RESTRICTED  
  
WT/BFA/W/413  
 
29 March  2017 
(17-0895) Page: 1/3 
Committee on Budget, Finance and Administration    
 
  
 
2017 WTO SALARY SURVEY  AND ADJUSTMENT  OF DEPENDENCY ALLOWA NCES  
 
1  SALARY SURVEY  
1.  In accordance with the Salary Adjustment Methodology, set out in Annex B of the Staff 
Regulations, the 201 7 salary survey has been carried out comparing WTO salaries with those  of 
the market comparators, the United Nations and the Coordinated Organizations.  
2.  Professional s alary levels in the United Nations (70% of the weight) increased marginally in 
2017, with a 1.0 2% increase made to the salary scale for P rofessional staff effective 1  January . 
This was done on a "no loss, no gain" basis , with a n equal negative adjustment to the Post 
Adjustment factor. U nited Nations  salaries for staff in the General Service category were reduced 
by 1.8% following a local salary survey in Geneva . The reduction in salary is applied only to staff 
who join ed the United Nations on or after 1 January 2017, with a frozen salary scale applicable to 
staff who joined before 1 January 2017 . 
3.  Salaries in the Coordinated Organization (30% of the weight ) increas ed by 1.6% effective 
1 January 201 7. 
4.  Overall, the salary survey showed that 201 6 WTO salary levels are, on average, 0.47% behind  
the salary levels in the combined market comparators, therefore indicating that  an equal  grade -
weighted average  increase  should  be applied  to the WTO salary scale  for 201 7.  
5.  The frozen salary scales introduced for staff who joined befo re 1 January 2012 , 1 January  2013 
and 1 January 2016 respectively will be maintained until such time that they are overtaken by the 
salary levels in  the comparators.   
6.  Given the sensitivity of the salary methodology to factors such as movements in the euro/CHF 
exchange rate, it is proposed that a threshold of 1% be introduced operationally in future salary 
scale adjustments. Should such a threshold be introduced, the salary scale would not be adjusted 
upwards or downwards if the result of the salary survey indicated an adjustment of less than 1%.  
7.  Therefore , the Committee  recommends that an operational threshold of 1% be 
introduced as of the next salary survey (1 January 2018), below which no adjustment 
will be made to the WTO salary scale.  
2  REVIEW OF DEPENDENCY  ALLOWANCES  
8.  On the basis of the methodology set out in Annex 2 of the WTO Staff Rules, the Dependency 
Allowance s have been reviewed for 2017  with t he outcome proposed in the paragraph 15 below. 
This proposal is supported by the Staff Council . 
9.  It is recalled that the methodology for adjusting WTO dependency allowances was 
recommended by the Committee on Budget, Finance and Administration for ap proval in document 
WT/BFA/75 , and approved by the General Council (WT/GC/M /90, paragraph 158)  in 
December  2004.  
10.  As per the methodology, the amount of the dependency allowances are calculated based on 
the difference in tax in the Canton of Geneva applicable to single persons as compared to persons 
with different family situations (i.e., persons with a non -working spouse and/or children). In the  WT/BFA/W/413  
 
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  case of the child allowance s, the Geneva social security payment ("allocation s familiale s") for one 
child is added to the  amount.  
11.  The revised dependency allowances has been calculated based on the midpoint salary level in 
grade 8, which is the current average staff grade in the Secretariat. Previously, the allowances 
have been calculated based on the grade 9 midpoint salary.  Using grade 8 as the basis for the 
calculation of the allowances has resulted in a lower increase to the allowances than would have 
been the case if the grade 9 salary level had been applied.  This is a consequence of the change in 
grade structure away fro m the inverted pyramid.  
12.  The revised rates will be applied effective 1  January 20 17 pending their approval by the 
General Council under Staff Regulation 13.2.   
13.  The previous and revised rates are set out in Table 1 below:  
Table 1 Revised Dependency Allowance s effective 1 January 20 17  
Allowance  Previous Amount  
(in CHF)  Amount as of 
1 January 20 17 
(in CHF)  
(a) Spouse allowance (Staff Rule 106.14 (a))  7,788  10,188  
(b) Child allowance (Staff Rule 106.14 (b) and (c))  
(i) for dependent child  
(ii) for the first dependent child if the staff member is 
without spouse  
  
5,160  
12,240  7,368  
15,900  
 
(c) Secondary dependant’s allowance (Staff Rule 106.14 (d))  
 2,712  3,805 
 
 
14.  The amounts  provided in Annex 2 of the Staff Rules must normally be adjusted  yearly using 
the above -menti oned methodology, and appl ied pending their approval by the General Council 
under Staff Regulation 13.2.  
Table 2  Dependency Allowances Adjustment 2 016 
 
Allowance  Amount as of 
1 January 201 6 
(in CHF)  
(a) Spouse allowance (Staff Rule 106.14 (a))  10,212 
(b) Child allowance (Staff Rule 106.14 (b) and (c))  
(i) for dependent child  
(ii) for the first dependent child if the staff member is 
without spouse  
 7,368  
15,888 
 
(c) Secondary dependant’s allowance (Staff Rule 106.14 (d))  
 3,798 
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  15.  Therefore, the Committee, beari ng in mind that the methodology for adjusting 
dependency allowances was approved by the General Council in December, 2004 
(WT/GC/M/90, paragraph 158), recommends that the General Council approve , under 
Staff Regulation 13.2,  the following proposal : 
that th e revised allowances as set out in document WT/BFA/W/ 413 be incorporated into 
the WTO Staff Rules with effect from 1 January 2017, that the allowances paid in 2016 
be retroactively adjusted in accordance with Table 2 above, and that no adjustment to 
the allowance s be made for the years 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015 .  
 
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