Humanitaire Vakbondsmissie bezocht Gaza

Uit ITUC Humanitarian Mission Visits Gaza van 28 november 2012
 
The ITUC/ITF/PGFTU and trade unionists from Tunisia and Jordan, delivered a first instalment of solidarity funding to the Red Cross/Red Crescent, the main hospital and families suffering from the devastation.

An ITUC humanitarian solidarity mission into Gaza yesterday, organised with the International Transport Workers Federation, the PGFTU and trade unionists from Tunisia and Jordan, delivered a first instalment of solidarity funding to the Red Cross/Red Crescent, the main hospital and families suffering from the devastation there. The visit was the first time in 10 years that PGFTU General Secretary Shaher Sae’d and other PGFTU officials from the West Bank had been able to enter Gaza.
 
"Amongst the terrible devastation and senseless loss of life, there is determination and hope. The international trade union movement will continue to stand by the Palestinian people, and do all we can to support reconstruction and ensure that the appalling destruction is never repeated. A first and fundamental step must be recognition by the UN of enhanced status for Palestine this week," said ITUC General Secretary Sharan Burrow, who led the delegation.

Anan Qadri met ABVAKABO-sjaal op PSI-congres, en met steun van ABVAKABO FNV

Demonstratie tijdens het congres, voor Palestijnse rechten en voor acties om die rechten te realiseren. Linksboven Hugh Lanning, op 12 november spreker op een ABVAKABO-bijeenkomst over vakbonds-solidariteit voor Palestina, over de vakbondsbijdrage aan BDS. Anan Qadri speecht als lid van de Palestijnse vakbonds-delegatie.

Namens ABVAKABO FNV sprak Meindert van den Berg op het PSI congres te Durban op woensdag 28 November in onderstaande tekst steun uit voor een Palestinaresolutie, die drie ingediende resoluties samenbracht. Een korte tekst, aangezien door de grote hoeveelheid sprekers er slechts twee minuten spreektijd was. Maar een duidelijke tekst die onszelf een opdracht geeft.

Dear colleagues, Comrades,

The contribution I'm going to make concerns a statement of support for our Palestinian colleagues as worded in the new resolution number 49 (*).

Abvakabo FNV wants to express its support for this resolution as logical and in line with a number of resolutions adopted in previous congresses.

In this occasion we like to promote the wishes of the PGFTU discussed in the PSI Solidarity Workshop in Amman in June 2010 (**).

Key elements are that the international trade union movement must double her efforts to end the occupation.

The ongoing occupation is destructive for the Palestinian society, making a decent life and decent work for our colleagues impossible and is a destructive element for the whole region.

Abvakabo FNV strongly supports and promotes Corporate Social Responsibility and works in line with that in targeting corporate complicity as stressed in this resolution.

We have the two largest Dutch pension funds divest from companies that are complicit to the Israeli Occupation.

Strengthening the Palestinian trade unions and having  stronger ties with them as recommended in this resolution is further a wish for us to work on with other PSI unions.

The  29th of November is the international day of solidarity with the Palestinian people as declared by the United Nations.

Let us adopt this resolution on this or that day and call upon all of PSI to work strongly on this issue so that next congress we can report successful results.

Thank you for your attention.

(*) Zie resolutie 49 in http://www.world-psi.org/en/psi-congress-resolutions alsmede resolutie 42!
 
