20 October 2023

As trade unionists in Britain we wish to respond to the urgent call for solidarity issued by Palestinian trade unions. They say: “Palestinian trade unions call on our counterparts internationally and all people of conscience to end all forms of complicity with Israel’s crimes.”

The call further states:

“Israel has demanded that 1.1 million Palestinians evacuate the northern half of Gaza, whilst subjecting them to constant bombardment. This ruthless move is part of Israel’s plan, backed by unwavering support and active participation from the US and majority of European states, to carry out unprecedented and heinous massacres against 2.3 million Palestinians in Gaza and to ethnically cleanse it altogether.”

This collective punishment of the population of Gaza has been encouraged by the British government which has made no criticism of Israeli’s actions or its long history of systematic discrimination and violence against the Palestinians. No wonder Palestinians fear a second Nakba, or catastrophe, referring to the mass dispossession and ethnic clearing of up to a million Palestinians in 1948 with the creation of the Israeli state. The current inhabitants of Gaza are direct descendants of the dispossessed of ‘48.

The bombing of al-Ahli Baptist hospital, leaving at least 500 dead, underlines the horror of the Israeli assault on Gaza.

Sunak and Starmer say they stand with Israel against the Hamas attacks but have been silent about the fate of Gaza. Together with the actions and statements from other Western governments this has sent a signal to Israel that it can act with impunity.

We demand that Britain ends its military and political support for Israel’s actions.

Britain continues to issue government approved export licences to allow arms sales to Israel for example – between 2016 and 2020 alone these amounted to the value of £387 million in arms sales. And Britain has announced that it is sending two Royal Navy ships together with surveillance aircraft to the eastern Mediterranean in another clear signal of support for Israel’s actions.

We urge all trade unions to stand with the Palestinian people in Gaza and beyond. Every union should debate what steps can be taken to challenge British complicity with Israel’s war machine and the ongoing dispossession of Palestinians. As a first step, we urge every trade unionist to attend demonstrations in support of the Palestinians along with their union banners to show they are not be alone in their struggle for justice.

Show your support for this call – sign this statement Trade Unionists must stand with Palestine

Statement initiated by MENA Solidarity Network. Please email gazatustatement@gmail.com with any queries or to correct any errors.

Initial signatories include: 

Jess Edwards, NEU national executive member

Elizabeth McLean, Executive member NEU Executive    

Christopher Denson, National Executive National Education Union

Elly Owen, District and branch secretary, South Gloucestershire NEU

Cynthia Kasar, Workplace representative, Oxfordshire NEU

Pauline Philippe, District Treasurer, Tower Hamlets and the City NEU

Carol Wing, Representative Oxfordshire NEU

Georgia Townshend, NEU Executive, Essex NEU

Debs Gwynn, NEU Executive Member, Halton NEU

Jon Reddiford, NEU national executive member, North Somerset NEU

Mehreen Begg, Croydon NEU

Chris Dutton, National Executive NEU

Louise Regan, National Executive NEU

Michaela Wilde, National Exec NEU, Bristol/CLF branch

Leigh Seedhouse, NEU Executive    

Dawn Taylor, Local secretary Stockport NEU

Noelle Dallas, Bristol Committee Member NEU

Norhan Nabeeh, Assistant Branch Secretary CLF, NEU

Amber Williams, President Bristol district NEU

Mike Gurney, Joint Secretary, Devon District NEU

Ruth Chillitupa, International Solidarity officer Wilts NEU

Tashan Charles, Workplace Rep, Waltham Forest NEU

Sophie Townsend, Equalities officer, Wiltshire, NEU

Graham Childs, LGBT+ OF, District President and workplace rep West Hampshire NEU

Carly Slingsby, NEU Executive

Tom Bolton, Joint Branch and District Secretary, Bristol NEU

Amy Fletcher, District President, Tower Hamlets & City NEU

Leo Nikolaidis, Officer South Gloucestershire NEU

Paul McGarr, Vice president, Tower Hamlets and the City NEU

Rae Garvin, Equalities Officer, Tower Hamlets and the City NEU

Lucy Preston, Branch and district assistant secretary, Tower Hamlets and City, NEU

