1. Structures and staffing

No basic changes have occurred in structures, although threats and rumours abound. The Universal Classification Standard to be applied to all Canadian Public Service posts seems to have been dropped, although some kind of reclassification is still possible, and ‘open’ contracts (NATO), privatisation (often proposed in some form by outside consultants), mergers, etc. continue to exercise minds. Restructuring in the OECD has divided interpretation from conference room assignments (and these in turn have been regrouped under catering services). In some organisations the chief interpreter has changed: we welcome Mrs. Liao at UNHQ and Mr. Abou-Zhar at UNOG. Few organisations are actually recruiting new staff, largely due to budgetary reasons. The UN has filled some posts which have become vacant after retirements but has difficulty in doing so because of the low grades and wages offered. FAO fears the same may be true for future recruits to its service. The Cameroon government on the other hand recruits its staff interpreters at the highest level in public administration. The UN, FAO, ICAO are all facing massive retirements soon (80% in ICAO in the coming five to seven years) and the problem of replacement (cf the ‘baby boom’ years and AIIC FL statistics). The SCIC and EP have recruited this year to fill posts still vacant before the next probable wave of recruitment through joint competitions in 2003, which will be specifically designed to cope with enlargement of the Union.

2. Workload and Working Conditions

Workloads vary from: heavy and spread over the whole year (apart from the usual summer and Christmas breaks) as in SCIC, and in ICAO where there is also more use of Chinese and Arabic; stable but more spread out over the year at OECD; on the increase for UNHQ , with more meetings of the Security Council and more “extra-budgetary” work for NGOs and regional groupings, but work is now more evenly spread throughout the year; a substantial increase in demand for French and Spanish in the IMF (largely due to African Initiatives and the economic situation in Latin America) where more discussions are now conducted with the use of interpretation rather than in English only, or by bilingual principals; increasing in the ECJ, with more court hearings; increasing slightly in the EP, but unevenly spread over the week and many missions for some booths; more missions but shared between duty stations in the UN; but then a drop in workload in NATO (greater use of English only).  

Working conditions are hardly improving. The UNHQ interpreters now have to take their own water to work and were not consulted before four rooms were refurbished with equipment not suited to their needs. Prior consultation of the interpreters could have avoided costly modifications at the suppliers' expense, and the final result would have been better. In Canada, doubt exists about the future of the present Federal Government Conference Centre whose fate still hangs in the balance after two years of rumoured closing. The former Ottawa City Hall, acquired as a possible replacement, is presently being used for some conferences with temporary booths, although its former Council Chamber, with a built-in booth, is rarely used. The OECD is having to refurbish its premises because of fire and asbestos risk, but there are no meeting rooms in the interim premises at ‘La Défense’ and no final decision has been taken yet on alternative meeting rooms outside headquarters. ICAO seems happy with conditions at HQ, but less so in some regional offices. UNOG buildings are old and the booths and equipment outdated, but after interpreter complaints an effort at renovation has started. Here an interesting experiment of cooperation between the Medical Unit and the interpreters could be an example to others when trying to obtain new sound or lighting equipment, testing new technology etc. Everyone (except perhaps ICAO) complains about worsening conditions of travel on mission and long working hours when you do get there, but business class tickets are mostly the norm for long flights, although economy reigns supreme at NATO - or preferably APEX fares or even military planes. The IMF has seen an increased acceptance amongst interpreters of an updated ‘bidule’ system for bilingual interpretation on mission and at headquarters, although the smooth operation of this system should normally require the attendance of a technical assistant.

3. New Technology

New Technology has been embraced everywhere where it helps the interpreter to do a good job e.g. preparing meetings. Thus most services are now equipped with computers (ICAO even has a computer for each staff interpreter linked to the internet and a laptop in each booth). Some services do a lot of work on terminology and glossaries e.g. ICAO, SCIC, FAO (glossaries now online), OECD (which has a part-time documentalist), UN (glossaries now online), NATO (where work to put the glossaries online is counted as a working session) etc., and web pages abound.

