Trade Union Friends of Israel

For more than two years, Israelis living in Sderot and other towns near Gaza have been the target of choice for Hamas terrorists. Launching its arsenal of Qassam rockets from residential neighborhoods and even schoolyards, they have as much as dared Israel to fight back. Now it has.

Predictably, much of the world is expressing its dismay — and those of us who call ourselves progressives are fuming that much of it is coming from our counterparts on the left overseas. However, it’s not enough for us to be indignant. Absent the involvement of the American labor movement, any effort to build worldwide support on the left for the Jewish state will be extraordinary difficult.

A number of trade unions in the UK issued resolutions in 2007 that either directly or indirectly called for divestment from and boycotts of Israel. This year, several unions have preliminary boycott motions on the agenda for their 2008 conferences.

We believe that it is right for unions around the world to be discussing the plight of the Palestinians and seeking ways to provide assistance to them. We do not want to suppress trade union debate on the actions of the Israeli government nor undermine support for the Palestinian people. But we believe that support for Palestinians should not be counterproductive to the situation on the ground and the ongoing peace process. Rather than divestment from Israel, we believe that investment of time, energy and material aid in the peace process is the way to meaningful progress towards achieving a lasting settlement.

Calling for boycotts of Israel is not the right approach for trade unions for a number of important reasons:

Israeli Industrial News: New public sector agreement signed
A major new public sector wage agreement was signed on 17 April by Eli Cohen, the Israeli Director of Wages, and Ofer Eini, the chairman of the Histadrut (Israeli TUC). Nearly a million public sector employees will receive a 5% pay raise spread over three years and pensions will now be linked to the Consumer Price Index (CPI). As part of the deal, the Histadrut (Israeli TUC) has also promised to maintain industrial quiet until the end of 2009.

Israeli Industrial News: Nationwide strike threatened if new taxes not repealed
The Histadrut (Israeli TUC) has threatened to call a nationwide government strike at the end of June if a new workers' fund tax is not repealed. The threat was made in response to a new tax plan reveled by Israel’s Finance Minister, Roni Bar-On, which includes a drop in taxes for both companies and individuals to be paid for by the cancellation of tax exemptions on payments to some government employees’ pension funds.

The chairman of the Histadrut, Ofer Eini, said “there should be no connection between tax and reforms; the employees have an agreement with their employers, and the government has no business mixing in... the funds do not affect the top earning classes, but only normal working people - I'm waiting for Bar-On to say he made a mistake”

Following a visit to to Israel and the Palestinian Authority in December 2007 with the Trade Union Friends of Israel Delegation to the region, the BFAWU (Bakers, Food and Allied Workers Union) invited to speak at their Annual Conference in Bridlington, Hertzel Yaka, Chairman of the Food and Pharmaceutical Union of the Histadrut (Israeli TUC) and Ibrahim Thweib, General Secretary of the Food Workers Section of the Palestinian General Federation of Trade Unions.

Both delegates addressed the Conference and received a standing ovation. Both gave an overview of their own unions work and both stressed their wish for peace and quiet in the region, brotherhood and understanding, dialogue and activism amongst the unions in the region.

The RMT transport union voted at its 2008 Annual General Meeting on 24 June to effectively overturn its existing boycott policy against Israel. The motion also called for a democratic two state settlement for Israelis and Palestinians and criticised Hamas.

The motion was overwhelmingly passed with more than forty of the sixty or so conference delegates voting for the motion.

Israeli Industrial News: Israeli social workers resume normal services

Israeli Industrial News: Groundbreaking computer privacy agreement signed

British Trade Union News: RMT rejects a boycott of Israel

British Trade Union News: BFAWU exemplifies balanced approach

British Trade Union News: Unison decides not to include boycott call in composite

British Trade Union News: GMB passes balanced motion

Peace Process: Talks to resume between Israeli and Palestinian negotiation teams

Gaza: Ceasefire holds despite continuing rocket attacks

Peace Process: Millions pledged at Berlin conference

Palestinian affairs: Abbas and Fayyad call for national unity

Israel/Lebanon: Israeli bodies handed over in prisoner swap

Syria: Olmert calls for face to face talks with Syria

Israeli affairs: Annual Gay Pride march goes ahead in Jerusalem

International Trade Union Confederation Press Release, 6 August 2008

The Israeli national trade union centre Histadrut and the Palestinian General Federation of Trade Unions (PGFTU), both of which are affiliated to the ITUC, have reached a landmark agreement to protect the rights of Palestinian workers employed by Israeli employers, and to base future relations on negotiations, dialogue and joint initiatives to advance “fraternity and coexistence between the two peoples.” The current agreement draws on the terms of an initial 1995 agreement, which it had not been possible to fully implement in the intervening years.

The key features of the agreement include the reimbursement by Histadrut to the PGFTU of the outstanding balance of union and legal representation fees paid since 1993 by Palestinians working for Israeli employers. The reimbursement is based on a detailed year-by-year analysis of the fees paid by Palestinian workers, taking into account funds previously transferred to the PGFTU. The PGFTU will have sole discretion as to how the funds will be spent, in line with its Constitution.

“Why trade union cooperation is vital to the peace process and prosperity”

Guest speakers include:

His Excellency Ron Prosor, Israeli Ambassador
Owen Tudor, Head of International Relations, TUC
Avital Shapira-Shabirow, Head of International Department, The Histadrut (Israeli TUC)
Roger Lyons, Chair, Trade Union Friends of Israel

Meeting Room 1, East Wing, The Brighton Centre, Brighton
Tuesday 9 September 2008
12.30pm- 2.00pm,
Light Lunch

R.S.V.P
info@tufi.org.uk

Admittance to conference pass holders only

Trade Union Friends of Israel Report

Welcome to this TUC Congress 2008 special update. It has been a busy year for all involved with Trade Union Friends of Israel (TUFI) and the promotion of peace in the region.

TUFI has been involved in a number of activities to brief and inform trade unionists on developments, politically and industrially, in the Middle East and encourage unions to play an inclusive role in supporting their Israeli and Palestinian counterparts.

The message of the landmark agreement between the Histadrut (Israeli TUC) and the Palestine General Federation of Trade Unions (PGFTU) quickly spread through the TUC Congress last week. Brendan Barber, in his opening speech to conference, congratulated Guy Ryder of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) for mediating between the two federations and praised them for coming together, despite all the difficulties. He said he hoped the agreement would “carve a path that political leaders could now follow”.

The importance of the agreement was reaffirmed by Avital Shapira-Shabirow, head of the Histadrut’s International Department, at TUFI’s TUC fringe event. Mrs Shapira-Shabirow, one of the key representatives during the negotiations, told the gathering of over 70 delegates that the agreement would help Palestinian workers and improve their day-to-day lives, have positive repercussions for the wider ongoing peace process and “pave the way for continuous co-operation”. She said, categorically, that all financial issues between the Histadrut and the PGFTU had been settled with nearly £2 million transferred to the PGFTU in July 2008.

Israeli Industrial News: National Labour Tribunal orders port employees back to work

International Trade Union News: Carpenters criticise fellow unions on Israel

Israeli Industrial News: Tel Aviv Stock Exchange reaches agreement with workers

Israeli Industrial News: Disruptions at Ben-Gurion as ground staff strike

Israeli Industrial News: Israeli journalists propose forum to confront crisis facing Israeli and Palestinian media staff

British Trade Union News: Brendan Barber praises Histadrtu/PGFTU agreement

Israeli affairs: Livni wins Israel party primary

Middle East Peace Process: Olmert says Israel has to return occupied lands to achieve peace