Jennifer Bhambri-Lyte, President/Chair North Somerset NEU/CLF branch    

Lee Everson, Regional Officer, NEU

Marion O’Malley, Tower Hamlets NEU

Jemma Garraway, Workplace Rep NEU and H&S rep Oxfordshire

John Nealon, Branch Committee Member Oxford Branch Committee NEU

Vanessa Benjamin Smith Local rep    Oxfordshire NEU

Carmen Tracey-Ramos, International Officer, Oxfordshire branch, NEU

Lisa Weir, Branch Secretary, Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole, NEU

Dan Warrington, District membership secretary, Surrey NEU

Ann Tolin, Rep Coventry NEU

Jenny Cooper, Executive Member, Brent/London, NEU

Duncan Blackie, NEC Sheffield NEU

Mairead Canavan, Executive  Vale of Glamorgan NEU

Michelle Purdie, Joint District & Branch Secretary Wokingham NEU

Kerry Jackson, Rep NEU Oxon

Shelley Taylor Workplace Representative North Somerset NEU

Stephen Wyatt, Union Rep Teaching NEU

Ruby Szarowicz, Committee member, South Gloucester, NEU

Niel Apps, Divisional Secretary, Somerset NEU

Sima Parminter, Assistant Secretary West Sussex    NEU

Mohammed Ayaz, Delegation member Coventry, NEU

Pamela Moore, Treasurer, North Somerset District    NEU

Kieran Picken, District and Joint Branch Secretary, Derby City NEU

Sheila Caffrey, National Executive Member Bristol    NEU

Paul Grist, NEU North Yorkshire Branch Chair

Kate Howlin, Workplace rep, West Sussex NEU

Michael Dance, Redbridge NEU Committee Officer    Redbridge

Sally Kincaid, International Officer Wakefield District    NEU

Michaela Loebner, School Rep, Lewisham NEU

Toy Mitchell, Member, Lewisham NEU

Viktor Bengtsson, Workplace Representative, Lewisham NEU

Paul Grist, North Yorkshire NEU Branch Chair

Timothy Marshall, School Rep North Yorkshire NEU

Eleanor Davies, District Secretary Lewisham NEU

Alex Gwinnett, Committee member Lewisham NEU

Michael Holland, Assistant Secretary Lambeth NEU

Robert    Ferguson, Member Newham NEU

Steve Handford, Workplace Representative    Northumberland NEU

Robert Robertson, Member Tower Hamlets    NEU

Clare Laine, Rep Islington NEU

Pippa Dowswell, Assistant Secretary Islington NEU

Phil Bloomfield, Member, Southwark NEU

Miriam Scharf, International Solidarity Officer    Newham NEU

Nancy Budler, School Representative  Calderdale     NEU

Janice Millington, ISO and rep North Derbyshire    NEU

Mohamed Adan, Member NEU

Akhtar Hussain, Member NEU

Emily Scurrah, Worker, NEU Member, Unite NEU/NEU Unite Branch    

Phil Graham, Retired member, Aslef

Alex Bradley, Rank and file, Bristol CWU district Amal

Lee Starr-Elliott, Equality officer, CWU Bristol

Pete Firmin, retired CWU member, vice chair Brent Trades Council

Andy Young, CWU

Wasib Iqbal, local rep, Leeds No 1 Amal    CWU

Angela McCormick, EIS FELA Executive member

Sam Mason, GMB

Dave Statham, Honorary life member GMB Holborn Branch

Geoff Taylor, Representative, TEFL Workers’ Union, Industrial Workers of the World (IWW)

John Pawson, member, Musicians Union

Peter Jackson, PCS NEC, Birmingham south PCS

Marianne Owens, NEC (pc) PCS

Steve West, Branch Co-Secretary PCS DWP Edinburgh, Lothian & Borders PCS

John McGrory, Branch Rep, Leeds R&C    PCS

Dean Battell, Activist East Sussex Coastway RMT

Hugh Wallis, RMT

Sarah Davies, Royal College of Midwives (retired)

