Solidarity with Palestine – a trade union conference organised by Palestine Solidarity Campaign with the support of TUC took place on Saturday 5 April at Congress House in London.
After an introduction by Mohammed Taj the TUC President, the delegates heard about the situation in Gaza from Rania Khalil, and were treated to an update on the global BDS campaign by Omar Barghouti form the Palestinian National Boycott Committee (BNC) via a live skype link.
The day was then divided up into working sessions, with a series of commissions dealing with organising for Palestine within the UK trade unions, as well as on how to build specific campaigns in UK unions. The afternoon workshops dealt with key aspects of the solidarity work in the UK, with for example sessions on complicity and the law, the role of the media, building networks for BDS and how Palestine is an equalities issue.
The conference also heard from Abed Dari, Jericho fieldworker for Kav LaOved. Abed’s presentation covered the situation of Palestinian workers inside Israel and inside the illegal Israeli settlements. The presentation highlighted the unfair treatment these workers are subjected to, with unfair and poor working conditions, long hours with very little pay, and no access to support.
Abed Dari, Jericho fieldworker for Kav LaOved
The closing remarks by Hugh Lanning, Chair of PSC, focused on the need for further networking and sharing of information and resources to increase the growth and effectiveness of our campaigning in solidarity with the Palestinian people in the UK.
Hugh Lanning, Chair of PSC