http://auspalestine.org Australian Unionists Supporting Palestine Thu, 01 Jul 2010 06:50:26 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ http://auspalestine.org/2010/06/28/international-union-resolution/comment-page-1/#comment-29 Thu, 01 Jul 2010 06:50:26 +0000 http://auspalestine.org/?p=506#comment-29 We reported the vote by ITUC, which is a big victory, given the history of ITUC and its predecessors ICFTU and WCL. PGFTU is quite happy, whereas Histadrut is not, despite the strange spin TULIP puts on all events. Histadrut previously held one of the many vice-president positions. Though not pushing BDS, Sharan Burrow’s statement is quite useful, as is the suggestion by ITF to take an aid flotilla to Gaza. AusPalestine also reported earlier on COSATU’s amendment on boycotts, divestment an dsanction, which Australian delgates tell us was not put, due to maneuvrings by German, USA and Japanese unions. We would prefer that the amendment supporting BDS was put, debated and approved, with the African, Latin American, Asian and most European affiliates supporting it. We would also prefer that ACTU united in support of the Australian trade unions and regional labor councils who have voted to support boycotts of Israel, or at least of settlement products, but since we don’t control ITUC or ACTU, it appears more work needs to be done educating, agitating and mobilising around this with unions from grassroots levels to national leaderships.

]]> http://auspalestine.org/2010/06/28/international-union-resolution/comment-page-1/#comment-28 Tue, 29 Jun 2010 10:08:38 +0000 http://auspalestine.org/?p=506#comment-28 Unfortuately, it also rejected the BDS campaign by pro-Palestine unions and elected an official of the pro-apartheid Israeli Histadrut to its executive, much to the glee of the Israel front group in the unions, TULIP (see http://www.tuliponline.org/?p=1930). It did this by blocking a COSATU resolution calling for support for BDS against apartheid Israel. Surely the AusPalestine should point that out?

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