Geoff Taylor, TEFL Workers’ Union (IWW) / UCU (retired) (pc)

Michael Letwin, Former President, UAW Local 2325

Rania Obead, Member Edinburgh Napier    UCU

Sean Wallis, UCU NEC member and London Region secretary, UCL UCU branch secretary

Sean Vernell, UCU NEC, City and Islington college    

Nariman Massoumi, University of Bristol    UCU

Marian Mayer, Vice Chair Bournemouth University UCU. National Negotiator UCU    

Christian Hogsbjerg, Treasurer University of Brighton UCU

Ioana Cerasella Chis, Branch officer University of Birmingham UCU

Sheila Cullen, Health and Safety Officer    Moulsecoomb, University of Brighton    UCU

Camilla Royle, UCU Durham University

Amira Abdelhamid, Member UCU

Jill Brown, Retired member, City of Bristol College UCU

Arabella Stanger, Member, UCU Sussex

Bee Hughes, Branch Chair, LJMU UCU 

Rhiannon Lockley, UCU NEC, UCU Equality Chair, Birmingham City University UCU

Julie Hearn, UCU NEC, Lancaster UCU Co-president, Equality Officer

Joanna Gilmore, UCU

Saira Weiner, Branch Secretary, NW Regional Vice Chair  LJMU UCU, UCU NW Regional Committee    

Sandra Ergueta, Member Cambridge UCU

Penny Morris, Retired member, Senate House branch UCU

`Danai Avgeri, Member, Cambridge UCU

Raphael Salkie, UCU

Caleb Day, Anti-Casualisation Officer Durham University, UCU

Nicola Pratt, Membership Secretary Warwick University UCU

Simon Behrman, Warwick University UCU

Simon Boxley, Branch Secretary University of Winchester branch UCU

James    Eaden, President Chesterfield and District Trades Union Council, UCU

Sue Elliott, Retired Section, UCU

Simon Gilbert, Oxford University, UCU

Rolf Fruin, Branch Secretary, Merton College UCU

Liam Orr, H&S Rep THC Arbour Square and Outreach UCU

Daphne Hunter, Retired member UCU

Maria Vasquez-Aguilar, Chair City Lit UCU

Lena Wanggren, UCU Edinburgh; UCU Scotland

Liz Wheatley, Unison NEC and chair of International committee (pc)

Tony Wilson, Unison NEC and vice chair of International committee (pc)

Libby Nolan, Unison NEC (pc)

Steve North, Unison NEC (pc)

David Jones, Unison NEC (pc)

Jane Doolan, Unison NEC (pc)

Julie Forgan, Unison NEC (pc)

Jordan Rivera, Unison NEC (pc)

Julia Mwaluke, Unison NEC (pc)

Kevin Corran, Unison NEC (pc)

Andrea Egan, Unison NEC (pc)

Becci Brookman, Unison NEC (pc)

Mark Fisher, Unison NEC (pc)

Nathalie Riordan, Unison NEC (pc)

Caroline Johnson, Unison NEC (pc)

Lorna Hood, Unison NEC (pc)

Christine Collins, Unison NEC (pc)

Sara Evans, Unison NEC (pc)

Mandy Buckley, Unison NEC (pc)

Jo Tapper, Unison NEC (pc)

Ian Mckendrick, Communcations officer Oxfordshire UNISON Health Branch UNISON (pc)

David Fellows, Chair East Sussex Area Branch, Retired Members Section UNISON (pc)

Chris Flanagan, Chair South Staffordshire & Shropshire Healthcare UNISON (pc)

Andy Richards, StewardBrighton and Hove Unison (pc)

Sandy Nicoll, Branch Secretary SOAS UNISON (pc)

Arthur Nicoll, Co-Chair, Dundee City UNISON (pc)

Mike Griffin, Shop steward, Unison (pc)

