Annual report 2023
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 2023
Diversity and inclusion
Mondiaal FNV aims to make trade unions more inclusive and ensure greater attention for discrimination in the workplace as well as greater empowerment of women, LGBTI+ people and people of diverse colours. In our projects and projects we call for attention to these issues, one reason why it is important for Mondiaal FNV and its staff to grow and develop in this field. It was for this reason that in 2023, with the help of an external expert, we embarked on a process to explore how we can make our organisation more inclusive and more diversified, by scrutinising our own conduct, communications, and the way we formulate projects and programmes.
In 2022 there were a number of key issues for Mondiaal FNV. These were the aftermath of the corona pandemic and return to the office in combination with hybrid working, the high rate of sickness absences with a higher workload as a result, and conduct in the workplace.
Hybrid working had become the norm, but at a meeting session on this issue, staff said that they missed the personal contact. It was therefore agreed that everyone would try to go back to the office for part of the time and that presence at a number of meetings per year was compulsory. During the course of the year, we saw that physical presence at the office had once again increased.
Unfortunately, the sickness absence rate was high. The work could partly be covered by external personnel but part also had to be covered internally and the absences resulted in a temporary increase in workload for other colleagues.
In 2022 discussions were held with the team on conduct in the workplace and the Mondiaal FNV code of conduct. This is an issue that is on the agenda every year. We also discussed how Mondiaal FNV defines and expresses diversity and inclusion.
Sickness absences and workload
In 2023, Mondiaal FNV was still experiencing a relatively high rate of absence due to sickness (9.9%, of which 8.7% was long-term and 1.2% short-term). External consultants were engaged to replace or support the staff and the Executive Director. Despite this, the workload was unfortunately still heavier than desirable and it was not possible for all the plans to be carried out. To help alleviate the workload, we set up a new schedule of meetings, reducing the number of meetings.
Integrity and conduct in the workplace
We said farewell to our external confidential counsellor and advisor Inge Te Brake and welcomed our new confidential counsellor and advisor Marieke de Jong. The collaboration with SEE HEAR SPEAK UP whistleblowers’ platform was continued. Discussions were held with the team on conduct in the workspace and integrity. Colleagues and consultants were given further training on travelling safely in high-risk areas.
In 2023 no reports of fraud or complaints regarding conduct were received.
Workforce
At the end of 2023, 18 people (15.6 FTE) were working at Mondiaal FNV and there were four vacancies (two mainstream appointments and two new ones). All our colleagues had a permanent contract.
A number of vacancies arose on account of employees pursuing their careers elsewhere and also because temporary additional funds had been raised. Discussions were held with the works council and the organisation on how best to fill the gaps in the staffing structure that had thereby arisen. Together with Human Capital Group, we worked on new job descriptions for the vacancies. In addition, with Human Capital Group’s help, we started a process of looking closely at all the existing job descriptions and modifying them where necessary. The position of Managing Director was changed to that of Executive Director and with respect to the powers and responsibilities of the executive director, a management charter was drawn up and approved by the board.
In the HP area, Mondiaal FNV has the assistance of an FNV consultant.
In the Netherlands, Mondiaal FNV also made use of the services of a number of self-employed people, who assist us here at times of sickness and peak periods, and 11 independent consultants who support our work and our partners in the countries where we operate. These consultants all originate from the region in which they work. Their locations are: India, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Lebanon, Ethiopia, Uganda, Tanzania, Peru and Ecuador.
As a result of discussions with our regional consultants, a working group was set up, where the activities and responsibilities of these consultants can be discussed and where necessary reviewed.
Day-to-day management and board
The day-to-day management is in the hands of Executive Director Karen Brouwer, who reports to the board of the foundation. For a number of months, Karen was replaced by interim – executive director Marjan van Noort. In 2023, a management charter was drawn up and implemented.
The board of Mondiaal FNV consists of five members. The president and the treasurer also occupy the same positions on the board of the FNV. Other members are connected to one of the sectors or member unions of the FNV. The board members meet approximately 5 times a year. The board is non-salaried: the members receive no remuneration for attendance at the meetings.
Board members of Mondiaal FNV foundation in 2023:
- Tuur Elzinga, president
- Willem Noordman, treasurer
- Marieke Manschot, member-at-large (secretary as from 2024)
- Zamaney Menso, member-at-large
- Walter Dresscher, member-at-large
Review of Articles of Association of the Mondiaal FNV Foundation
In 2023, a review of the articles of association was prepared in order to bring these into line with the management and supervision of legal entities act as well as to include the management charter. This will be completed in 2024.
CBA and remuneration policy
Mondiaal FNV follows the FNV collective bargaining agreement and is a member of the Employers’ Association FNV organisations. The remuneration policy of Mondiaal FNV is in line with that of the FNV and is below the maximum permitted level of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (collective labour agreement Rijk scale 19). A working week at Mondiaal FNV is a maximum of 35 hours.
Personnel representative body
In 2022 a works council (OR) was established at Mondiaal FNV consisting of three people. The works council is active and involved. In 2023 there were two instances of a vacancy on the works council as a result of the departure of colleagues. These vacancies were filled. Together with management, new position definitions were worked on in the light of the vacancies arising as a result of the additional subsidy income as well as in the context of alleviating the workload of the team members and that of the executive director. On the agenda of the work meetings were matters such as carrying out an MTO, arranging for an RI&E to be carried out, job descriptions, and workload reduction.
