Sustainlabour

International Labour Foundation for Sustainable Development

Sustainlabour
International Labour
Foundation for Sustainable
Development

Annual Report 2005

Annual Report 2005

 Sustainlabour
International Labour Foundation for Sustainable Development

Members of the board:

Víctor Baez Mosqueira

Stephanie Lynn Blount
Rita de Cassia Evaristo
Joël Decaillon
Bjorn Erikson
Marga Ferré Luparia
Andrew Kailembo
Nilton Benedito Branco Freitas
Winston Gereluk
Temistocles Marcelos Neto
Joaquín Nieto Sainz
Bheki Ntshalintshali
Govindasamy Rahasaran

Chair: Joaquín Nieto Sainz

Managing Director: Laura Martín Murillo

Sustainlabour International Labour Foundation for Sustainable Development was legally

established in Madrid the 10th of October of 2003, as a non profit organisation.

Official Headquartes: General Cabrera 21, 28020 Madrid.

Registration number: 28/1298

Fiscal identification number: G83764308

Annual Report 2005

 Sustainlabour
International Labour Foundation for Sustainable Development

Index

Chairs’ message

Walked path in 2005 and immediate challenges

Openning the doors to trade union participation in the

environmental international agenda

United Nations: Strengthening old commitments and

promoting new ones

- The United Nations Environment Programme

- The Commission on Sustainable Development
- Millennium Development Goals + 5

International Conventions

- Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants

- United Nations Framework Convention on Climate
Change

World Social Forum. Porto Alegre 2005

A Sustainable World is Possible: an initiative from the US labour

movement

First Trade Union Assembly in Labour and the Environment

Financial Information

Annual Report 2005


International Labour Foundation for Sustainable Development
The year of 2005 has been a very important one for
all trade union members committed to sustainable
development. We have reasons for hope.
Some reasons are in the general interest: in
February, the Kyoto Protocol took effect, and in
December the governments from around the world
who met in Montreal at the COP11/MOP1 climate
summit agreed to start up a process of post-Kyoto
commitments so as to avoid sudden climate
change. This was good news for mankind, in a year
shaken up by terrible weather catastrophes, like
those suffered by the inhabitants of the city of New
Orleans.
Other reasons for hope involved the world of labour:
throughout 2005, the United Nations Environment
Programme began to implement a process of
cooperation with Sustainlabour to develop an
agenda on work and the environment and to jointly
hold the First Trade Union Assembly on Labour and
Environment. I am certain that the process which
has been started through this cooperation is going
to add a new dimension to the activity which many
trade unions have already been performing over the
last fifteen years to promote the environment and
sustainable development, coordinated
internationally by Lucien Royer on behalf of the
ICFTU. Now that this new process has begun,
there are greater possibilities of increasing such
activity and sharing it among trade union members
on every continent, in a new, creative and enriching
dynamics within the North/South and South/South
relationship that is essential to tackling the great
socio-environmental challenges of the new
millennium. The process of regional conferences in
Latin America-The Caribbean, Africa and Asia-The
Pacific to begin after the Trade Union Assembly in
Nairobi will provide continuity to the entire process.
The process also gives the United Nations
Organizations UNEP, ILO and WHO the chance to
implement ongoing programmes for work and the
environment, which will give greater momentum to
trade unions’ environmental activities and greater
recognition of the work-related rights to information,
representation and participation in terms of this
topic in society and in companies. The inclusion of
environmental rights in labour relations between
employees and employers is essential in order for
Annual Report 2005
Sustainlabour
Chair’s message
companies truly to adopt responsible social and
environmental behaviours. The start-up of such
programmes will facilitate trade union enablement to
exercise such rights at both the national and
international levels, both inside companies and in
the production and services sectors. By doing so, a
more favourable atmosphere is also created for
pursuing, broadening and strengthening alliances
with the rest of civil society, including women,
environmental organizations, scientists and the
representatives of indigenous peoples. The
ongoing and active participation of Sustainlabour in
the events of the World Social Forum is an
expression of that relationship with civil society,
which we form part of and upon whose vitality it will
depend whether institutions are more or less
receptive to demands involving social justice and
environmental sustainability.
The international trade union unification process
which has begun is a new reason for hope. The
new times –in which economic globalisation and
environmental degradation of a planetary scale are
two characteristic features– require not only a new
type of trade union, but also a new type of union
movement, which is capable of facing labour’s new
problems, such as the generalisation of informal
work without rights, and the new environmental
challenges: whether they involve climate change,
chemical pollution of the air, soil and water, which
damages the health of all living beings –440,000
workers die each year from exposure to chemical
agents– or the difficulties in gaining equitable
access to natural resources and energy. I am
convinced that the new international trade union,
born from the unification process undertaken by the
ICFTU and the WLC, will be capable of responding
to that new dimension of the trade union movement
to be built up in the twenty-first century. The
commitment of its Secretaries-General Guy Ryder
and Willy Thys to the trade unions’ environmental
agenda and their support for the initiatives of
Sustainlabour provide encouragement for that hope.
Joaquín Nieto Sainz

International Labour Foundation for Sustainable Development
Walked path in 2005 and immediate
challenges
For the Foundation’s two main fields of activity, the
participation of workers and their representatives in
the global agenda for sustainable development and
the promotion of trade union action on
environmental topics, 2005 was undoubtedly a year
of great progress, especially in terms of the first of
the two.
In terms of global matters, the trade union presence
has been strengthened within the two most
important United Nations entities devoted to the
environment and sustainable development: the
Commission on Sustainable Development and the
United Nations Environment Programme.
At a more specific level, we have cooperated in
moving forward the contributions of the labour world
in international environmental conventions. The
convention on persistent organic pollutants included
our demands regarding just transition processes,
and on the occasion of the meeting of the parties of
the climate change convention, Sustainlabour
organized the first orientation seminar to support the
participation of trade union delegations at the
meeting.
Moreover, this was the year in which the project to
organise the First Trade Union Assembly on Labour
and Environment took form, with the initiative and
promotion of the Department of Policy Development
and Law of the United Nations Environment
Programme. This allowed us to fulfil a large part of
what we had proposed during the first years of
activity in one project.
In terms of our second field of activity, promoting
trade union action on environmental topics, the work
we have been able to complete has been less, first
of all due to a lack of space within our programme,
packed of activities, considering the small size of
our structure. The second reason is that support for
trade union organisations to carry out specific
activities first required the opening of spaces for
dialogue and exchanges, in which trade union
representatives could receive information and
decide how and when to intervene, and what
programs to carry out. These spaces for debate
have already been created, but they will be given
true expression throughout 2006 at the regional
conferences.
Annual Report 2005
Sustainlabour
This will be one of our challenges in the upcoming
years: putting our feet on the ground and helping
men and women workers improve the environment
of their workplaces and their communities.
Furthermore, in the upcoming years we will have to
provide a response to settling on a structure for the
Foundation. Deciding how to grow will require
reflection and debate within the organisation. The
two premises which we have always defended,
regional de-centralisation and the utilisation of pre-
existing structures, must guide this process. This is
why it is important to optimise our potential as
mediators between demands and the structures that
can meet them. Creating the entity Partners of
Sustainlabour, was undoubtedly a step forward in
2005.
Last of all, we must face the topic of settling the
Foundation’s finances. Due to the characteristics of
our organisation, we were able to carry out all of
these activities with a very low budget. The profit
and loss account of 2005 is a good example of
budgetary sobriety, motivated in part by a lack of
carrying through on the financing commitments
foreseen for more than one programme.
This is why we must make efforts to increase small
donations and guarantee the structural costs
through a larger number of donors.
We would like to express our gratitude for the
incalculable support that the ISTAS Foundation of
CCOO provided us with once again this year,
including not only to its economic aid, but also the
encouragement it gives through its commitment.
Laura Martín Murillo
 Sustainlabour
International Labour Foundation for Sustainable Development

