p.m. and had dinner on board, after which we were left a choice between a dance evening or a late visit to Regua.

Day 4 : REGUA - VEGA DE TERON – 01/10/2016

We departed for an outing to Vila Real, with its varied religious architecture, where we visited the manor of Solar de Mateus and strolled around the gardens. Meanwhile the boat continued on to Pinhao, where it was waiting to offer us lunch.

July 2016 Page 13

Then on with the cruise, which took us past the famous vineyards of Oporto, along majestic hills covered in trellised vines, planted in steps from the river level all the way up to a height of 700 metres. We passed the two locks of Valeira and Pocinho and arrived in Vega de Teron in the evening. After a delicious meal, we witnessed a very colourful flamenco show on board.

Day 5 : BARCA D’ALVA – 02/10/2016 (Excursion to Salamanca)

We left early by coach for an outing to Salamanca, a city classified by UNESCO as a World Heritage site. We had all our time to discover the town centre in all its beauty, with its hoard of Roman, Arab and Christian architectural treasures. Our boat was waiting at Barca d’Alva, where we spent a very pleasant evening on board.

Day 6 : BARCA D’ALVA - FERRADOSA - PINHAO – 03/10/2016

Early morning departure and breakfast on board, and onward through the Pocinho and Valeira locks for a quiet morning’s river cruise. Lunch on board. We stopped in Ferradosa around 2 p.m. and left by coach for a «wines of Oporto» tour.

We followed the vineyard route and after a halt in the midst of the vines we had a Port wine tasting in a «quinta» (a Portuguese farm), then made our way back to the boat at Pinhao. At sixish we were left free time to visit the old station of Pinhao with its lovely «azulejos» (typical Portuguese blue-tinted wall tiling). We rounded up with a gala dinner and evening, hosted by the crew in a relaxed atmosphere.

Day 7 : PINHAO - OPORTO – 04/10/2016

We left Pinhao by coach for a guided tour of Lamego, where we were met by pouring rain (the only day when the sun failed us) for our visit to the sanctuary of Nossa Senhora dos Remedios and the cathedral. Back on board at Regua for an afternoon cruise back to Oporto, passing through the larger locks on the way. Dazzling arrival in the city, with its evening lights, followed by a super dinner and a show of folkloric dancing.

Day 8, last day : OPORTO – 05/10/2016

After a good night’s rest, we sadfully had our last breakfast on board and then just as sadfully packed our bags, because by 9 we had to vacate our cabins. Susana the purser kindly allowed us to leave our luggage on board while we split up for a last personal stroll round Oporto and our last bit of shopping, as we waited for our return flight to Geneva. When the time came, the CroisiEurope bus took us out to the airport for a quiet flight back to Geneva ... haunted by our very Portuguese feelings of «saudade», a mixture of pleasure, regret and nostalgia for the lovely country we were leaving behind.

Adeus, as they say, a fond goodbye, because we felt sure we would return for another visit to Portugal.

Account: Cécile Darx Estero (English version by Peter Whiting)

Photographs: Jean-Marie Estero

Page 14 Bulletin of the Association

SPRING LUNCHEON

Yvoire – 2016

It was 16 June, springtime, yet the rain was teeming down when we gathered together in the CGN’s waiting room. Jean-Marie and Georges took advantage of the shelter to hand round the tickets for the outing.

We were finally ready to board the good ship Henri Dunand, where we settled down to admire the glorious French and Swiss lakeside landscapes, as lovely as ever even under grey skies. With the sun peeping through the clouds, we arrived in Nyon in more clement weather and were happy to greet the five colleagues who joined us there. Then off to Ivoire, and as the clock struck twelve we made our way to the restaurant, where we met the rest of the group who had come by their own means. On the menu, of course, the inevitable «filets de perche», which turned out quite delicious.

After lunch, the Nyon contingent hopped on a return launch, while the rest of us had time to amble round the charming village of Ivoire and ... well yes, indulge

in a bit of shopping, especially the ladies, who found it hard to resist the many temptations on offer around the little streets. Unfortunately, the rain came back as a reminder that our trip was nearing its conclusion, and we just had time to take a parting party snapshot to keep a souvenir of a very pleasant occasion.

As on the outward journey, we took advantage of the time on board to chat and reminisce and talk of absent friends, so that before we knew it we were back in fine fettle at the Jardin Anglais. There we parted, not without expressing our satisfaction at yet another successful outing, despite the rain.

L. de Michely-Jeanmonod (English version by P. Whiting)

July 2016 Page 15

Le Nant d’Avril

12 April 2016

There were 6 of us on this little walk, which was practically along flat ground: Sylvie and Willi JUSTRICH, Danièle BERTOSSA, Gill CAGLIARI, Jacques LETONDEUR and myself. We had lovely sunshine; we all equally fit and good walkers. We left at 10, after having coffee at the Hôpital de la Tour with Jean-Marie ESTERO, who was unable to come with us, and we arrived at 11.15 in Peney-Dessous. Willi laid on an aperitif, which was followed by a picnic

and then a cup of coffee at the Café de Peney. As everyone was still very keen, we walked all the way back, rather than use public transport. By the end, we had done a full 10 km in approximately 2 and a half hours.

Jean-Pierre BERTHET (English version by Peter Whiting)

Page 16 Bulletin of the Association

Urgent call for help

Help needed

Who can help our Committee members in their current secretarial tasks and for occasional new projects ?

This concerns not only members living in the Geneva area but also those who have no longer "vue sur le Jet d'eau". They can contribute intellectually if not physically. We thank all in advance for any collaboration. Please indicate in which of the following you are willing to offer your help:

• Secretarial work (with computer skills) • Secretarial work (without computer skills) • Translation into English • Translation into French • Mailing work (for example filling envelopes) • Drafting/Correcting articles for the Bulletin • Other (for example, readiness to etc)

Who wants to be part of the Committee ?

In order to ensure regular renewal of the Committee, we are relying on the willingness of new retirees

residing locally to join us and help in the proper functioning of our Association.

Here is a brief list of what they might be asked to do apart from the participation to the monthly meetings of the Committe :

• Liaison with the medical complementary insurance (MSPINT)

• Liaison with AFICS• Liaison ITU Staff Union• Be on duty at the Secretariat according to a pre-

established schedule• Consultation and follow-up of emails and voice

messages.• Consultation and follow-up of regular mail• Assistance to the secretariate for the production of

the Bulletin

Please send an email to

fabio.bigi@virgilio.it; l.demichely@gmail.com; scolarimolina@hotmail.com; araman@bluewin.ch;

Thank you in advance for your cooperation.

Reminder concerning emails and phone calls to the secretariat

Please do not forget that

the secretariat email address retraites@itu.int is a generic address

accessing it from outside ITU is not easy

consequently urgent messages to this address can remain unread and unanswered for several days.

To avoid such delays, please send a copy of your urgent emails to the following committee members

fabio.bigi@virgilio.it l.demichely@gmail.com first letter is a lower case L scolarimolina@hotmail.com georges.araman@gmail.com

The same applies for phone calls to 022 730 5584 (the secretariat number). Callers are urged to systematically leave a voice message clearly stating their request.

July 2016 Page 17

Do you want to know the dates when the Former Staff 's office is manned, or obtain a copy of an article from an older Bulletin, or find out the year’s programme of trips,

outings and visits?

Check out the Website of ITU Former Staff Members

http://life.itu.int/retraites/

There you will find all manner of useful information. We hope you will visit the site on a regular basis and help to improve it by sending us your suggestions

(write to: retraites@itu.int). Thanks in advance.

Association office opening hours

Between 2 and 4 p.m. usually on the first and third Tuesday of each month at the Association's office, V23

at the Varembé entrance to the ITU Building (tel.: . +41 022 730 5584)

Association meeting point

A number of former ITU colleagues often meet up for a coffee and a chat on Thursday mornings (except on public holidays) from 10 o'clock onwards at the address given below, which is very close to the ITU's Varembé entrance. You are welcome to join in.

Centre COOP de Montbrillant Restaurant La Marmite Rue de Montbrillant 90 CH-1202 Genève

Page 18 Bulletin of the Association

Meals, outings, walks and travel

The Association regularly organizes trips, outings and luncheons (twice a year), to which members may apply on the forms sent out by the Secretariat or those in charge of travel.

Rando Plaisir can be reached on http://life.itu.int/rando/Accueil.html

Cancellations: members may be reminded that all cancellations requested by participants incur a certain cost, as follows:

Outings: For any cancellation, the cost of the outing must be paid in full, unless the cancellation is notified to the organizers at least 48 hours prior to departure.

