As the International Day of Solidarity with Palestinian People, on Wednesday 29 November, approaches, we call on all European trade unions, federations and confederations to respond to the call of Palestinian workers and civil society for an immediate comprehensive ceasefire, full access to humanitarian assistance and a military embargo.
We call for a trade union day of action like solidarity actions, sit-ins, educational activities, protests and to take action against complicit companies involved in implementing Israel’s brutal and illegal siege, especially if they have contracts with your trade union and to continue those actions as long as the situation lasts.
Since the attack of Hamas on October 7th, Israel has launched its brutal retaliatory attack against the besieged Gaza Strip with 14,800 Palestinians killed due to Israeli bombardments, including about 6,000 children and 4,000 women.
Israel has indiscriminately and intensively bombarded Gaza, cut off fuel, electricity, water, food, and medical supplies, bombed schools and hospitals, leveling whole neighborhoods and wiping out entire families. UN experts called for “the prevention of Genocide” in Gaza, and warned of the “mass ethnic cleansing of Palestinians.”
In the occupied West Bank Palestinians have experienced an increase in violence by Israeli soldiers and settlers, with over 200 Palestinians killed, including 52 children, 2,800 injured, 1,000 displaced and 1,800 arrested since 7 October.
We support the call of Palestinian trade unions to end all forms of complicity with Israeli violations of international humanitarian and human rights law, including through the International Criminal Court. We call on all unions in Europe to organise and build the labour movement to support Palestinian workers, and demand an end to the killing of Palestinian civilians, including through an arms embargo.
We salute dockworkers in Barcelona, Genoa, sailor union workers of Piraeus and transport workers in Belgium for their refusal to transport and handle weapons used to commit war crimes in Gaza. We salute the workers in the US, UK, Canada and other countries for blocking weapon facilities.
We call for urgent protection for public service workers and targeting of public services including health care, water and sanitation, energy, education, and the wounded, sick and civilians who need them. International law must be respected and the collective punishment of the people of Gaza must end.
Workers worldwide taking a stand for Palestinian workers send a powerful message: our collective strength can disrupt the flow of weapons! Join us for a day of action on November 29th!
European Trade Union Network for Justice in Palestine