Openning the doors to

union participation in the
international agenda for
the environment

Annual Report 2005


International Labour Foundation for Sustainable Development
United Nations: Strengthening old
commitments and promoting new ones
The Commission on Sustainable
Development
Since it was created, the Commission on
Sustainable Development has been a space in
which labour union representatives have been able
to meet up so as to share their viewpoints regarding
sustainable development with governments and
international entities.
This is due to the fact that the chance was given to
the different major groups in civil society to
participate in the Commission on Sustainable
Development. The labour unions coordinated by
the ICFTU were able to see the advantages in doing
this and have traditionally come to this meeting in
significant numbers.
Sustainlabour was created with a commitment to
supporting this process. During the meetings of the
CSD, those labour union members interested in
topics involving the environment and sustainability
had the opportunity to discuss and begin building
this Foundation. It is not unusual that the board of
members decided to set up the first annual meeting
during the holding of this commission in New York.
The thirteenth session of the Commission on
Sustainable Development of the United Nations
(CDS-13) was held at the headquarters of the
United Nations in New York from 11th to 22nd April
2005. As a political session in the first cycle of
implementation, CDS-13 built upon the results of
the CDS-12 and reached decisions on practical
measures and options for facilitating the
implementation of commitments regarding water,
sanitation and human settlements.
In 2005, Sustainlabour joined the efforts of the trade
union members attending to defend the public
sector in basic services such as water and the
potential that a sustainable approach to urban
settlements has for creating jobs.
Sharing with other important groups participating in
the first joint meeting of the Major Groups was
promoted. At that meeting, the potential for
coordination and joint contributions among the
different agents were discussed.
Annual Report 2005
Sustainlabour
The United Nations Environment
Programme
In 2005, the Sustainlabour Foundation was invited
by UNEP to take part in its 23rd Board of Directors
meeting (21st-25th February) and in the Global Civil
Society Forum which preceded it.
Of course, this was a good time to attend, because
it was the first time that a UNEP Governing Cuncil
meeting was opened up to participation by
representatives of civil society, who were able to
make their voices heard at the plenary session.
For Sustainlabour, it was important to attend with
other trade union members so as to make a record
of the trade union organisations’ desire to take part
in the environmental agenda, to join in on debates
and to have their demands included in decisions,
but also to provide solutions.
Significant momentum was given to the Bali
Strategic Plan for Technology Support and Capacity
Building, but above all the management of chemical
substances and their effects on health and the
environment were discussed.
The work begun at this meeting built the
relationship to be developed throughout this year
with the United Nations Environment Programme.
The sharing of information and verification of
matching objectives between the two organisations
quickly proved fruitful in the project of the First
Trade Union Assembly on Labour and Environment.
The preparation of this Assembly was to mark the
agenda of the Sustainlabour Foundation in a
fundamental way in 2005.
The role of Sustainlabour will continue to be the
reinforcement and opening of spaces for trade
union participation, supporting the definition of
strategies and the creation of trade union positions
by providing technical assistance.
In this project, it will be just as important to
strengthen ways already begun by trade union
organisations and to support their consolidation as it
is to have the vision to open up new paths.
 Sustainlabour
International Labour Foundation for Sustainable Development

A Summit Five Years After

the Millennium Development Goals

Sustainlabour was invited to take part in the trade union side event held at the summit for the
Millennium Development Goals + 5, in New York on 12th September. The idea was to have a space for
drawing attention to the central role of decent employment in order to achieve the millennium
objectives. This seminar, which was organised by ICFTU and Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, included the
presence of two speakers from Sustainlabour. The message we conveyed was that of Decent Work
for Sustainability: Trade Union alliances and strategies to achieve the Millennium Objectives.

Among the Millennium Objectives, Sustainlabour was responsible for discussing those which pose
challenges related to sustainability and, in particular, access to water and energy. Sustainlabour’s
proposal included the need to build alliances amongst trade unions, the organisations in the United
Nations and civil society in order to achieve these objectives, bearing in mind that decent work is the
starting point for trade unions in all of these debates.

At the Millennium + 5 Summit, Sustainlabour also participated in the OPENUN Civil Society Forum. At
this event, Sustainlabour helped present trade union demands and took part in those debates which
dealt with decent work or sustainability.

Annual Report 2005

 Sustainlabour
International Labour Foundation for Sustainable Development

International Conventions
Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants

The Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants is a legal instrument for the protection
of human health and the environment, by controlling the production, use and elimination of toxic
chemicals. Sustainlabour attended the first Meeting of the Parties to the Convention (Punta del
Este, May 2005).

