Anti-Apartheid Wall Campaign: UK Union votes for boycott and divestment

Worldwide Activism

UK Union votes for boycott and divestment
Worldwide activism, Palestinian grassroots Anti-Apartheid Wall Campaign, June 26th, 2008

UNISON, a union in the UK, has strengthened its policy of boycott, divestment and sanctions from the Occupation state during its 2008 National Delegate Conference. UNISON, which has a membership of 1.3 million workers, is the largest public sector union in the country.

UNISON bases their support for BDS in protest of current siege on Gaza as well as on a recognition of the Palestinian history of dispossession. According to the resolution:

“2008 marks the sixtieth anniversary of the "Nakba" which led to nearly 900,000 Palestinians refugees fleeing their homes. Many of them and their descendants still live in refugee camps and all are unable to return to their homes.

Conference condemns the current siege of Gaza which threatens a humanitarian catastrophe through the denial of food, water, power and medical supplies by the Israeli government in breach of international law which outlaws collective punishment of a civilian population.”

UNISON has outlined a number of steps that will be taken to isolate the Occupation. The committee has called for an investigation of members’ pension funds with aim of calling for disinvestment from companies profiting from the occupation, such as Caterpillar, which has been mentioned by name. The union has also called for divestment from any company involved with the Wall, stating,

“the union divests itself of any holdings in companies responsible for maintaining the illegal Wall condemned by the International Court of Justice.”

Furthermore, the union has also called for a ban on imports of all goods, in particular agricultural produce, which is produced in West Bank settlements. This will especially impact Agrexco, one of the main exporters of “Israeli” produce that has a sizeable operation in the Jordan Valley.

Finally, UNISON has called for an end to the arms trade between Israel and Britain and EU, the end result of which should be a UN arms embargo. Also, they have called for “suspension of the European Union/Israel Association Agreement until Israel is in full compliance of its human rights clauses.” This last call is particular urgent in light of the EU's recent vote to upgrade diplomatic, academic and economic ties to the Occupation state.