Kern is van de resolutie
- Steun voor de PGFTU-oproep voor 'Palestinian statehood' en daartoe bij de eigen nationale regeringen lobbyen;
- Onze regeringen en de internationale gemeenschap oproepen te werken aan duurzame vrede (negotiated settlement, mutual respect and selfdetermination, justice for Palestinians and security for Israel);
- Meer druk op Israel om de bezetting te stoppen en Muur en nederzettingen te verwijderen, desinvesteringscampagnes dus gericht op bedrijven die de bezetting/Muur/nederzettingen mede mogelijk maken, toepassing van internationaal recht afdwingen, internationaal recht verbiedt de export van nederzettingenprodukten;
- EU-lidstaten oproepen Europese wetgeving toe te passen voor wat betreft de herkomstaanduiding van producten;
- MVO (Corporate Social Resposibility): personeel van betrokken bedrijven betrekken bij het stoppen van alle activiteiten met of gelinked aan de illegale nederzettingen;
- Druk op in Israel gevestigde bedrijven en op de Israelische regering 'to respect decent work for all' conform ILO's acht kern-conventies en gespecificeerd in de conclusies van de slotresolutie van de Rio +20 Conferentie.

(**) Zie verslag Amman-workshop juni 2010, waar ABVAKABO en Anan Qadri elkaar troffen.
       Op verzoek per email kan dit Amman-verslag worden toegestuurd.

PSI-Congres en Palestina-steun, meer daarover

Nog twee berichten:

Major victory as PSI congress supports action on Palestine - PSC (England)

The Public Services International (PSI) trade union congress in Durban - representing 20 million public service workers globally - has voted overwhelmingly to take action in support of Palestine.
Two resolutions were passed. The Congress supported the call for UN to recognise Palestine as an independent state, but also to campaign for disinvestment from companies ässociated with the occupation as well as engaged in illegal settlements and the separation wall.

The Congress condemned all breaches of international law including the occupation and the siege of Gaza.

The congress went on to support a call from South African unions to endorse the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign.

The World Congress was held in Durban on 27-30 November. The vote took place on Wednesday the 28th of August.

The PSI represents 20 million workers globally who deliver public services
in 150 countries.

Hugh Lanning, Chair of Palestine Solidarity Campaign and Deputy General
Secretary of PCS, who moved the composite resolution, said

"This week trade unionists from around the world have demonstrated they
stand shoulder to shoulder in solidarity with the Palestinian people. Trade
Unionists are supporting the call for Boycott, Disinvestment and Sanctions of firms complicit with the occupation.

This is a major step forward and breakthrough on policy in the international trade union movement.

The Palestinian people have been denied their right to self determination since 1948. Many Palestinians are now living under an increasingly brutal occupation and it is our duty to support them by supporting boycott disinvestment and sanctions until Israel complies with international law."

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Major trade union backs boycott of Israel - Electronic Intifada

One of the world’s largest cross-border trade union groups has declared its support for the campaign to boycott Israeli goods and institutions.

Meeting in Durban, South Africa last week, Public Services International (PSI) also pledged to participate in Israel Apartheid Week, an annual series of events designed to raise awareness about the discrimination and human rights abuses faced by Palestinians. PSI represents 20 million workers throughout the globe.

A resolution urging support for the Palestinian-led mobilisation for boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) against Israel was proposed to the PSI congress by the South African Municipal Workers Union. Approved by a large majority, the resolution stated:

“We will continue working with our partners in the trade union movement to ensure that worker solidarity is maximized locally and internationally. The slogan of the trade union movement — ‘an injury to one is an injury to all’ — rings true for the people of Palestine. The injustices and human rights abuses towards Palestinians, while living under the rule of apartheid Israel, affects us all and we will continue to mobilize for a just resolution with urgency.”

The PSI binds together some 500 public-sector unions, who deliver vital services in 150 countries. Among the major concerns of PSI are bringing union solidarity to migrating workers; violence against women; and improving infrastructures in the areas of road-building, water and sanitation, energy, and waste. The PSI has also called on the US and its allies to cease providing weapons to Israel. And it pledged to develop campaigns aimed at persuading companies who are complicit in the occupation to withdraw from any economic activity in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.

Welcoming the PSI vote, Muhammed Desai from the organization BDS South Africa said: “Public tenders, municipal contracts and other services must now be scrutinized by shop stewards and trade unionists to ensure that our public services are not in any way connected to Israel. There should be no normal relations with an abnormal state.”