Helen Davies, Branch Chair, UNISON (pc)

Jenny Leow, Chair Homerton UNISON (pc)

Alison Drew, Rep, Uhb birmingham UNISON (pc)

Alex Platt, Member University of Leeds Unison (pc)

Graeme Cumming, Retired member, South Ayrshire Unison (pc)

Rebecca Bryson (pc), Branch Chair Unison South Derbyshire Healthcare Unison

Tony Martin, Unison retired member Unison (pc)

Tony Martin, Unison Retired Member Unison (pc)

Lyndsey, Waters, Shop steward Islington Unison (pc)

Vernetta O’Loughlin, Equalities Officer Trafford Metropolitan Unison LG (pc)

Susan Hunt, Member Unison Trafford (pc)

Amina  Idrees, Steward Birmingham and Solihull    Unison

Teresa Pursall, Unison Community (pc)

Janine Broderick, Deputy Branch Secretary    Birmingham Unison (pc)

Sue Talbot, Wakefield LG Unison (pc)

Naomi Junnor, International officer, Steward, Equalities office, Glasgow City Branch, Unison (pc)

Khansa Bibi, Unison (pc)

Sjoerd Smit, Member LE/7098L Unite

Les Storey, Retired member, Unite Bristol    Unite

Jon Farley, Member Unite Community Leeds, Wakefield and York

Katrina Mayer, Unite Community Leeds & Wakefield

Stephen Johnston, Treasurer Unite Community Leeds Wakefield and York

James Hignett, Member, Luton Retired Branch    Unite

Edward Potter, Member, Unite

Anne Mitchell, Member, South Coast 6246 Unite

Jane Creagh-Osborne, Unite Community Cornwall

Oscar Belmonte, Ordinary Member, UNITE Branch SE/6246

Michael Quinn, Member Unite

Craig Logan, Unite Community in Cheshire and Chester Unite

Hillel Fridman, Unite Community

Janet Matthews, Branch Activist Teesside and Durham Community Unite

Sandra Rowland, West Wales Unite

Alan Rowland, Member, West Wales Unite

Heather Falconer,  Member Unite Community Swansea

Susan Price, Member, Unite Leeds Wakefield York Community

Danny Gazzi, GLAB Community UNITE

Phil de Souza, Unite Community South West Unite

David Eatock, Member, 6/389 Unite

Maggie Palmer, Branch Chair SLAM NHS Unite Branch UNITE

Kati Silverberg, Member, NW389    Unite

David Vickers,  Member NW/70401 Unite

Shivakaran Sivanathan, Rank and file, LE/00019    Unite

Patricia Baron, Retred Unite

Kate Hunter, Member, Berks, Oxon & Bucks    Unite Community

Janet Matthews, Branch Activist Teesside and Durham Branch Unite Community

Jackie    Lederer, Branch Secretary Portsmouth and District Unite Community

Anthony Shaw, Yorkshire and Humberside Unite Community

Tracey Farrar, Member, West Yorkshire    Unite Community

Ann Brandon, Member, Greenwich & Lewisham Unite Community

Dilys Beaumont, Member  Leeds, Wakefield and York branch Unite Community

Jane Samson, Member, UK South West Unite Community

Maureen Purcell, Unite Community

Barry Ewart, Member and Activist, Leeds Wakefield York, Unite Community

Dave Sherry, Branch vice chair, Glasgow Unite SC/164/RM Branch Unite Scotland

Ellen Graubart, Ordinary member, Unite Community SE

Mary Littlefield, Branch Secretary, Unite Community Norfolk Branch

Mark Jones, Member, Unite Community    

Linda Heiden, Joint deputy secretary Lambeth & Southwark Unite Community

Anna Livingstone, Branch Officer (treasurer) Unite, Member BMA    Barts Health Unite LE/7384L and Tower Hamlets BM

Sasha Simic, Shop Steward USDAW C133 Central Books branch

Frances Mills

Simon Hester, Chair Hastings & District Trades Union Council

Layla Birt

Aysha Khan