Press Release - Britain’s unions commit to a mass boycott

Press release – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
 17 September 2009

Britain’s unions commit to a mass boycott movement of Israeli goods

In a landmark decision, Britain’s trade unions have voted overwhelmingly to commit to build a mass boycott movement, disinvestment and sanctions on Israel for a negotiated settlement based on justice for Palestinians.

The motion was passed at the 2009 TUC Annual Congress in Liverpool today (17 September), by unions representing 6.5 million workers across the UK.

Hugh Lanning, chair of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, said: ‘This motion is the culmination of a wave of motions passed at union conferences this year, following outrage at Israel’s brutal war on Gaza, and reflects the massive growth in support for Palestinian rights. We will be working with the TUC to develop a mass campaign to boycott Israeli goods, especially agricultural products that have been produced in illegal Israeli sehat have been produced in illegal Israeli settlements in the Palestinian West Bank.’

The motion additionally called for the TUC General Council to put pressure on the British government to end all arms trading with Israel and support moves to suspend the EU-Israel trade agreement. Unions are
 also encouraged to disinvest from companies which profit from Israel’s illegal 42-year occupation of Gaza and the West Bank.

The motion was tabled by the Fire Brigades Union. The biggest unions
 represents health service workers, voted in favor of the motion. in the UK, including Unite, the public sector union, and UNISON, which Britain’s trade unions join those of South Africa and Ireland in voting to use a mass boycott campaign as a tool to bring Israel into line with international law, and pressure it to comply with UN resolutions that encourage justice and equality for the Palestinian people..

Media contact: Palestine Solidarity Campaign 020 7700 6192 The full motion passed on 17 September can be viewed at: http://www.congressvoices.org/2009/76-palestine/

The Palestine Solidarity Campaign is the largest solidarity movement with Palestinians in Britain – and is supported by thousands of individual members alongside 18 national trade union and hundreds of local trade union affiliates. For more information: http://www.palestinecampaign.org

 The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement aims to pressure Israel into complying with international law. http://www.bdsmovement.net/

The Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) aims to raise public awareness people. PSC seek to bring pressure on both the British and Israeli about the occupation of Palestine and the struggle of the Palestinian government to bring their policies in line with international law. PSC is an independent, non-governmental and non-party political organization with members from communities across the UK. Join PSC today!

Palestine Solidarity Campaign
 Box BM PSA
 London
 WC1N 3XX
 
 Tel:   020 7700 6192
 Fax:  020 7609 7779
 
 Email: info@palestinecampaign.org
 
 Web: www.palestinecampaign.org