PSI-Congres versterkt Palestinasolidariteit met BDS

In Durban (Zuid-Afrika) hield PSI - Public Services International - van 27 t/m 30 november 2012 haar congres, met deelname van een ABVAKABO-delegatie onder leiding van bondsvoorzitter Corrie van Brenk. Palestinasolidariteit werd er versterkt met BDS. Zoals bekend is 'niet investeren in de bezettingspolitiek' staand bondsbeleid bij ABVAKABO FNV, de D van BDS.

Hier - op een foto van delegatielid Anita van Mele - Anan Qadri van de Palestijnse zusterbond bij een actie op het congres. De actie is gericht tegen de nederzettingenproducten. Meer uit de ABVAKABO-delegatie volgt uiteraard over al het op het congres bereikte, zoals over de Quality Public Services campagnes (QPS). QPS gaat ook over water en begerige speculanten. Terzijde (?): over water kunnen we veel leren van Palestijnen, o.a. via Thirsting for Justice. 

Uit mail van 30 november over een aangenomen resolutie tot steun aan Palestina:
 

The Public Services International (PSI), one of the largest international trade union bodies, representing 20 million workers who deliver public services in 150 countries, has adopted BDS in its current conference in Durban, South Africa. South African trade unions are the strongest supporters in the world of the Palestinian-led BDS movement.

PSI Adopts BDS

Major boycott of Israel victory as PSI congress adopts boycott resolution

30 November 2012

A major boycott of Israel victory has been achieved in Durban, South Africa. One of the largest international trade unions, the Public Services International (PSI), at its recent World Congress (27-30 November) voted to fully support and advance the Palestinian Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) against Israel campaign. The PSI World Congress also adopted a resolution to promote and partake-in the annual awareness-raising initiative, the annual Israel Apartheid Week (IAW) campaign.

The PSI represents 20 million workers globally who deliver public services in 150 countries. Two South African trade unions, the South African Municipal Workers Union (SAMWU) and the National Education Health and Allied Workers Union (NEHAWU) belong to the PSI. In fact, it was SAMWU that proposed the boycott of Israel resolution to the PSI World Congress.

The PSI World Congress ends today, Friday the 30th of November, at the Durban International Convention Centre (ICC). The boycott of Israel vote took place on Wednesday the 28th of August. In support of the vote, a public protest was held outside the Durban ICC (the venue of the PSI World Congress) by members of SAMWU and NEHAWU. The protest came after reports that some public sector unions from other countries who were present at the PSI World Congress were (unsuccessfully) subjected to political pressure from the Israeli-lobby not to support a resolution on the boycott of Israel.

Tahir Sema of SAMWU said after the vote: "It is through international workers solidarity that great gains have been achieved for human rights historically and the PSI endorsement of action for Palestine re-affirms this."

Rafeef Ziadah, of the Palestinian Trade Union Coalition for BDS (PTUC-BDS) commented from Brazil where she received news of the PSI resolution: "We welcome today's resolution and look forward to working with the PSI as well as its local South African members, SAMWU and NEHAWU, in advancing the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) against Israel campaign within trade unions. Israel must be isolated, like apartheid South Africa was, until it ends its violence against the Palestinian people, abides to international law and  ends its apartheid policies."

Muhammed Desai of BDS South Africa also welcomed the PSI World Congress resolution: "Public tenders, municipal contracts and other services must now be scrutinized by shop-stewards and trade unionists to ensure that our public services are not in any way connected to Israel. There should be no normal relations with an abnormal state."

