June 2009 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
UK Trade Union News: Foreign Secretary dismayed at trade union calls to boycott Israel
The Foreign Secretary David Miliband has expressed dismay that British trade unions are discussing motions calling for boycotts of Israel. In a statement released on Tuesday 23 June, Miliband said that Ivan Lewis, the new minister responsible for the Middle East, would meet with leaders of trade unions this week to discuss the issue and “make clear the government’s firm belief that calls for boycotts of Israel cannot and do not contribute to peace”.
Miliband said the economic, academic and cultural boycotts "obstruct opportunities for co-operation and dialogue, and serve only to polarise debate further”. He also commended the Histadrut (Israeli TUC) and the Palestine General Federation of Trade Unions (PGFTU) for their recent agreements and commitments to work together and said:
Initiatives like this bring people closer together, rather than pushing them further apart, and the Government welcomes and encourages British union support for such projects. It is vital that we do all we can to break the vicious cycle of fear and mistrust and help Israelis and Palestinians find common ground so that they can live together in peace. (23/06/2009)
Israeli-Palestinian Trade Union News: UN ILO report praises Histadrut-PGFTU co-operation
A new United Nations International Labour Organisation (ILO) report on the situation of workers in the occupied territories has praised the co-operation between Israeli and Palestinian trade unions. The report, published on 12 June, points to recent agreements between the Histadrut and the PGFTU as “a unique example of co-operation providing a basis for reinvigorated partnership” and states that “working together to protect workers’ rights and interests puts ILO values and principles first, displaying hope on the way to peace”. The report suggests that this co-operation is one of the few glimmers of light in an otherwise difficult situation for workers.
The key features of the Histadrut-PGFTU agreements highlighted in the ILO report include: the Histadrut reimbursing the PGFTU the outstanding balance of legal representation fees paid by Palestinians working for Israeli employers; the provision of Histadrut legal assistance to Palestinian workers employed by Israeli employers; and educational and vocational training courses for Palestinian trade unionists, particularly in the area of workers’ rights and occupational health and safety.
In addition, throughout the ILO report there are many references to the differences in the situation for workers in the West Bank and Gaza, noting that “the Gaza branch of the PGFTU is still suffering from the attacks against unionists and the takeover of offices and facilities by Hamas”.
Israeli-Palestinian Trade Union News: Israeli and Palestinian construction unions agree on a joint apprenticeship programme
In another agreement between Israeli and Palestinian trade unions, construction workers’ unions from both sides have come together to form an apprenticeship scheme. The programme will be sponsored by the respective unions and will entail permanent employment following the completion of a training program. International financial support is currently being sought in co-operation with the global confederation, Building and Wood Workers’ International.
UK Trade Union News: TUFI-Unison fringe event gathers support for “pro-peace, anti-boycott” position
Trade Union Friends of Israel (TUFI) held a packed fringe event on 17 June for over 50 Unison delegates attending the union’s annual conference in Brighton. The overall message of the event was “pro-peace-anti-boycott” and sparked a lively discussion, persuading a number of delegates to speak against the negative motion debated at the conference the following day.
TUFI was prohibited from attending Unison’s conference this year so the event was moved to a hotel outside the conference centre. The speakers included: Terry McCorran, a Unison branch secretary from Northern Ireland, Chris Hudson, a peace activist, and Eric Lee, who spoke for the new global organisation Trade Unions Linking Israel and Palestine (TULIP).
Chris Hudson spoke about his experiences of working as the head of the South African anti-apartheid movement in Ireland and criticised those that tried to draw parallels with the situation in Israel. Terry McCorran then talked about the positive work that trade unions had done to help the peace process in Northern Ireland and how they should do the same with Israel and Palestine instead of listening to the pro-boycott activists who were only attempting “to drive a wedge between the two sides”.
Speaking for TULIP, Eric Lee finished by saying that the anti-Israel activism in the UK trade union movement was not found in other countries and should not be seen as the norm.
International Trade Union News: German trade union backs Histadrut against anti-Israel boycotts
The Confederation of German Trade Unions (DGB) has declared its support for the new global trade union organisation, Trade Unions Linking Israel and Palestine (TULIP), which was founded to fight against boycotts and for positive Israeli-Palestinian trade union co-operation
Speaking at a joint Histadrut-DGB event in Berlin on 14 June, the President of the DGB, Michael Sommer, expressed dismay over trade unions advocating boycott measures against Israel and said he would propose affiliation with TULIP to the DGB’s Executive. At the same event, the chairman of the Histadrut Ofer Eini said that trade union boycotts only "damaged workers’ organisations" among Palestinians and Israelis and it was "absurd" to boycott one side when the Histadrut and PGFTU were working so closely together.
