FAO chief complains of salary cut, warns ‘ready to fight’

FAO DIrector General Qu Dongyu

 ROME – As FAO Director General Qu Dongyu prepares for probable re-election to a second term, diplomats from member states have been trying to make sense of a rambling, irate speech the Chinese agronomist and Communist Party member made at a recent Council meeting, claiming it is unfair that he and other top officials had their salaries cut.

 “We are not lazy boys and girls, we are working day and night,” Mr Qu told bemused diplomats at the normally staid Council meeting of the UN agency held in June. FAO posted a webcast of the outburst without comment https://www.fao.org/webcast/home/en/item/5877/icode/ 

  “You did not increase my salary and the bonus, no, even reduced,” Mr Qu said in drawling, heavily accented English punctuated with bursts of laughter.  “So what is a capitalist, what is – haha --real efficiency?"

 "You should give the incentive to the managers, even one dollar bonus (laughs) so please look …”

 “Not for myself, huh? Several years ago you made a big mistake, to reduce the salary to my co-leaders, ADG and DDDG … I officially request to look at this … it is unfair, please look at the next Council.”

 “You always have a lot of ‘other matters,’ why don’t you look at this ‘other matter,’ uh?” Mr Qu continued.

 “You just ask everyone to do more and better with less pay, less and less pay, it’s not good.”

 The FAO does not make public how much the DG is paid but his salary and emoluments are thought to be worth at least up to some dlrs 200,000, most of which can be saved given that rent in a sprawling apartment and other living expenses are part of the package of the top job.

 Wrapping up his peroration the DG warned that he was willing to fight the Council members if necessary.

 “Dear colleagues, as I continue during the past months as FAO DG, my door is always open … all the co-leaders are honest and transparent with each other …”

 But “if you want to fight I am ready to fight." Mr Qu added. "I don’t like fighting because I am a humble, small farmer’s son.”

 Mr Qu climaxed his speech by returning to the pressures he said were being placed on top FAO managers.

 “Each time you ask us to do more,” he said, “We are the largest in the UN system, you still ask for more … have a nice week-end, after fighting you prepare for holidays, then you come back for fighting again,” Mr Qu said.

 jf

 

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