ISSUED BY MUHAMMED DESAI ON BEHALF OF BDS SOUTH AFRICA

BOYCOTT, DIVESTMENT AND SANCTIONS IN SOUTH AFRICA (BDS SOUTH AFRICA)

Office 915 | 9th Floor | Khotso House | 62 Marshall Street | Johannesburg
PO Box 2318 | Houghton | 2041 | Johannesburg
T: +27 (0) 11 492 2414 | M: +27 (0) 84 211 9988 | F: +27 (0) 86 650 4836
W: www.bdssouthafrica.com | E: administrator@bdssouthafrica.com
www.facebook.com/bdssouthafrica | www.twitter.com/bdssouthafrica

BDS South Africa is a registered Non-Profit Organization. NPO NUMBER: 084 306 NPO
BDS South Africa is a registered Public Benefit Organisation with Section 18A status. PBO NUMBER: 930 037 446\
 
Zie verder van de Australian Unionists Supporting Palestine PSI passes Palestine resolution, een bericht van de Australische Palestinawerkgroep binnen de vakbeweging daar.

Geslaagde Palestinaconferentie van ABVAKABO FNV

Op maandag 12 november hield ABVAKABO FNV in De Burcht te Amsterdam een geslaagde Palestina-conferentie om te leren van de vakbeweging in Engeland en België. Steviger internationale solidariteit door leerzame internationale ervaringen uit te wisselen.

De centrale en inspirerende spreker was Hugh Lanning van de zusterbond PCS (Public and Commercial Services Union), hier met bondsvoorzitter Corrie van Brenk.

 

Koen Vanbrabandt van de Belgische ABVV (de Algemene Centrale-ABVV, één der ABVV-bonden) gaf een reeks aan AC-ABVV-activiteiten door. Regelmatig met delegaties Palestina bezoeken is al jaren praktijk bij PCS en bij AC-ABVV, zo viel sowieso te leren. Meer volgt. 

 

 

De vakbondshistorische ruimte van De Burcht bracht belangrijke vakbondseigenschappen in herinnering.

 

 

 

PSI riep Hamas en Israel op tot bestand

Zie hier de PSI Bestandsoproep waarin ook wordt aangegeven dat een bestand niet genoeg is. Inmiddels kwam het tot een bestand in de avond van 21 november. Over de mensenrechtensituatie in Gaza is de welbekende site van PCHR Gaza een goede bron.

Helaas zegt de PSI-oproep niets over de blokkade van de Gazastrook en de specifiek door de vakbeweging mogelijk te vervullen rol. Veel van de door Israel gebombardeerde 'targets in Gaza' behoren bij Public Services waarin overheidsfunctionarissen werken, of werkten.

Naar verwachting zal het komend PSI-wereldcongres in Durban (Zuid-Afrika) het onder andere hierover wel hebben eind november. Er liggen daar al Palestinaresoluties ter tafel die ondermeer het 'niet investeren in de bezettingspolitiek' tot thema hebben, in lijn met ABVAKABO-FNV's MVO-beleid inzake Palestina-Israel.

ABVAKABO is op het PSI-congres vertegenwoordigd door bondsvoorzitter Corrie van Brenk, Meindert van den Berg (bondspenningmeester met portefeuille internationale zaken), George de Roos (beleidsadviseur internationale zaken) en de leden Cynthia Dunnebier en Anita van Mele.

TRADING AWAY PEACE: How Europe helps sustain illegal Israeli settlements

Tuesday, 06 November 2012

Date of Publication: 30 October 2012 The October 2012 report titled “TRADING AWAY PEACE: How Europe helps sustain illegal Israeli settlements” is the result of a joint project of 22 organizations, including International Federation for Human Rights, Norwegian People’s Aid, Medical Aid for Palestinians. By providing details of involvement of European companies, the report shows how Europe facilitates the entrenchment and growth of the illegal Israeli settlements through the economic cooperation. It also outlines the effects of the Israeli settlements on Palestinians, explains why the settlements are illegal, highlights the restrictions on Palestinian economy and trade, discloses European corporate and political links with the settlements, analyses European policies with regard to the settlements, and in the end recommends a range of concrete and feasible measures to bring the actions of national governments and the European Union in line with their position on the illegality of the settlements.   Bron: PCHR Gaza