Financial assistance

The ITF has set aside a budget to enable ITF affiliates, without sufficient means, to attend Congress. The ITF Executive Board has decided that financial assistance is subject to a number of conditions and that the General Secretary has responsibility for allocating assistance.

The Constitution states that the ITF shall not contribute to meeting the costs of a delegation’s attendance at a Congress unless, in special cases, the Executive Board decides otherwise. Congress is the ITF’s most important democratic body. The ITF aims to achieve participation in Congress that reflects its membership, both regionally and sectorally.

Congress is the only ITF event in which all paid-up affiliates have the right to participate. However, many ITF members do not have sufficient means to do so, so the Board has traditionally dedicated a proportion of the total Congress budget to support assisted delegates.

Criteria

On this occasion the Board has decided that assistance should be subject to a number of conditions, as follows:

  • the union concerned should not be in arrears with its affiliation fees. This means that they should have either (1) paid all affiliation fees owed, up to and including 2018, by 31 March 2018 or (2) have a payment plan agreed by the Membership Vetting Group, and have paid their first installment, and be in compliance with the other requirements of the payment plan;
  • that unions should try to meet part of the costs involved;
  • that priority is given only to those unions that cannot afford to send even one delegate;
  • that, if more than one union in any one country is seeking help, they should first explore the possibility of pooling their own resources and sending a delegate empowered by proxy (see Rule IV, paragraph 7 of the ITF Constitution) to represent organisations other than his/her own;
  • that 20% of Congress assistance budget should be set aside to support women delegates;
  • preference may be given to unions and/or individuals that have played a lead role in important ITF campaigns and projects; and
  • that exceptions may be made to facilitate the participation of young workers, women or delegates from the host region who would otherwise be unable to attend.

Deadline to apply

Should you wish to apply for financial assistance, please complete the online registration form by Friday 13 April 2018 at the latest in order for your application to be considered.

Affiliate to affiliate sponsorship

Affiliates with the financial means may wish to sponsor the attendance of other unions, or contribute to the funds available for financial assistance. Affiliates wishing to do so should notify the General Secretary via meetings@itf.org.uk, no later than Friday 6 April 2018.