Annual report 2024
In our annual report we look back at how Mondiaal FNV and partners have worked to improve the working conditions of millions of people in Africa, Asia, the Middle East and Latin America. In ‘Annual Stories’ is a compilation taken from our partners’ stories; about improvement in work and lives of workers. In the social report are the developments within the work organisation of Mondiaal FNV. Finally we present our financial report.
Social Report 2024
Cooperation
The year 2024 highlighted several strong examples of cooperation with our partners at many levels. In addition to strengthening trade unions within their companies and sectors, in cooperation with our partners, we raised our policy influence to a higher level by conducting more research and expanding our knowledge and lobbying capacity. A good example of this is the Hong Kong Convention for safe and responsible shipbreaking. Concrete improvements for workers on the shipbreaking beaches and the ratification of the convention by 15 of the most important countries were a few projects on which we collaborated. Every partner played a role in the process: Mondiaal FNV, the global trade union confederation IndustriALL, and the local trade unions in India, Bangladesh and Pakistan. Read more about it in ‘An end to the rust race’.
Pesticide use by workers
The intercontinental collaborative network International Palm Oil Workers United (IPOWU) is also committed to strengthening trade unions at different levels. In 2024, participants from four continents met in Colombia to share experiences, exchange ideas, and work together. We also commissioned an investigation into the use of agrochemicals on the palm oil plantations, the outcome of which was no surprise. Workers on many palm oil plantations are insufficiently protected, with serious consequences for their health. Based on these findings, the network took action at multiple levels, which to some extent has already led to concrete improvements. The investigation was also discussed with certification body Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) and several palm-oil-processing companies in the Netherlands.
HRDD Training
In 2024, we began training our partners in the field of Human Rights Due Diligence (HRDD). This concept means that companies examine whether their activities have a negative impact on human rights and address these risks throughout their supply chain. This cannot be achieved without trade unions, which, after all, are in direct contact with the workers. These unique, proactive training sessions proved to be extremely valuable for our partners’ trade union work. You can read their responses to the training in the Annual Stories.
FNV Solidarity
I would also like to highlight our December campaign. FNV colleagues and active trade unionists (kaderleden) could choose between receiving a Christmas hamper or donating the equivalent amount of money to one of our partners. Together they donated over 29,000 euros to our partner Public Services International (PSI), the international trade union federation in the public sector, which is using the funds to support primary relief workers in war zones. It was a remarkable act of international solidarity by the FNV family!
Highlights
This is only a small selection of the topics we are showcasing. In this annual report, we proudly present many more examples of both small and significant achievements from our field of work. These are just highlights, because we would rather share every detail of the courageous and dedicated work our trade union colleagues carry out. Fortunately, for even more on this topic, we can also refer you to our website: www.mondiaal-fnv.nl.
Thanking our partners and donors
Finally, we would like to thank our partners and donors who supported our work over the past year. We will continue to commit to the rights of workers all over the world, and we look forward to continuing our work in the future.
Financial Report 2024
Financial resources for trade union support
In 2024, Mondiaal FNV supported about 140 projects run by 69 partners, for which the financial resources were provided mostly by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs (BuZa) within the framework of the Trade Union Co-financing Programme (Vakbondsmedefinancieringsprogramma, abbreviated to VMP) and the Sustainable Textile Initiative: Together for Change (STITCH), a consortium of six international organisations, including Mondiaal FNV. From 2023 to 2025 an extra VMP subsidy (Combination Track Countries [CTC] and Human Rights Due Diligence [HRDD]) was allocated. Other sources of financing included the FNV Solidarity Fund, to which 0.7 percent of FNV membership fees is transferred, the Dutch General Education Union (Algemene Onderwijsbond, abbreviated to AOb) and the Mondiaal FNV Fund, which combines donations from members and non-members as well as contributions resulting from collective labour agreements. Furthermore, we receive contributions from collaborative ventures with other organisations, such as the Dutch WageIndicator Foundation (Stichting Loonwijzer). In 2024, Mondiaal FNV received an EU grant for a project that will start in 2025.
In 2021, the new VMP and STITCH subsidy phases started, the programmes of which had been approved at the end of 2020. Within the context of the VMP, at the beginning of 2021 we entered into a strategic agreement with BuZa, which will run until 2030 (ten years), and the STITCH programme will run for five years.
In the course of the next few years, the subsidy that Mondiaal FNV receives through the VMP will decrease, and after five years it will be about 30 percent less annually than the amount received in 2020. Mondiaal FNV will manage this decline by focusing more on obtaining other subsidies, and by increasing revenues from donations as well as from contributions resulting from collective labour agreements.
Project expenditures
Mondiaal FNV uses the subsidies and donations received to support partner projects in Asia, Africa, Latin America and MENA region. The VMP financed 72.40 percent of the project expenditures, STITCH financed 14.12 percent, and other sources accounted for 13.48 percent.
