September/October Update
TUFI’s monthly update looks at important trade union issues in Israel and the Palestinian territories, the Middle East Peace Process, regional developments, domestic Israeli and Palestinian affairs and primary issues affecting British trade union policy on Israel
International Trade Union News:
TUC backs off from outright boycott of Israel and supports Israeli-Palestinian trade union co-operation
TULIP launches Solidarity Fund to help foster peace
Histadrut Statement calls for Peace and Co-operation and is welcomed by ITUC
Israeli-Palestinian News:
Israeli and Palestinian transport unions sign another agreement
Gaza News
Hamas sacks teachers in Gaza and represses trade union action
Israeli Trade Union News:
Israeli labour court rejects railway job criteria as discriminatory toward Israeli-Arabs
Thousands of Jerusalem municipal workers go on general strike
New Israeli law forces bosses to talk to unions
Goldstone Report:
UN backs Goldstone Report
Palestinian Reconciliation
Fatah-Hamas reconciliation delayed over Goldstone report
TUC backs off from outright boycott of Israel and supports Israeli-Palestinian trade union co-operation
British trade union leaders backed off from calling for an outright boycott of Israeli goods at the annual Trades Union Congress (TUC) in Liverpool on 17 September.
There was some confusion about what was actually passed as both the Fire Brigades’ Union (FBU) motion - which called for a full consumer boycott of Israel - and a much softer negotiated statement by the TUC General Council were both passed by the conference floor. But through the rules of the TUC the statement superseded the extremist FBU motion.
In effect, the statement becomes the policy of the TUC and marginalises the attempts by the FBU to boycott Israel. Trade union leaders democratically opposed the full boycott and the statement shows that the majority of trade unions in the UK want to provide meaningful help to workers in Israel and Palestine. Curiously, the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC), which has recently been taken over by Socialist Action, pretended there was no TUC statement.
There were also some positive things to came from the statement, in particular it highlighted the TUC’s commitment to support both Israeli and Palestinian trade unions and welcomed a recent policy statement by the Histadrut (Israeli TUC), which outlined the federation’s support for Palestinian workers’ rights and a two-state solution.
TULIP launches Solidarity Fund to help foster peace
Trade Unions Linking Israel and Palestine (TULIP) have launched a Solidarity Fund to provide practical support to Israeli and Palestinian trade unions undertaking projects of mutual interest that foster peace and hope in the region.
The initiative was launched after the organisation’s inaugural executive meeting held in London on 12 October 2009, which included the three founding members: Paul Howes, National Secretary of The Australian Workers’ Union, Michael J. Leahy OBE, the General Secretary of Community, and Stuart Appelbaum, the President of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, representing workers in the United States and Canada.
Mr Leahy, who hosted the meeting, said "the real work of unions is not boycotts that would hurt Palestinian workers but bringing people together and making the situation on the ground better for workers in Israel and Palestine. I hope we have started our part of this today."
Histadrut Statement calls for Peace and Co-operation and is welcomed by ITUC
The Histadrut (Israeli TUC) released a statement to the world-wide trade union movement on 13 September outlining its support for a two-state solution, Israeli and Palestinian workers’ rights and its developing relationship with Palestinian trade unions.
Israeli and Palestinian trade unions have been successfully working together and signing co-operation agreements over the last few years, and the Histadrut’s statement says it is their duty, as trade unionists, to be involved with the peace process and serve as role-models.
The International Trades Union Confederation (ITUC) welcomed the statement on 14 September. Guy Ryder, the ITUC General Secretary, said:
"This statement is an important and welcome call for dialogue and progress to achieve the objective of two states co-existing in conditions of peace and security, and full respect for the rights of all working people.” Read more...
Israeli and Palestinian transport unions sign another agreement
The Histadrut and PGFTU are seeking international financial support after signing their second joint agreement this year. The new agreement, which was signed in July, aims to set up seminars for vocational training for both Israeli and Palestinian transport union members and follows a similar agreement signed by Israeli and Palestinian construction unions earlier this year.
Israeli and Palestinian transport unions have been working together since 2007 after they developed a joint-project to help prevent drivers being delayed at security checkpoints. The new agreement aims to deepen this relationship by arranging a joint training seminar for 11 truck drivers from each union.
The total budget for the first seminar is $31,600 and the two federations are looking for assistance in raising this money from organisations willing to show solidarity with their positive efforts.
Hamas sacks teachers in Gaza and represses trade union action
Hamas has sacked more than 200 volunteer teachers from their posts in the Gaza Strip. According to Jamil Shehadeh, the General Secretary of the main teachers’ union in Gaza, the teachers had already been dismissed from their regular jobs earlier this year and replaced by Hamas supporters, but had returned as volunteers to ensure their pupils received an adequate education.
Mr Shehadeh said the move “reflects the irresponsibility of Hamas around the educational process in Gaza". He said all teachers should be allowed back to work under fair and dignified conditions or they should all go on strike, but he also warned of “the practice of repression against trade union action in Gaza”.