Financial Report 2023
Financial resources for trade union support
In 2023, Mondiaal FNV supported about 117 projects run by 56 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, 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), Corporate Responsibility Funds (CRFs), as well as a contribution from the Dutch General Education Union (Algemene Onderwijsbond, abbreviated to AOb).
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. In 2021, an institutional fundraiser was recruited to assist us in obtaining extra subsidies, donations, and funds.
Project expenditures
Mondiaal FNV uses the subsidies and donations received to support partner projects in Asia, Africa, and Latin America.The VMP financed 68.55% percent of the project expenditures, STITCH financed 13.82 percent, and other sources accounted for 17.63 percent.
Project and activity payments achieved / minus repayments
VMP & CTC € 4,660,023 | 68.55% |
STITCH € 939,613 | 13.82% |
FNV Solidariteitsfonds € 909,096 | 13.37% |
Mondiaal FNV fonds € 258,037 | 3.80% |
AOB € 31,592 | 0.46% |
Regional distribution of commitments entered into
Explanation of the financial report
In 2023, Stichting Mondiaal FNV had public funds at its disposal through the Trade Union Co-financing Programme (Vakbondsmedefinancieringsprogramma, abbreviated to VMP), the STITCH programme, smaller subsidies, and its own funds from the FNV, FNV sectors, the AOb, and donors. In addition, income was obtained in cooperation with the FNV through collective bargaining.
On 1 January 2012, Stichting Mondiaal FNV was designated the status of a Public Benefit Organisation (Algemeen Nut Beogende Instelling, abbreviated to ANBI). In this way, Stichting Mondiaal will render account for its activities in line with generally accepted reporting rules, and, more specifically, the Guideline for annual reporting: C1 for Small not-for-profit organisations (Kleine organisaties zonder winststreven) issued by the Dutch Accounting Standards Board.
In 2023, the FNV provided Mondiaal FNV with a conservation contribution (instandhoudingsbijdrage) of € 282,000.Project funds are transferred to Mondiaal FNV through the directly affiliated sectors and the AOb. Expenditure of these funds takes place under the auspices of Stichting Mondiaal in close consultation with the AOb and the different sectors, as well as with the Cross-sector International Projects Committee (Sector overstijgende Commissie Internationale Projecten, abbreviated to SCIP), a subcommittee of the Committee for International Affairs and Solidarity of the FNV Members’ Parliament. The contributions spent by Mondiaal FNV are allocated to projects that are determined beforehand on the basis of input provided by FNV sectors and the AOb.
Mondiaal FNV’s revenues are reasonably stable, and 2023 was the third year of two of our subsidy programmes. In 2021, we entered into a new, strategic, 10-year partnership with the Sustainable Economic Development Department (Directie Duurzame Economische Ontwikkeling, abbreviated to DDE) of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs (BuZa) as part of the Trade Union Co-financing Programme. Under the coordination of the Fair Wear Foundation, the Sustainable Textile Initiative: Together for Change (STITCH) was launched in 2021, as part of the Power of Voices subsidy programme of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in which Mondiaal FNV participates as a subsidy partner.Furthermore, as a project partner and/or a supplier, Mondiaal FNV also cooperates with Stichting Arisa (Advocating Rights In South Asia), the WageIndicator Foundation (Stichting Loonwijzer), and the FNV (within the framework of the IRBC agreements).
VMP
The resources managed by Stichting Mondiaal originate mostly from the VMP. The year under review was the third of the 2021-2030 VMP subsidy period. For 2023 to 2025 an extra VMP subsidy (CTC and HRDD) was allocated. In 2023, project commitments from the VMP amounted to a total of 74% of all project commitments made by Mondiaal FNV.
Furthermore, in 2023 an amount of € 9,309,721 in revenues was realised within the VMP, which included an administrative costs allowance of € 1,770,779, totalling 72.8% of Mondiaal FNV’s revenues.
The amount committed in 2023 is many times higher than in the previous financial year because the long-term projects were running in 2022 and less money needed to be committed. New multi-annual projects were issued in 2023. A third advance was provided by the Ministry at the end of 2023, which came just short of covering expenditures, leaving a receivable from the subsidy provider.
STITCH
STITCH is a collaborative venture between the Fair Wear Foundation (FWF), the Dutch CNV Internationaal and Mondiaal FNV trade unions, the British Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI), labour organisation Cividep India, and the Center for Development and Integration (CDI) in Vietnam. The partnership is funded through a five-year subsidy from the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs (BuZa) within the framework of their Power of Voices programme. The FWF is the lead coordinator. In 2023, Mondiaal FNV allocated a sum of € 1,390,921 to projects within STITCH, and the administrative costs allowance amounted to € 390,657.
Administrative costs
Administrative costs (organisational costs) are allocated on the basis of time recording. Therefore, the budget and actual results may differ from each other. Although the aim is to budget as realistically as possible, it may happen that more or fewer hours are recorded for a programme in a given year. FNV’s organisational contribution is different, because this component of its contribution is not meant for specific projects but for financing part of the administrative costs, including fundraising. As a result, this contribution remains unchanged.
Mondiaal FNV’s capital
Mondiaal FNV’s capital serves as a buffer to absorb any unanticipated setbacks. Its size has not been capped. Within this capital, an appropriation fund was created that is only to be used to commit more than 100% of the STITCH and VMP funds, in order to avoid underspending BuZa’s VMP or STITCH funds, as agreed with the Board of Mondiaal FNV.Mondiaal FNV’s free capital has risen by € 351,368 to € 2,109,459.
Wages and salaries
In 2023, Mondiaal FNV employed 20 people (18.20 FTEs).