Unions have called on the government to immediately recognise Palestinian statehood, end the arms trade with Israel and demand a permanent ceasefire in the Israel-Gaza conflict.
Delegates at the TUC Congress in Brighton applauded after passing a motion calling for the release of all hostages and Palestinian political prisoners and a “renewed focus to advance a strategy of boycotts, divestment and sanctions”.
The motion, proposed by the National Education Union (NEU), also demanded that the government ensure safe access to essential supplies, including water, electricity and food.
Louise Regan of the NEU received a standing ovation from many in the auditorium after she called for unions to “join together and fight for justice for the Palestinian people”.
She said: “Palestinians need more than words, they need our actions too.”
Regan also criticised the move of the new Labour government to suspend only a fraction of arms sales to Israel and said: “It is obscene to continue arms sales when two senior Israeli leaders stand accused of crimes against humanity.”
READ MORE: UK suspends 30 arms export licences to Israel, David Lammy announces
This was a view echoed by many other speakers in the debate, including Liz Wheatley of Unison, who said that, while the decision was a positive first step, “90 percent remaining is 90 percent too much and it doesn’t stop the killing”.
“This is a trade union issue. Trade unions should stand by the oppressed, stand for peace, justice and for liberation. It matters not only that we stand on the right side of history, but we have to stand on the right side today, tomorrow and next week.”
Sarah Carpenter of Unite condemned the “genocide and collective punishment of the Palestinian people” and called for a “permanent, unconditional ceasefire”.
“This is a war crime, pure and simple,” she said.
“We must protect all civilians, hostages must be relieved of harm and there must be safe access to food, water, electricity and medical, sanitary and fuel supplies.
“The whole international community must walk towards a comprehensive and lasting peace based around the two state solution, ensuring human rights for all and the end of oppression, violence and ethnic cleansing.”
READ MORE: Unions back universal free school meals and right to food
Representatives from the Fire Brigades Union, PCS, GMB, Aslef, BFAWU and UCU also spoke in favour of the motion.
The TUC Congress also saw an address by the Palestinian ambassador to the UK Husam Zomlot, who said it was “simply unconscionable that the UK should continue to deliver any arms to Israel given what is clear to everyone, including UK lawyers, to be a grave violation of international law”.
A protest organised by the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, Stop the War Coalition, the Palestinian Solidarity Campaign and others is due to take place at the Labour Party conference in Liverpool later this month.
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