Charges for travel cancellations requested by participants:

CHF 100 per person (admin expenses) non-refundable up to 120 days prior to departure.

25% of total cost for cancellations notified between 120 days and 90 days prior to departure.

50% of total cost for cancellations notified between 89 days and 51 days prior to departure.

60% of total cost for cancellations notified between 50 days and 30 days prior to departure.

75% of total cost for cancellations notified between 29 days and 15 days prior to departure.

100% of total cost non-refundable for cancellations notified within 14 days of departure.

They have passed away…

François-Xavier ESCOFET (08.09.2015)

Xiao-Jin ZHANG (20.09.2015)

Werner PIEPER (17.10.2015)

Jean-Patrick BARE (23.12.2015)

Jean-Pierre CANEL (29.12.2015)

Jean BALFROID (02.02.2016)

Jean SCHUWEY (05.02.2016)

Francisco LAFUENTE RAMOS (15.02.2016)

Vladimir VOLKOV (20.03.2016)

Alma GUYE-BERGERET (17.05.2016)

July 2016 Page 19

Comité de l’Association des anciens fonctionnaires de l’UIT Committee of the Former Staff Members’ Association

CompositionPrésident/President Fabio BigiVice-Présidente/Vice-President Lydia Scolari MolinaSecrétaires/Secretaries Liliane de Michely-Jeanmonod, Astrid JosserandTrésorière/Treasurer Paulette ClercMembres/Members G. Araman, E. Augsburger, J-P. Berthet,, J-M. Estero,

P. Johner, A. Josserand, R. Masson, P. Whiting,Répartition des tâches/Distribution of dutiesLiaison avec l’Association des anciens fonctionnaires internationaux de Genève(AAFI)/Contacts with the Association of Former International Civil Servants in Geneva (AFICS)

F. Bigi

Questions de pensions/Pensions F. BigiCaisse-maladie, Comité de gestion CCAM/Health Fund, CMIP management committee

M. Carlos Sanchez, titulaire/titular member; Mme Claude Briand, M. Alfons Noll, suppléants/substitute members assistés de/with the help of R. Masson retraitesgestioncmip@itu.int

Caisse complémentaire/Complementary Insurance L. Scolari Molina, A. JosserandPréparation du Bulletin/Preparation of the Bulletin L. de Michely-Jeanmonod assistée des autres

membres du Comité ainsi que de/with the help of the other members of the Committee as well as G. Araman, A. Josserand, L. Scolari-Molina, P. Whiting, M. McMahon

Activités récréatives et Randonnées /Leisure Activities And outings

L. de Michely-Jeanmonod, J-P Berthet, J-M Estero, W. Justrich

Informatique et site Web/Computer and Website G. Araman, J-P. BerthetPour nous contacter/To contact usTél./Tel. 0041 22 730 55 84Courriel/E-mail retraites@itu.intSite Web/Web site http://life.itu.int/retraitesPermanences/Office opening hours 1er et 3ème mardi du mois Bureau V23 bâtiment

Varembé. de 14h à 16h/1st and 3rd Tuesday Office V23, Varembé Building from 2 PM to 4 PM

Numéros utiles/Useful numbersSecrétaire du Syndicat/Staff Union Secretariat 0041 22 730 57 99 www.syndicat-itu.orgService Social/Social Service socialservice@itu.int 0041 22 730 53 80Pensions/Pensions 0041 22 730 53 81

pension@itu.int itu.spcsec@itu.intAssurance-maladie/Health insurance CAPS shif@itu.intMme E. VALAUSKAITE 0041 22 730 5385Assurance-maladie/Health insurance CCAM/CMIP Vanbreda CIGNA

0032 3 217 67 22 mcc410@vanbreda.com itu.cmipsec@itu.int

Contact UIT/ITU: Marianne Wilson marianne.wilson@itu.int 0041 22 730 53 81Contact CIGNA : Inge Tompet (à l’UIT les vendredis/at ITU every Friday)

Rendez-vous/Appointment 0041 79 364 6965

Assurance complémentaire/Complementary Insurance MSPINT /Vigny Depierre SA

0041 22 810 39 39 unmanagement@mspint.org Remboursements/Claims: claims@mspint.org

Assurance complémentaire/Complementary Insurance MSPINT /Vigny Depierre SA

0041 22 810 39 39 unmanagement@mspint.org Remboursements/Claims: claims@mspint.org