Hamas has stamped down on trade unionism since violently seizing power in Gaza in 2007. They have taken over the PGFTU headquarters, removed all existing slogans and flags, and raised a Hamas flag over the building. Many trade unionists face daily violence and intimidation.
Israeli Labour court rejects railway job criteria as discriminatory toward Israeli-Arabs
An Israeli court has barred Israel Railways from dismissing Arab employees who don't meet certain new criteria. The court rejected new criteria which the company had proposed following a court petition challenging a requirement that employees must have served in the army.
The new criteria does not contain the army service provision, but they still put up other “unnecessary requirements” such as eighteen months of continuous employment.
Over 150 Arab-Israeli railway workers lost their jobs in April following the introduction of the army service provision. This resulted in an international trade union campaign, led be the Histadrut (Israeli TUC), which helped get the workers reinstated.
Ahmed Tibi MK, an Israeli parliamentarian, said that the court’s decision was important and praised the workers for pursuing the case.
Thousands of Jerusalem municipal workers go on general strike
Jerusalem municipal workers declared a week-long general strike on 3 September in a dispute over the work conditions of thousands of employees. During the strike, rubbish was not collected, public offices were closed, and the public transport system was disrupted.
The city's 7,500 employees called for the strike to protest over the employment of 3,500 workers via subcontractors in order to pay lower wages and deprive them of employment rights and job security.
The workers also demanded an end to "invasive" investigations by the city's comptroller and human resources division. Danny Ben Sheetrit, the Histadrut’s Jerusalem District chairman, blamed Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat. "He came from the high-tech world where there's no such thing as organised labour. He doesn't know what that means. [His] way of employment suits the third world, not Jerusalem," he said.
New Israeli law forces bosses to talk to unions
Important changes to Israeli labour law - won by the Histadrut (Israeli TUC) - were finalised at the beginning of September. One of the new laws requires employers to negotiate with labour unions in the workplace and other changes include administrative and criminal sanctions against employers not paying the minimum wage.
The new laws were initially passed by the Israeli parliament in August and were negotiated by the economic roundtable forum that includes representatives from unions, employers and the government.
The Histadrut said the new laws would “lead to a substantial improvement in workers' rights, and in their ability to implement their freedom to organise.”
UN backs Goldstone report
The UN Human Rights Council backed a report on 16 October into the Israeli offensive in Gaza that accuses both Israel and Palestinian militants of war crimes.
Twenty-five countries voted for the resolution, while six were against. Both Israel and the US opposed its official endorsement, saying it would set back Middle East peace hopes. Eleven countries abstained and five others, including the UK and France, chose not to vote
Asked why it did not vote, UK Foreign Secretary David Miliband said that the British and French governments had been "in the middle of detailed discussions with Prime Minister Netanyahu of Israel about three key issues - the establishment of an independent inquiry, humanitarian aid to Gaza and the restart of the peace process".
"The vote was called in the middle of those discussions and we thought it right to continue with our work on the three fundamental issues so that could really contribute to a reversal of what is a dangerous spiral of trust and mistrust in the Middle East," he said.
The report by a UN mission led by Richard Goldstone accused both Israel and Palestinian militants of war crimes. The findings were originally presented by Mr Goldstone, a veteran South African judge and war crimes prosecutor, to the Council two weeks ago, but it decided to defer its response until March. However it reconsidered because of anger that allegations in the report were being ignored.
Israel has rejected the Goldstone report as biased and favouring terrorism. The UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has urged "credible" investigations by both sides into the conduct of the conflict between Israel and Hamas "without delay".
The Goldstone report accuses Israel of using disproportionate force and deliberately harming civilians during the 22-day conflict which began on 27 December 2008. Palestinian Hamas militants are accused of indiscriminate rocket fire at Israeli civilians.
The report urges the Security Council to refer allegations to the International Criminal Court if either side fails to investigate and prosecute suspects.
Israel has rejected the evidence, saying it has already investigated its soldiers' conduct. Hamas has also denied committing war crimes.
Fatah-Hamas reconciliation delayed over Goldstone report
A reconciliation agreement between Fatah and Hamas, originally scheduled to be signed on 25 October, has been delayed indefinitely by disagreements over the Goldstone report into Israel’s Operation Cast Lead.
The deal was to allow for new Palestinian elections in the first half of 2010. With mediation from Egypt, the parties have been trying to broker a deal to reconcile and establish a power-sharing agreement. However, on 11 October Hamas said on its website that it was postponing the agreement because of the decision by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to delay action on the Goldstone report. In a speech in Ramallah on Sunday 11 October President Abbas responded:
“This campaign by Hamas is aimed at serving their interests, which is to postpone the signing of the reconciliation agreement... They want to concentrate their rule and their regime in Gaza. They want to ensure the continuity of division in Gaza that aims at weakening the Palestinian Authority.” (11/10/09)
Fatah spokesperson Azzam Al-Ahmad told the Palestinian Maan news agency on Tuesday (13 October) that Egypt still wants the rival Palestinian factions to sign a power-sharing deal and will offer them a simple choice of “yes” of “no” on 20 October.
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