There has been increasing international concerns raised about the way the government of Israel and its military has been carrying out its actions in Gaza.

Following the Annual General Meeting in March, a motion was passed that will be put forward at National Conference.

This Trade Union Notes:

• Israel has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians in the besieged Gaza Strip, a sizeable proportion of whom are children.  The vast majority of Gaza’s population has been displaced. UN experts have described the scenes in Gaza as ‘apocalyptic.’
• Barclays is bankrolling Israel’s devastating assault through its investments in, and financial ties to, companies supplying weapons and military to Israel, used in its attacks on Palestinians.
• The urgent call by Palestinian trade unions for unions around the world to take action against companies involved in implementing Israel’s assault on Gaza, and to pressure companies deeply complicit in the military trade with Israel.
• Palestine Solidarity Campaign is calling for a boycott of Barclays until it ends its complicity in Israel’s devastating assault on Palestinians.

The Trade Union Believes:

• That Trade Unions and their members have a key role in pushing for positive change
• That we should express solidarity with the Palestinian struggle for freedom, justice, and self-determination
• That businesses, the UK government, and financial institutions like Barclays bank have a responsibility to end their complicity in Israel’s ongoing crimes against Palestinians.

The Trade Union Resolves:

• To commit that the trade union will not use Barclays services while the bank continues to be complicit in Israel’s violations of Palestinian rights, and to move any services we currently use Barclays for.
• To write to Barclays expressing this commitment, and encouraging them to end their investments, loans and financial ties with Israel apartheid, and then to publish this letter on the trade union website.
• To support the ‘Barclays: Don’t Bank on Apartheid’ campaign (https://www.palestinecampaign.org./campaigns/stop-arming-israel-3)
• To publicise information to trade union members about the call to boycott Barclays, including through social media and in an e-mail to all members of the union.

Local Events

Medical Aid for Palestinians is a British charity that works towards ensuring “Palestinians can access an effective, sustainable and locally-led system of healthcare, and the full realisation of their rights to health and dignity.”

For more information on MAP please go to their website.

UNISON guidance & information on Gaza

Below is a link to all the recent articles on the UNISON national website about the situation in Gaza

https://www.unison.org.uk/search/gaza

The union is encouraging branches to donate to Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP). The link below gives more details and also has the link on how to donate.

Donate to aid efforts in Gaza and Israel

If anyone is in any doubt about the union’s policy position on Palestine, here is the latest motion that was passed at National Delegate Conference last year.

We Need to Talk About Palestine

This is the link to the Guide for UNISON activists ‘Talking about Palestinian Rights’ that is referred to in action point 1 of the motion.