There hasn’t been any major increase in the use of videoconferencing (probably because of the high costs and largely inadequate technology), although sporadic attempts are made. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP/ NOC) HQ in Ottawa has a basement conference room fully equipped for video and telephone conferences, but unfortunately the large booth is also used for storage of sensitive equipment and stock, resulting in cramped space and limited view for 2 tightly squeezed interpreters. Fortunately, assignments for government interpreters haven’t exceeded half days there. NATO held a videoconference between HQ and the Balkans where sound and image were reported good, but not so good for UNHQ whose room technicians are no longer UN staff and where words and picture don’t always coincide. SCIC has been experimenting with ‘webstreaming’ (where ‘classically’- interpreted meetings are relayed over the internet to other, usually Eastern European countries), and ‘chats’ on the internet (where interpreters do ‘on sight’ interpretations of the questions and assist the person answering them).

Worrying reports come from the EP of attempts to introduce remote conferencing without consulting the interpreters and in the face of negative tests done both here and elsewhere. This follows earlier attempts to introduce bi-active interpretation in the same way, but which were finally abandoned to the light of reason.

4. Training

Further language and IT training exists in most organisations to a greater or lesser degree – the greater definitely in SCIC (who, amongst other things, are now running language courses for 8 of the candidate countries’ languages, and are proposing opening 4 more), and the lesser, probably, in NATO (6000 Euros for 39 staff interpreters per year training budget approved for the first time ever, but three interpreters told only in extremis, the night before departure to attend a course, that the tuition fees would, finally be paid and leave would be granted by the organisation). IMF organised a 2-week in-house consecutive refresher course for staff interpreters in cooperation with Leda Zuckerman. With a limited budget for training, the chief interpreter at OECD managed to free some funds for short stays abroad for staff wishing to upgrade skills in other than the official languages. Those organisations which exchange staff (e.g. World Bank, UNHQ, State Dept., etc.) also recognize that it helps to maintain skills. The Cameroon government interpreters find variety when ‘loaned’ to international congresses. SCIC is also this year running a course to help interpreters who find themselves on selection juries or tests for interpreters, and an initiation course for those helping to train interpreters in schools throughout Europe. It is hoped that these two courses could be opened up to AIIC members.

Training new interpreters for the future is important for some organisations. UNHQ has reactivated its training service largely to cover its requirements for interpreters with Russian (provided in all meetings but spoken only 2% of the time). They provide low-level recruitment for 1 year maximum for interpreters in possession of an interpreting diploma to improve their skills under guidance and later be put on the free-lance list. SCIC, which like the EP is also busy helping universities to train interpreters in preparation for enlargement, has been running a ‘régime d’insertion’ for selected young diplomees with only 2 passive languages (the EC normally requires at least 3). They are given a guarantee of 100 days’ free-lance work and three years to learn another language or perfect a ‘retour’ before a final test which may allow them to be put on the free-lance list. The University of Ottawa has difficulty in attracting candidates to the interpreting school which only had 4 students at the Masters level last year, and only one graduate from the previous year was offered a permanent post with the Canadian Government. The interpreting school in the Cameroon provides new interpreters for the various African organisations.

5. Relations with AIIC and free-lance colleagues

Unfortunately, too many staff interpreters still do not recognise the need to join AIIC and our numbers are low, although the negative trend has been reversed since 2000, but everywhere relations between the staff and free-lance colleagues are reported good and common causes are fought together. In the EP joint interpreter assemblies have been held recently and staff have been impressed by the efficiency of AIIC colleagues and negotiators. This kind of cooperation, linked perhaps to easier entrance procedures (the CdP adopted a resolution to Assembly on this), could, we hope, entice more staff into AIIC.

6. In conclusion

From the discussion it appears that:

1. there could be a serious shortage of (staff) interpreters in the future, given massive retirements and a lack of young interpreters coming through the schools – with special shortages in some language combinations; a situation exacerbated for staff by budgetary restrictions and policy changes. After later consideration of the IAMLADP working group report on the training of interpreters, the CdP adopted a resolution to Assembly on assuring the future generation of interpreters.
   
   
2. we should continue to be vigilant on technical improvements and the introduction of NT. It would be useful if in all organisations staff interpreters were to follow, albeit in a more modest form, the example of our colleagues in SCIC in obtaining from our administrations a real right of consultation upstream of decision-making on these and other matters that concern us. It is important also, as in UNOG, to ensure the support of the medical services. The AIIC workload study is a valuable tool for negotiations and could perhaps be extended to the use of NT. The CdP adopted a resolution to Assembly on the reinstatement of the Technical Committee of AIIC.