UK union congress backs call for boycott and sanctions against Israel
The Trades Union Congress has endorsed a motion calling for action over the destruction of Gaza and settler violence in the occupied West Bank.
The UK Trades Union Congress has unanimously backed a motion supporting the Palestinian-led Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, adding pressure on the government to change its policy towards Israel.
The motion was passed on Wednesday at the TUC’s annual conference in Brighton. The congress represents more than 5.3 million workers and, according to Al Jazeera, supported BDS for the first time.
Proposed by Artists’ Union England, the motion calls for campaigns against military cooperation and arms deals with Israel, wide-ranging government sanctions, and support for trade union-led campaigns backing Palestine.
The vote followed criticism of what the motion described as the “catastrophic destruction of Gaza” and Israeli settler violence in the occupied West Bank. The TUC has called for action through the motion; it has not itself imposed sanctions.
The decision contrasts with the government’s stated position. Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband recently announced a ban on imports from Israeli settlements while saying he opposed BDS and supported lawful UK-Israel trade.
The TUC and the UK government did not respond to Al Jazeera by the time of publication. The report did not include the motion’s full text or details of how its demands would be implemented.
