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TUC Aid (Registered Charity No 299832)

Message from Trustees

Solidarity with working people throughout the world has always been a basic tenet of British trade unions, which found practical expression in the creation of a charitable arm in 1988. TUC Aid affords us a unique opportunity to assist fellow trade unionists in their efforts to protect and promote economic and social rights of their people. It has also enabled us to provide humanitarian relief and rehabilitative care to thousands affected by natural and man-made disasters throughout the world in recent years.
 
TUC Aid relies on your generosity to carry out training and education activities aimed at capacity building in trade union organizations and foster their efforts in sustainable development.

We take this opportunity to express our profound gratitude to all those who support us.

TUC Aid Trustees

TRUSTEES

Ms Alison Shepherd - UNISON
Ms Sally Hunt - UCU
Ms Sue Ferns - Prospect
Ms Sue Rogers - NASUWT
Mr Tony Woodley - Unite
Mr Brendan Barber - TUC
Mr Owen Tudor - TUC

About TUC Aid

TUC Aid was established by the TUC General Council in 1988 with a view to raising funds for humanitarian relief, long-term development, education and training activities and in developing countries and is a registered charity (Registered Charity No 299832). Since its inception, it has relied almost entirely on trade unionists for its funding and, is, perhaps, unique among charitable institutions in the UK in that it seeks to achieve its objectives in close collaboration with trade unionists in developing countries. It aims at promoting and protecting rights of working people and their values through provision of technical and financial assistance for capacity building. Such assistance is crucial as strong and democratic trade union organisations provide a firm foundation for democracy, and play a key role in enabling people to break out of the poverty trap. TUC Aid has made substantial contributions to a variety of projects ranging from trade union training and education activities, emergency aid and long-term rehabilitation of victims of natural disasters to re-settlement of refugees in the last ten years.

What does it do?

The TUC Aid Appeal to affiliates for funds for emergency relief and long-term rehabilitation of victims of the disaster caused by Tsunami waves in South-East Asia on 26 December 2004 has so far raised some £318,000.

There was an unprecedented response to the Appeal made by the General Secretary in January 2005 from unions as well as from the general public. Some affiliates also made donations totalling £45,000 directly to the DEC Appeal. In February, TUC Aid made a donation of £25,000 to the DEC Appeal to be used for emergency relief.

Progress on various projects funded through the proceeds of TUC Aid Appeals is reported in the International Section of our Website. 

TUC Aid has been successful in raising significant sums of funds through appeals made to TUC affiliates in the wake of natural disasters or armed conflict. In the last 20 years, more than one million pounds were raised in response to appeals for emergency aid and/or long-term rehabilitation of victims of disasters. Emergency aid to victims of natural or man-made disasters and assistance for their long-term rehabilitation accounted for 89.2% of total expenditure on grants and donations. Only £11,445 was spent on administration, which represents less than 1% of its total expenditure for the period as a whole.

Proceeds from appeals have enabled TUC Aid to respond quickly to the needs of those affected by floods in Bangladesh (1998), Hurricane Mitch in Central America (1999) and the war in Kosovo (1999) and the earthquake in Turkey (1999). 

The Housing Project that consisted in building 8 two-bed-roomed housing units, implemented in collaboration with Organizaçao dos Trabalhadores de Moçambique - national trade union centre - in Mozambique was completed in 2001. Following the devastating earthquake in the State of Gujarat in India, TUC Aid provided two national trade union centres with financial assistance totalling some £34,000 to accommodate a large number of children whose schools had been destroyed in the quake in temporary shelters where they could have lessons with tutors and educational material provided by the unions.

TUC Aid has, in recent years, made significant contributions to international efforts to help people in times of crisis through its support for the provision of emergency relief and long-term rehabilitation. The Trade Union Assistance for Long-term Rehabilitation of Tsunami Victims in Sri Lanka Project launched in October 2005 provided vocational training for trade union members, office equipment (computers, fax machines, printers, photocopiers etc) and furniture for trade unions, financial support and transport equipment (mopeds and bicycles) for trade union members. In addition, the Project built 18 houses for Tsunami victims. In Indonesia, the Trade Union Development and Livelihood Security Project supported a training and education programme for some 900 trade union activists and was instrumental in the resurgence of trade union activities in Aceh after a lapse of some thirty years. Moreover, the Project improved the livelihood of 575 women and 26 men through the provision of vocational training, capital equipment (sewing machines, hemming machines, tools, utensils etc) and financial grants. Moreover, financial support from TUC Aid enabled the ILO Office in Jakarta to carry out a training and education programme for trade union activists and help the development of trade unions in the informal sector in Aceh and North Sumatra. TUC Aid supplied twenty 8000-litre water storage tanks to four worksites in Hey Island, Phuket, and 650 fishing nets and crab traps to fishing villages in the district of Suksamran, in the Ranong Province in Thailand. In addition, TUC Aid provided the school for the children of Burmese migrant workers affected by the Tsunami in Phuket, Thailand, with a teacher, furniture and educational material and will be continuing the support for the third year. The financial support from TUC Aid enabled the Pakistan Workers’ Federation to provide roofing material, temporary shelters and bedding for the victims of the earthquake in October 2005 and set up a model school for skills development in Mansehra, Pakistan. 

The Promoting Women’s Participation in Trade Union Activities in Nigeria Project funded by the Department for International Development (DFID) succeeded in enhancing the capacity of trade unions in Nigeria to address the concerns of women workers, improve their working conditions and reduce discrimination against them in the workplace as well as in wider society. The Project led to an increase in women’s awareness of their rights and entitlements and in the number of women in leadership positions in affiliated unions and promoted the integration of gender equity policies into mainstream union agenda.

TUC Aid is currently implementing a project designed to rebuild the trade union institutions and structures in Sierra Leone in collaboration with the Sierra Leone Labour Congress. The Project, estimated to cost £400,000 over three years, is carrying out a programme of education and training activities designed to increase union membership and raise awareness of rights and entitlements of workers in all sectors of the economy.
TUC Aid is also contemplating the launch of an initiative to build the capacity of trade unions to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS, campaign for access to treatment and care and combat stigma and discrimination against people living with the disease in some countries in Africa.

Who funds it?

TUC affiliates have generously responded to TUC Aid appeals. The Trade Union Unity Trust (TUUT) has been a significant single source of funds for TUC Aid in recent years. The UNISON, Unite, USDAW, Prospect, GMB, FBU and PCS were among major contributors to appeals in recent years. TUC Aid has started raising funds from the general public through the TUC website since 2005.

Donations

The easiest and most effective way of supporting us is to make a regular contribution to TUC Aid through Give As You Earn Scheme.

Please, check if your employer operates a charities payroll-giving scheme. If so, you can join it by filling in a form available from the employer and authorize deductions to TUC Aid.

If your employer does not currently operate a scheme, you may encourage him or her to set one up. Your union representative may be able to help you.

Please, visit www.giveasyouearn.org for further information on GAYE.

You may make a contribution directly. All cheques should be made out to TUC Aid and sent to TUC Aid, EUIRD, Congress House, Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3LS

Contact

Please, contact for further information:

Bandula Kothalawala
European Union and International Relations Department
TUC
Congress House
Great Russell Street
London
WC1B 3LS

Tel (44) 20 74671257
Fax (44) 20 74671343

E-mail: bkothalawala@tuc.org.uk

Briefing document (1,000 words) issued 29 Mar 2006

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