Delegation Report: 25 February - 2 March 2007
The Delegates
Debra Coulter, Deputy General Secretary GMB
Peter Crowe, Deputy General Secretary of Community
Kathleen Brown, Community National Executive
David Stokes, USDAW National Executive
Linda Clarke, GMB National Executive
David Clements, GMB National Executive
Colin Moses, POA National Chairman
The delegation also included Roger Lyons, Doreen Gerson and Steve Scott from TUFI.
26 February 2007
The first day of the visit took the Delegation down to the Dead Sea from Tel Aviv to meet the Jerusalem Municipality shop stewards from East and West Jerusalem who are members of the UCAPSE trade union (the union for local authority workers). The shop stewards came from both Arab and Jewish backgrounds and all were keen to impress that they all felt like “brothers and sisters” to their fellow workers regardless of background.
The Delegation had a chance to talk with their fellow trade unionists about their trade union work. The 10 UCAPSE shop stewards included 6 women, something that was raised by the TUFI Delegation. The municipality trade union has a quota system that ensures equal representation for women.
It was important for us to gain an insight into the issues that are affecting trade unionists in this troubles part of the world and this we were able to do so openly and honestly by meeting with workers, employers, politicians and diplomats who were keen to share with us their interpretation of the political and industrial situation in the region.
Debbie Coulter, GMB Deputy General Secretary
The shop stewards talked about their particular problems and the ongoing non payment of local authority workers across the country which had been the main industrial relations issue in Israel for the past few months. Something that had hit their members hard with many not receiving pay for over a year! This really hit home to the TUFI Delegation realising the current hardship that the public service workers are currently facing.
Roger Lyons, on behalf of TUFI, thanked the shop stewards and said that TUFI had followed the local authority workers struggle closely and had, on behalf of British trade unions, sent solidarity messages in their fight to resolve this dispute.
In the evening the Delegation was kindly hosted by the British Ambassador, Tom Phillips. The Delegation was able to listen to his views and discuss the political situation in Israel, the Palestinian Territories and the wider Middle East Region.
27 February 2007
This meant an early departure from Tel Aviv to travel to Jerusalem for a mixed day of sightseeing and meetings.
The first point of call was a stop at the Observation Point at Mount Scopus to take in the view of the Old City and the surrounding areas. Then followed a visit and view of some of the most important religious sites in the world; the Mount of Olives, Garden of Gethsemane, the Western Wall (Wailing Wall), views of the Temple Mount and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. During the tour the tour, the guide took the Delegation through the Old City and its four distinct quarters, (Muslim, Jewish, Armenian and Christian). This packed in thousands of years of history into one very busy morning.
Lunch was kindly hosted by the Director for Western Europe, Amiran Magid from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This was held in the historic King David Hotel, once the Offices of the British administration during the British Mandate of Palestine.
Amiran gave an account of the political and security issues affecting the region from an Israeli Government perspective. He talked about the existential threat to Israel that has gathered pace in recent years, most notably from the comments made by the Iranian leadership as well as other extremists. This threat to Israel’s existence, he said is permeating throughout Israeli society and causing a real fear for the future. There were then questions and discussions.
As so much of the International political agenda is influenced by the politics of the Middle East, GMB welcomed the opportunity to send 3 delegates on the most recent visit to Israel and Palestine organised by TUFI.
David Clements, Executive Member, GMB
After lunch the Delegation visited Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Memorial Centre in Jerusalem. The centre has been redeveloped over the last few years and now includes fully interactive displays to inform visitors of the full background and horrors of The Holocaust.
After a long day we were hosted for a dinner with the Government Employees Union, and their Chairman Mr. Ariel Jacobin and other National Secretaries of the Union. The Chairman had just come from talks that had averted a national strike on behalf of local authority workers. They had received an agreement from the Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert that he would resolve the pay issue which would go to full Cabinet at the weekend. Ariel said he had only had about 5 hours sleep in the past three days!
28th February 2007, Meeting PGFTU Officials in Nablus
The Delegation set off for a meeting with the Palestinian General Federation of Trade Unions (PGFTU) and other Officials from the Palestinian Authority in Nablus.
This proved to be an eventful and fascinating part of the trip. We were meeting during a heightened period of security activity by the Israeli Defence Force (IDF) who were conducting operations to capture terrorist suspects in the Nablus region.
Thus the town was at a heightened level of unrest, something that we were aware of. However, TUFI has had a good relationship with the PGFTU over the years and will make all possible efforts for them to meet with our Delegation. We were met and accompanied throughout by PGFTU General Secretary Shaher Sae’d and his colleagues.
After an eventful journey into the town we first met with the Governor of Nablus, Brigadier General Kamal Alsheikh. He spoke about the situation in Nablus and the hope for a political solution would mean the return of Palestinian Lands to the pre-1967 Green Line. He also believes it the position of Jerusalem that is the heart of the conflict which has now turned it into a religious one.
His attention was turned to Hamas, who want a religious conflict that “all the Palestinians will pay for” as well as the attention now from Iran on the conflict. He believes Hamas has been created, and are a new phenomenon, as the Palestinians have traditionally been more secular. He also went on to add that Hamas is receiving money from the Muslim world but none of it is going to help ordinary Palestinians.
Hamas has also damaged relationships with the International community through its non recognition of Israel and non support for pre-existing agreements. However, the Mecca agreement could be a step forward allowing Hamas to become more flexible.
He said he wanted to live in peace with Israel and end the occupation but at the moment unemployment is 62% and this is pushing young men into the fundamentalist groups. Therefore there is now more than ever, a need to have a final agreement.
We next had to move on to another meeting with the Mayor of Nablus, ENG. Adly R Yaish. We had a meeting in the Mayor’s Office in the area of the City where the full security operation was taking place and this proved quite an eventful journey.
From my experience of the visit to the efficiently run Israeli Prison Service, it is clear that all people in the region would benefit greatly from a peace agreement... quickly.
Colin Moses, National Chairman, Prison Officers Association
The mayor spoke about the need for an “equal peace” complete with full Palestinian Sovereignty. Again he spoke about the problems that Nablus residents are facing since the intafada and how the city is turning into lawlessness. However, whilst not condoning the use of suicide bombers, he was sympathetic to their aims and reasoning for carrying out such attacks.
Although the Mayor was independent he had been elected with Hamas support and his language was very much different from the Governor Alsheikh.
Finally we travelled to meet the representatives of the PGFTU that would include General Secretary Shaher Sae’d. Unfortunately, due to the deteriorating security situation, we didn’t have time to talk with the PGFTU people, only to have time to exchange gifts and best wishes.
After the emotions of the day’s events we had dinner in the Port of Jaffa. Joining the Delegation was Gil Shamy, Executive Director of OneVoice an organisation set up after Camp David 2 by Israelis and Palestinians to work together for peace.
He spoke about how 80% of both Israeli and Palestinian populations consistently support a negotiated two-state solution, however, it is the “fanatics” who want and cause chaos. The media doesn’t help the situation as they want to see violence as it is a story but it shapes peoples opinions and turns them into extremists.
OneVoice is a grassroots organisation representing both communities to talk about peace. They meet with all sections in society from high tech business men to agricultural workers. At the Davos World Economic Forum, grassroots members of OneVoice made a presentation to Shimon Peres and Abu Mazen to work for an “intafada for peace”.
The TUFI Delegates welcomed OneVoice’s approach and it was agreed that the UK Trade Unions would like to host a OneVoice delegation in the UK in order to speak to a trade union audience.
Thursday 2nd March, Visit to the Histadrut
The first mornings meeting was with Talia Livni, President of NA’AMAT and other representatives. NA’AMAT is the largest leading women’s movement in Israel and is the women’s section of the Histadrut.
NA’AMAT works to provide services to the women of Israel, including the provision of child care system that enables women with young children to enter the workforce in Israel. At the moment 30% of household income goes on childcare, something that resonates with working people in the UK.
