Bylaws for the FIT Solidarity Fund
Preamble
These By-laws are intended as a framework for the management of the FIT Solidarity Fund, pursuant to the resolutions adopted by the XIVth and XVth Statutory Congresses of the International Federation of Translators, at Melbourne, on 11th February 1996 and Mons, on the 4th August 1999 respectively.
1) Principles
1.1) The Solidarity Fund (hereafter ‘the Fund’) is intended solely to assist FIT member associations that are experiencing difficulties in fulfilling their financial obligations to the Federation.
1.2) Applications for assistance shall be handled as swiftly as possible by the Solidarity Committee, a body created solely and exclusively to assist FIT member associations in difficulty.
1.3) When applying for financial assistance from the Fund, member associations in difficulty may request further support measures. The Solidarity Committee may also suggest such further support measures to them.
1.4) Financial assistance from the Fund and further support measures are only granted upon application from FIT member associations in difficulty.
2) Request and consideration of applications
2.1) A FIT member association experiencing difficulties (hereafter ‘association in difficulty’) requesting assistance from the Fund must submit an application to the Solidarity Committee accompanied by a statement explaining the reasons for the request, financial statements and any other relevant documentation (hereafter ‘the application file’).
2.2) After examining the application file, the Solidarity Committee shall make a recommendation of acceptance or refusal to the FIT Council, and inform the association in difficulty that the matter has been referred to the Council.
2.3) Pending the Council's decision, the financial obligations of the association in difficulty shall be suspended and the association shall be temporarily exempted from Article 17 of the FIT Bylaws.
2.4) The Solidarity Committee shall communicate the Council’s decision to the association in difficulty and, if necessary, propose further support measures to assist the association improve its financial situation.
3) Types of financial assistance
3.1) Financial solidarity given to associations in difficulty can take several forms:
a) payment of half the membership dues, the other half to be paid by the association in difficulty;
b) reduction of the dues of the association in difficulty to the minimum level of dues, with the difference to be covered by the Fund;
c) any other payment by the Fund of less than half of the membership dues that the Solidarity Committee should deem appropriate;
d) an interest-free loan for payment of part of the membership dues of the association in difficulty.
e) payment of half or less than half of the membership dues, the other half or rest to by paid by a sister/sponsoring association
3.2) The Fund may not undertake to pay part of the dues of associations in difficulty that have not themselves paid a sum equal to at least one half of their dues, except in exceptional cases when so authorised by the Council on the recommendation of the Solidarity Committee.
3.3) Except in exceptional cases when so authorised by the Council on the recommendation of the Solidarity Committee, the Fund shall not assist a member association more than once between two Congresses; this rule shall not apply in the event of a loan that has been duly repaid.
3.4) The Fund shall only assist member associations whose dues for previous years have been fully paid or credited as paid in the Federation’s accounts, except in exceptional cases when so authorised by the Council on the recommendation of the Solidarity Committee.
4) Types of non-financial assistance
4.1) A FIT member association may ask the Solidarity Committee to appoint an experienced volunteer (‘outside expert’), who is another FIT member association, or member of another FIT member association (‘sister association’), to act in an advisory capacity to assist in case of difficulty.
4.2) Upon request, the Solidarity Committee shall suggest to the association in difficulty, the name(s) of one or more outside experts or sister associations that may be able to offer help and/or advice.
4.3) In the event of a request for financial assistance, before making a recommendation to the Council, the Solidarity Committee may invite an outside expert to assess the situation and propose corrective measures to the association in difficulty. If the association in difficulty does not want this, the Solidarity Committee shall deal with the application directly.
4.4) The outside expert shall report to the Solidarity Committee, which shall take his/her opinion into account when presenting a recommendation to Council.
5) Further Support Measures
5.1) The Solidarity Committee may include proposals for further support measures in its recommendation to grant financial assistance, including sponsorship of the association in difficulty by a sister association.
5.2) The association in difficulty and the relevant sister association shall mutually agree the nature of their collaboration and report on this to the Solidarity Committee, which shall forward the report to the Council.
5.3) The Solidarity Committee may enlist the help of the FIT Regional Centers in order to find a suitable sponsoring/sister association for the association in difficulty, either in the same region or in another part of the world. In such case the FIT Regional Centers will be bound by the same confidentiality as the Solidarity Committee.
6) Composition of the Solidarity Fund
6.1) The Fund is comprised mainly of voluntary contributions made by FIT member associations and by individual translators. It may also accept donations and legacies.
6.2) If, in any fiscal year, the FIT current account should show an income surplus, after provision for depreciation and/or necessary allocation to reserves, the Council shall order the transfer of half of this surplus to the Fund.
6.3) The Council may authorise the transfer to the Fund of 2% of the total amount of dues collected by FIT during the year.
6.4) The Council may authorise any further methods for supplementing the Fund that the Solidarity Committee may suggest.
7) Monies received and paid by the Fund
7.1) The sums received by the Fund shall be deposited in a designated interest-bearing account (‘the solidarity account’), opened by FIT specifically for this purpose.
7.2) At least once a year, the FIT treasurer shall transfer the sums received for the Fund in any other FIT account, to the solidarity account.
7.3) Any sum that the Fund pays the FIT for the support of associations in difficulty shall be transferred from the solidarity account to the general account of the FIT and registered there as dues paid by such associations.
8) Amendments to and Termination of the Solidarity Fund
8.1) The present regulations may be amended by a two-thirds majority vote of the Council.
8.2) The Solidarity Fund may only be terminated by a two-thirds majority vote of the FIT Congress.
8.3) Should the Fund be terminated, any remaining funds shall be transferred to the FIT general account.
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N.B.! THE FOLLOWING IS ONLY INTENDED AS BACKGROUND INFORMATION
RESOLUTION
SUBMITTED BY THE SWISS ASSOCIATION OF TRANSLATORS, TERMINOLOGISTS AND INTERPRETERS (ASTTI) AND ERHVERVSSPROGLIGT FORBUND (ESF) AND APPROVED BY THE FIT STATUTORY CONGRESS (MONS, 3, 4 AND 5 AUGUST 1999)
Whereas the Statutory Congress is the supreme body of FIT and makes policy decisions for FIT;
Whereas the FIT Statutory Congress in Melbourne on 9, 10 and 11 February 1996 requested ‘that Council establish a Solidarity Fund. That fund would be separate from the other FIT funds and the money for the fund would initially come from voluntary contributions’;
Whereas the Council established this fund ‘to maintain the contacts with FIT members, who are liable for being suspended for non-payment of their membership dues, and to continue the mailings from the FIT Secretariat to them’, and granting each association a maximum amount of US$ 50.- per annum;
Whereas all the current structure and operation of the Solidarity Fund has not succeeded in solving all the problems facing member associations in difficulty,
Whereas FIT must be able to assist member associations in difficulty should they so request;
the FIT Statutory Congress,
in Mons on 3, 4 and 5 August 1999:
RESCINDS this Regulation regarding the Solidarity Fund, established by Council in response to the resolution adopted by the FIT Statutory Congress on 11 February 1996.
PETITIONS Council to draw up a new Regulation for the Solidarity Fund, intended solely to assist FIT member associations in difficulty to meet their financial obligations to the Federation, and not to be used for any other purpose.
PETITIONS the Council to present accompanying measures to support the efforts of FIT member associations in difficulty.
RECOMMENDS that Council study the possibility of transferring part of the dues received each year to the Solidarity Fund and/or seek other sources of financing for the fund;
RESOLVES that Council present a report on its work within six months, by circular letter, to all member associations.