Project and activity payments achieved / minus repayments
Explanation of the financial report
In 2024, Mondiaal FNV Foundation received funding from the government through the Trade Union Co-Financing Programme (VMP), the STITCH programme, several smaller grants, and its own resources provided by FNV, FNV sectors, the AOb (General Education Union), and individual donors. In addition, income was generated in cooperation with FNV through collective labour agreement negotiations.
Since 1 January 2012, Mondiaal FNV Foundation has held ANBI (Public Benefit Organisation) status. The foundation reports in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, specifically following Guideline C1 for Small Non-Profit Organisations.
In 2024, FNV provided Mondiaal FNV with a sustainability contribution of €282,000. Through the directly affiliated sectors and the AOb, project funds were transferred to Mondiaal FNV. The spending of these funds takes place under the responsibility of the foundation, in close consultation with the AOb, the various sectors, and the cross-sectoral Committee for International Projects (SCIP)—a subcommittee of the FNV Committee on International Affairs and Solidarity of the FNV Members’ Parliament. The contributions spent by Mondiaal FNV are allocated to projects that are pre-determined through input from the FNV sectors and the AOb.
The income of Mondiaal FNV can be considered relatively stable. The year 2024 marked the fourth year of two of our subsidy programmes. In 2021, Mondiaal FNV entered into a new 10-year strategic partnership with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Directorate for Sustainable Economic Development (DDE), under the Trade Union Co-Financing Programme (VMP). Under the lead of the Fair Wear Foundation, the Sustainable Textile Initiative Together for Change (STITCH) also started in 2021 as part of the Ministry’s Power of Voices subsidy programme, in which Mondiaal FNV participates as a co-grantee. Additionally, Mondiaal FNV collaborates as a project partner and/or service provider with Stichting Arisa, Stichting Loonwijzer, and FNV (in the context of the IRBC agreements).
VMP, CTC & HRDD
The funds managed by the foundation mainly originate from the VMP, CTC, and HRDD programmes. The year 2024 was the fourth year of the VMP subsidy period (2021–2030). For 2023, 2024 and 2025, an additional VMP grant (CTC and HRDD) was awarded. In 2024, VMP-related project commitments represented 72% of all project commitments made by Mondiaal FNV.
In 2024, a total of €7,836,346 in revenues was generated within VMP, CTC, and HRDD, of which €2,321,064 related to the overhead cost reimbursement. Combined, these accounted for 72% of Mondiaal FNV’s total revenues.
The total committed amount for 2024 was lower than in the previous financial year, as several new multi-year projects had already started in 2023, reducing the need for new commitments in 2024. At the end of 2024, a fifth advance payment was received from the Ministry, which was insufficient to cover all expenditures, resulting in a receivable from the grant provider.
STITCH
STITCH is a partnership between Fair Wear Foundation (FWF), CNV Internationaal, Mondiaal FNV, ETI (UK), CIVIDEP (India), and CDI (Vietnam). The partnership is financed through a five-year grant from the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs under the Power of Voices programme. FWF acts as the lead partner.
In 2024, Mondiaal FNV committed €955,175 to projects within the STITCH programme. The overhead cost reimbursement amounted to €491,202, resulting in a total of €1,446,377.
Overhead costs
Overhead (organisational) costs are allocated based on time registration. As a result, the budgeted and actual results may differ; although efforts are made to plan as realistically as possible, the number of hours charged to a particular programme can vary from year to year.
An exception is the organisational contribution from FNV, which is not earmarked for specific projects but serves to finance part of the overhead costs, including fundraising. This contribution therefore remains constant.
Equity of Mondiaal FNV
The equity serves as a buffer to absorb potential unforeseen setbacks. Its size is not capped. Within Mondiaal FNV’s equity, a designated fund has been established that may only be used to commit more than 100% of the available STITCH and VMP funds, ensuring that under-expenditure of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ VMP or STITCH funds is avoided, as agreed with the Mondiaal FNV Board.
In 2024, the portion of equity related to collective labour agreement (CAO) contributions with a specific purpose was segregated into a separate Designated Fund for CAO Contributions. In addition, a designated reserve was created for the portion of equity linked to other donations.
The remaining equity constitutes the general reserve of Mondiaal FNV. This reserve was allocated €429,945, resulting—after the aforementioned movements, which are detailed in the statement of changes in equity—in a general reserve of €1,897,338.
Salaries and wages
In 2024, 25 employees worked for Mondiaal FNV, representing a total of 19.40 FTE.
Board
In 2025, several changes took place within the Board. Mr. Elzinga and Mr. Rietman stepped down, and were succeeded by Mr. Koerselman and Mr. Noordman, who joined the Board in 2025.
For more information on projects and activities, please refer to the above described 2024 Activity Report and the Mondiaal FNV website.