They also provide other members’ services on legal matters, national insurance and pensions.
On the campaigning front they are providing prevention sessions to stop domestic violence as well as campaigning to reduce the creeping increase in working hours which is a problem in the industrialised world.
One of the Delegation asked about the number of women in top positions considering the equal status of women in the Israeli army. Again women are under represented in top positions and growth industries. For instance in the high tech sector only 34% are women.
We next had a meeting with Ofer Eini, Chairman of the Histadrut, Nawaf Massalha, Chairman of the International Department of the Histadrut, Ravit Dom-Fidel, Chief of Staff to Ofer Eini and Avital Shapira-Shabirow, Director of the Histadrut International Department.
We had been in Israel at the end of a tumultuous week for the Histadrut. A national solidarity strike had been averted when the Prime Minister personally took responsibility for sorting out the issue of non-payment of the local authority workers.
He went onto to talk about the current position of the Histadrut. He wanted to get the politics and the politicians out of the Histadrut and focus on an industrial agenda. He went on to say that the Chairman of the Labour Party Amir Peretz had not resolved the local authority pay crisis that has been going on since 2001.
He also spoke about the election for the leader of the Histadrut in May, and as yet no one else had put their name forward, he was the only candidate.
On the issue of the PGFTU and money that the Histadrut owes the PGFTU (and has in an account), Ofer was delighted that Brendan Barber, General Secretary of the TUC, would help in mediating an agreement to transfer the money to the PGFTU.
Also Ofer stressed that the Histadrut is committed to keeping a good relationship with the PGFTU, in light of the fact that there are no formal relation between the Israeli and Palestinian Government at the moment.
Ofer wanted to meet Shaher Sae’d, possibly in the UK, to start talks about improving their relationship and start the peace process between working people.
Visit to the Security Barrier
Our next visit was to the Israeli Security Barrier. For some it is called the “Apartheid Wall” for many others a security barrier that has brought relative peace to the daily life of all Israelis.
We were met by an IDF reservist who spoke about the position of the Israeli military towards the Security Barrier. We were shown around the barrier when it is fencing around the Palestinian town of Qalqilya and outlined the route it takes.
Nearer the Highway, Route 6 the barrier becomes a wall for a section. This was a move to create a barrier from sniper and other attacks on drivers using the road. It was pointed out to the Delegation that the Barrier, when completed, will comprise of 9% of walled section when completed. The delegation was then taken to inspect closely the fence and observe the sand road that is raked and checked for foot prints each morning!
Factory Visit
Later on the Delegation made a visit to the Gibor Sabrina textile factory and were shown around the factory by the Deputy CEO Amiram Regev and trade union representatives. The factory produced a specialist seamless textile product that was sent all over the world. They supplied TESCO in the UK with underwear.
He did say that the current security situation affected them, as they have a finishing factory in Qalqilya and to get the products to the factory was time consuming and troublesome.
In the meantime, Colin Moses, National Chairman of the Prison Officers Association made a visit to the Hadarim prison to see how the Israeli prison service works.
Our last dinner was held in Tel Aviv and was hosted by the Union for Clerical, Administrative and Public Service Employees (UCAPSE).
Arnon Bar-David, the Chairperson of UCAPSE said that our meeting of the Jerusalem Municipality earlier in the week was an example of co-existence in Israel.
It was an opportunity to judge a situation I have only read about or seen on TV.
David Stokes, Executive Member, USDAW
He talked about the local authority workers dispute and that it has gone on for too long. Also how the public sector is being more and more privatised and the notion of public service is being lost.
He wants peace between the Palestinians and Israel and hope that UCAPSE will come to the UK to work with UK public sector unions to discuss the problems facing public sector workers.
TUFI would like to thank Avital Shapira-Shabirow, director of Histadrut international department, for co-ordinating our delegation in Israel, the PGFTU for hosting our activities in Nablus and the British Embassy in Israel.
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