Peace Process: ‘Peacepoll’ shows that the majority of Palestinians and Israelis support two-state solution
A poll conducted by OneVoice, an international grassroots peace movement, has revealed that 74% of Palestinians and 78% of Israelis back a two-state solution and 59% of Palestinians and 66% of Israelis find a single, bi-national state ‘unacceptable’.
The ‘Peacepoll’ also reveals a clear desire for civic engagement in the peace process with Israelis and Palestinians keen to be more informed and involved: 58% of Israelis and 74% of Palestinians said that civic involvement in the peace process is ‘essential’ or ‘desirable’.
The poll, which highlights the main challenges for the peace process, was conducted after the recent Israeli elections by Dr. Colin Irwin, from the University of Liverpool, who did much of the polling to support the negations for the Good Friday Agreement in Northern Ireland. Although it shows some conflicts of opinion on issues such as priorities for negotiations and the future status of Jerusalem, it also highlights a willingness for peace with 77% of Israelis and 71% of Palestinians saying that a negotiated peace is either ‘essential’ or ‘desirable’.
Gaza: Support for Hamas drops
According to a study by the West Bank-based Bir Zeit University in May, Hamas’ hard-line policies are being blamed for suffering in Gaza. A poll by Bir Zeit found that just 23% of Palestinians in Gaza would vote for Hamas in a new parliamentary election, as opposed to 37% who would vote for Fatah. Abu Khaled, a shop owner in Gaza City told Bir Zeit that “people who voted for Hamas did not know their real policies. And if they knew the consequences of these policies, they wouldn’t have voted for them”.
MEPP: Israeli prime minister calls for the establishment of a Palestinian state
In a landmark speech at Israel’s Bar Ilan University on 14 June, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu laid out his vision for a two-state solution. Netanyahu, who previously avoided offering explicit support for an independent Palestinian state, said that Israel was ready to agree to a “Palestinian state side by side with the Jewish state”.
Netanyahu also stressed his support for aiding growth within the Palestinian economy, asking the Arab world to help develop industrial zones, new technologies and foster tourism. Netanyahu called on the Palestinian Authority to engage in immediate negotiations and made a commitment that until the border between Israel and the future Palestinian state is agreed, Israel had “no intention to build new settlements or set aside land for new settlements”. US President Barack Obama responded positively to Netanyahu’s announcements; the speech was, in part, a response to US pressure to openly support Palestinian statehood.
Israeli Affairs: Thousands march in peaceful Gay Pride parade in Jerusalem
Over 4,000 people participated in a peaceful Gay Pride parade in Jerusalem on 24 June. In the past, the gay pride event in the holy city had provoked protests from ultra-Orthodox Jews, but this year, except for one egg-throwing incident, there were no clashes. The marchers waved rainbow and Israeli flags and donned rainbow dresses, shirts and headbands.
The annual pride parade in Tel Aviv at the start of the month drew at least 20,000 participants, and ended with a ceremonial marriage between five couples on the city's beachfront.
Israeli Affairs: Status of Women Committee discusses recent rise in dismissals of pregnant women
Israel’s parliamentary Committee on the Status of Women convened on 3 June to discuss ways to fight the recent trend of employers dismissing pregnant women and women undergoing fertility treatment. The number of employer requests filed with the Women's Employment Commissioner has been rising over the last two years and the committee has attributed this to the recent financial crisis.
The head of Israel’s Women’s Network, Nurti Zur, said that “women are the first to suffer from the financial crisis...discrimination against women in the workplace in general, and pregnant woman in particular, is a widespread phenomenon which worsens in times of crisis."
Na’amat, the Movement for the Advancement of the Status of Women, has said that Israel’s current legislation only offers partial protection and its chairwoman, Talia Livni, has called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to bar employers from firing women altogether during the financial crisis.
Israeli Affairs: New law bans dismissal of workers on sick leave
Israel’s parliamentary Labour, Welfare and Health Committee approved the final reading of a bill on 17 June that will prohibit employers from dismissing staff while they are on sick leave. The new bill will also entitle employees to 60 days of leave if a spouse falls ill with a malignant illness and up to 90 days if a child becomes seriously ill; a 900% and 200% increase respectively.
Committee member Haim Katz MK (Likud) said the bill will “dramatically change the protection afforded to employees during illness and to the ability of employees to nurse their family members during periods of grave illness”. The Histadrut welcomed the new legislation and said it would initiate more such legislation in the coming months.
Israeli Industrial News: Petrol station managers allegedly fired for joining union
The Histadrut is considering taking legal action against the Israeli oil company, Sonol, alleging that it fired 20 petrol station managers for seeking to unionise and set up a workers’ committee. The Histadrut’s legal adviser Shay Teken said that “as far we know the workers who were sent dismissal notices all joined the Histadrut... this case is a big blow to the freedom to unionise and represents an infringement of the basic rights of the workers”. Sonol has maintained that the lay-offs were part of efficiency measures, which were part of a reorganisation plan at the petrol stations.
Bookmark this page with: