COSATU welcomes UNITE’s Resolution on Palestine at its Annual Policy Conference COSATU applauds the courageous British workers organised under the auspices of the biggest union in the UK, UNITE-the-Union which has more than 1.4 million members, for the very decisive and progressive motion to tangibly support the just cause of the Palestinian people. UNITE represents the most progressive strand of trade unionism in the developed world and on most accounts, its articulate profoundly progressive perspectives that inspires even the global south in the way it always decisively and genuinely expresses solidarity with all oppressed and suffering workers and people, particularly on matters sometimes viewed by some as “difficult” for fear of contradicting their ruling classes, such as Palestine, Cuba, Western Sahara and Colombia. The main motion clearly condemned Israel violations of international law, such as settlement construction, crimes of persecution against the Palestinian people, the Israeli military’s detention and torture of Palestinian children, including the racist laws affecting Palestinian citizens of Israel. It finally reaffirmed its commitment to Resolution 194 which asserts the rights of the Palestinians expelled by Israel to return to their land. The motion commits Unite to taking bolder steps like those that were taken against the South African apartheid regime as part of the fight against the Israeli ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people. The union will work with others to develop a campaigning and leverage strategy around BDS within the next 12 months, notably against complicit companies involved in the occupation, the apartheid wall and the illegal settlements (such as Veolia, G4S and Sainsburys). While many continue to recite the tired verses from the hymn book of their masters about Palestine, doing all they can to avoid confronting the apartheid state of Israel and its creation, Histandrut, UNITE Has always been unapologetic about what justice means for colonised, occupied and racially discriminated people. There is neither neutrality nor “better way to look at it” in struggle, its just pure injustice and oppression.Its an important lesson to all who are still working hard to cover up for racism and colonialism, those who are speaking the language of their ruling classes and always working hard to protect the Israeli regime at all cost. Undemocratic methods of silencing the voices of justice and solidarity shall never deter the global movement for a free and just Palestine, without colonialism, racism and occupation. Every trade union that takes its mission as a movement for justice seriously cant just pay lip service to the struggle against racism and colonialism, but throw its full weight to crush and end the occupation of Palestine through supporting actively the BDS movement and all efforts aimed at peacefully boycotting and isolating Israel as a state founded on the basis of apartheid, which according to international law and several UN conventions is a crime against humanity. Bongani Masuku (International Relations Secretary) Congress of South African Trade Unions 110 Jorissen Cnr Simmonds Street Braamfontein P.O.Box 1019 Johannesburg South Africa 2000
Posted on: Mon, 07 Jul 2014 20:07:02 +0000
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