This turned out to be of special interest, because, due to the work of the trade union
representatives, the convention included just transition language and underlined the serious
situation of workers exposed to dangerous substances, especially pesticides.

The very financial mechanism which will regulate the convention includes the need to consider the
socio-economic impact that the limitation of the use of these pollutants will have on workers,
measures to minimise the negative effects on workers and their communities.”

The work in this recently created convention may be considered a model for trade union
participation in multinational accords on the environment and creates mutual benefits for
coordinated action to defend the interests of workers and the environment.

International Conventions
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

In December, Sustainlabour once again attended the annual meeting of the climate change
convention, which was held in Montreal this year. The trade union participation in this convention
has gradually increased and achieved a very important presence in 2005.

It is mainly the trade unions from developed countries which are following this agenda, due to the
industrial re-structuring needs resulting from the emissions reduction agreements in the Kyoto
Protocol. Sustainlabour has set two fundamental goals for itself: for the trade union
representatives from developing countries to gradually join the negotiations and for the trade union
delegation as an ensemble to have a space to communicate national strategies, to become
informed about the key matters in the negotiations, to establish the priorities of the trade union
delegation and to study the real possibilities for influence and the points of entry for including the
interests of workers.

In Montreal, Sustainlabour, with the ICFTU and the Canadian Labour Congress, organised the
First Orientation Seminar of the Trade Union Delegation at the COP, which
included the numerous participation of 18 trade union organisations, with an importance presence
by trade union members from Canada and Europe, but also with representatives from Brazil,
Bangladesh and Venezuela. From the convention secretariat, Janos Paztor informed the trade
union delegation of the status of negotiations and responded to the questions which we posed to
him.

Sustainlabour met the objectives proposed at this summit, at which agreements were reached to
move the process forward beyond 2012 and there was a break-away from the anti-Kyoto
consensus in American society, including its trade unions, in which the relation with employment
was given much greater visibility.

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 Sustainlabour
International Labour Foundation for Sustainable Development

World Social Forum. Porto Alegre 2005

Sustainlabour, along with the CUT Brazil and other trade unions from Latin America, organised a
seminar titled “Work and Sustainability” on 30th January.

The intention of this seminar was to create a forum of debate on the contributions that trade
unions can make to Sustainable Development and to the defence of social and environmental
rights against the current model of globalisation.

The seminar was arranged into three round tables. The first discussed the topic of “sustainable
development and economic growth. The concepts of sustainability.” The second tackled
“Labour union strategies against the unsustainable model of development.” And the third was an
attempt to take a look towards “Our common future.”

The conclusions reached at the seminar were: to give priority to creating quality jobs and
environmental protection, to establish common trade union strategies to seek sustainable
development and to strengthen the alliance with civil society in specific struggles and in global
action.

The World Social Forum of 2005 in Porto Alegre made it clear that this forum must be re-thought.
Given the lack of consensus, the proposal for 2006 is not to have a forum which centralises all
activities, but rather to hold regional forums under the WSF umbrella, in such a way that their
proposals are coordinated. The regional Forums could focus on three large realms of action and
thought: Economic and political (neo-)colonisation, development and the environment.

Annual Report 2005

 Sustainlabour
International Labour Foundation for Sustainable Development

A sustainable world is possible: an

initiative from the US labour movement
With the coordination of the Cornell Global
Institute, a work seminar was organised by
Sustainlabour, the Apollo Alliance, ICFTU-TUAC
and UNITE-HERE which brought together trade
union members from Canada and the United
States, with representatives from El Salvador,
Kenya, Norway, Senegal, South Africa, Bolivia,
Spain and France.

This one-day meeting consisted of an

introductory session divided into three panels:
water, workplace and public health, and global
warming.

The conference represented a special

opportunity for worldwide trade union members
who work on sustainable development topics to
meet with American trade union members
committed to these global matters. Nearly 100
American trade union members met at the Global
Labour Institute of Cornell University with that
purpose.

Annual Report 2005

 Sustainlabour
International Labour Foundation for Sustainable Development

Preparing the First Assembly on Labour

and the Environment
Sustainlabour’s activities in the second quarter of 2005 were focussed mainly on preparing the
First Labour Union Assembly on Work and Environment, which was held in January 2006 at the
UNEP headquarters in Nairobi.

This interesting project started up by bringing the Sustainlabour Foundation and the UNEP closer
together on the occasion of the 23rd Governing Council meeting of this United Nations
Programme, which was held in February 2006. The project was called WILL, Wokers’ Initiative
for a Lasting Legacy, and counted on the participation and help of Varda Group.

Also participating in the organisation of the Assembly were the United Nations Global Compact,
the International Labour Organisation (ILO), the World Health Organisation (WHO), the
International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU), the World Confederation of Labour
(WCL) and the Trade Union Advisory Committee (TUAC).

The trade union participation was organised into two levels:

Through five work groups: 1) climate change and energy policies; 2) chemical risk:
dangerous substances in the workplace; 3) trade union activities for equitable,
sustainable access to resources and services, access to water; 4) corporate social
responsibility and accountability; 5) occupational health, environmental and public health:
the campaigns to fight asbestos and HIV/AIDS. The written reports of the work groups
were used to produce a manual of contributions: the Assembly work manual.

Approximately twenty “case studies” were compiled, in which specific experiences were
described.

Some of data on the Assembly on Labour and Environment:

This was the first time that trade unions at the global level met to speak
exclusively about the Environment.

It included the presence of the highest-level leaders in the world labour union
movement: the Secretaries General of the ICFTU, the WCL, the TUAC,
representatives of regional organisations and half of the international trade union
federations.

The trade union participation included the support of high-level representatives

of the United Nations, such as Klaus Toepfer and Maria Neira, as well as
Spain’s Minister of Environment, Cristina Narbona.

Attendance by 164 participants: trade union representatives from all over the
world, along with representatives of NGOs, United Nations organisations,
Universities and Governments.

nº part
Labour Unions 104
ONGs 22
United Nations 19
Universities 3
Governments 16

Annual Report 2005

 Sustainlabour
International Labour Foundation for Sustainable Development

Preparing the First Assembly on Labour

and the Environment

The attendance of representatives from developing countries was greater

than that of developed countries.

nº part %
Developing countries and economies in transition 98 59.76
Developed countries 66 40.24

The fact that it was held in Nairobi, coupled with the characteristics of the
organisation, created an opportunity for the African representatives.

nº part %
Africa 61 37.3
The Americas 31 18.9
Asia 14 8.54
Europe 58 35.37

The results and commitments agreed upon at the Assembly were fruitful, in terms of both
workers and the environment. First of all, it opened up the path to cooperation and ongoing work
by international labour unions with the United Nations. Kofi Annan, the Secretary General of the
UN, expressed to Guy Ryder, the Secretary General of the International Confederation of Free
Trade Unions (ICFTU), his satisfaction with the initiatives that the labour union movement is
implementing in collaboration with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Both
Guy Ryder and Willy Thys, the Secretary General of the World Confederation of Labour (WCL),
committed to including the Assembly’s conclusions in the work agenda of the new organisation
that is going to be created after the congress for unification of the ICFTU and the WCL.

These commitments were made even stronger, if we bear in mind the contents of the Assembly’s
resolution. Trade unions understand that it is not possible to eradicate poverty or to create
decent jobs if the environment is not respected. Defending sustainability is going to be one of
the pillars of trade union demands in the twenty-first century. To do this, it will be necessary to
ensure that workers’ fundamental rights are respected, such as that of freedom of association,
the right to collective bargaining and universal, equitable, sustainable access to basic resources
such as water and energy.

Annual Report 2005

 Sustainlabour
International Labour Foundation for Sustainable Development

Financial information
1. ANNUAL ACCOUNTS
1.a. The income and expenditure account is almost balanced, 386.34 euros loss. Direct
expenditure is split by project. Income is specified by donor.

Income and expenditure account (by project / donor) € 2005

EXPENDITURE
Personnel 44.852,58
Wages and Salaries 33.904,71
Social Security Costs 10.947,87
Amortizations of assets 1.916,29
Other current expenditure 10.337,69
Meeting of the board 5.478,42
Accounting and auditing 3.841,87
Others 1.017,40
Direct expenditure by project 25.592,75
Reinforcing trade union participation at Commission of Sustainable Development 5.938,01
Reinforcing trade union participation at UNEP 3.391,70
Input Summit MDGs + 5 2.851,32
Trade Union Orientation meeting at COP11 Climate Change 1.294,26
Preparation of First Global Trade Union Assembly on Labor and Environment 11.549,81
Others 567,65
Gross profit 5.526,75
Financial expenditure 178,33
Financial profit 5.348,42
Losses from previous accounting years 9.962,07

TOTAL 92.839,71

INCOME
Operational income 88.226,06
Memorandum of Understanding ISTAS 51724,14
Memorandum of Understanding University Chicago Illinois 3935,87
Memorandum of Understanding UNEP 32566,05
Financial loss 178,33
Income and benefits from previous accounting years 4.227,31
Extraordinary losses 5.734,76
TOTAL INCOME 92.453,37
Outcome before tax -386,34

OUTCOME 2005 -386,34

Annual Report 2005

 Sustainlabour
International Labour Foundation for Sustainable Development

1.b. Comparing to last year accounts, personnel expenditure is slightly increased and direct
expenses slightly decreased. This is explained by the kind of collaborations had during 2005
that asked from Sustainlabour organisational tasks, meanwhile other entities covered the direct
costs from activities.

INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT € 2004 2005

EXPENDITURE
Personnel 35.689,15 44.852,58
Wages and salaries 26.871,00 33.904,71
Social Security costs 8.818,15 10.947,87
Amortization of assets 1.532,00 1.916,29
Other direct expenses 68.160,39 35.930,44
Gross profit 5.526,75
Financial expenditue 395,71 178,33
Financial profit 0,00 5.348,42
Loss from previous accounting years 0,00 9.962,07

TOTAL 105.777,25 92.839,71

INCOME
Operating income 105.310,29 88.226,06
Sponsors and collaborations 82.310,29 88.226,06
Donations and grants 23.000,00 0,00
Operating loss 71,25 0,00
Financial loss 395,65 178,33
Income and benefits from previous years 0,00 4.227,31
Estraordinary losses 0,00 5.734,76
TOTAL 105.381,54 92.453,37

Outcome before tax -466,90 -386,34

OUTCOME -466,90 -386,34

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 Sustainlabour
International Labour Foundation for Sustainable Development

2. BALANCE SHEET
Balance explains what is already mentioned in 1.b.

BALANCE SHEET € 2004 2005

ASSETS
Funds unrestricted 22,500.00 22,500.00
FIXED ASSETS 6,132.21 11,871.22
Set up expenses 6,132.21 4,600.21
Intangible assets 6,038.57
Tangible fixed assets 1,232.44
CURRENT ASSETS 68,821.39 30,824.37
Stocks 37,862.07 54.81
Operating Debtors 27,703.93 14,240.80
Other debtors 1,280.00
Cash and banks 3,255.39 15,248.76
TOTAL ASSETS 97,453.60 65,195.59
LIABILITIES
Establishment allowance 30,000.00 30,000.00
Profit of previous accounting years -466.90
OUTCOME -466.90 -386.34
Long term liabilities 7,600.00 7,600.00
Amounts falling due within one year 60,320.50 28,448.83
TOTAL LIABILITIES 97,453.60 65,195.59

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 Sustainlabour
International Labour Foundation for Sustainable Development

3. DEVIATION OVER BUDGET

Deviation over budget although decreases proportionally income and expenditure is important.
This is explained by the unforeseeable postposition of training programs and the collaboration
modalities explained in 1.b.

DEVIATION OVER BUDGET OUTCOME 2005 BUDGET DEVIATION

EXPENDITURE
Personnel 44,852.58 52,000.00 7,147.42
Amortization of capital assets 1,916.29 1,500.00 -416.29
Other expenses 35,930.44 229,500.00 193,569.56
Financial expenses 178.33 -178.33
Loss from previous accounting years 9,962.07 -9,962.07
TOTAL EXPENDITURE 92,839.71 283,000.00 190,160.29

INCOME
Income from sponsors and collaborations 88,226.06 283,000.00 194,773.94
Profit from previous accounting years 4,227.31 -4,227.31
TOTAL INCOME 92,453.37 283,000.00 190,546.63

Annual Report 2005