Palestinian unions have issued an urgent global call to action, calling on workers everywhere to halt the sale and funding of arms to Israel — and related military research.
“We are calling on trade unions in relevant industries:
- To refuse to build weapons destined for Israel.
- To refuse to transport weapons to Israel.
- To pass motions in their trade union to this effect.
- To take action against complicit companies involved in implementing Israel’s brutal and illegal siege, especially if they have contracts with your institution.
- Pressure governments to stop all military trade with Israel, and in the case of the US, funding to it.” (Source: Workers in Palestine, Progressive International)
We ask workers and unions in so-called Australia to heed this call on every point. So-called Australia manufactures and exports arms to Israel, an act of material support for genocide.
We call on unions in manufacturing, engineering, logistics and all other industries participating in the arms trade:
- To direct their members to refuse to build or transport weapons destined for Israel, or to participate at any point in the supply chain for those weapons.
- To support workers who refuse to participate in the manufacture and supply of weapons destined for Israel, whether members or not. This includes strike funds and legal support.
We also call on unions and peak bodies whose members do not directly participate in the arms trade, but who share funds, spaces and affiliations with other unions and institutions that do:
- To demand that these unions and institutions heed the calls listed above.
- To enact all necessary steps to ensure these calls are heeded. This includes refusing to share funds, spaces or affiliations with those unions, peak bodies and institutions, until participation in the supply of arms to Israel is halted.
Following the global call for solidarity from Workers In Palestine, Britain's RMT union has voted to oppose the delivery of weapons to the Israeli regime. S.I. Cobas, a union in Italy's logistics sector, has vowed to “oppose any shipping of weapons to Israel”. The All India Central Council of Trade Unions has
called on workers worldwide to "unite and boycott manufacturing or loading of weapons and military equipment destined to Israel”. Belgian unions have
called on their members to refuse to load or unload "flights shipping military material to Palestine/Israel."
Solidarity with Palestinian workers.
End union complicity in genocide.
This open letter is an autonomous initiative in solidarity with the people of Palestine. Please share and circulate widely.
Please also contact your delegates and other union representatives directly to demand they undertake these steps. This is especially important if you are a member of a union which covers port, logistics, manufacturing, engineering or research workers, including MUA, NTEU, UWU, CPSU, ETU and AMWU.
Act from where you are to stop the supply of arms of Israel.
Signatures
A. Tseng
Omar Sakr
Zoe Douglas, CPSU
Laura Charlton
Jon Tjhia (Media Arts and Entertainment Alliance; National Tertiary Education Union)
Anna Wommatakimmi-Chapman
Anna Wommatakimmi-Chapman (Australian Services Union)
Maraika smit
John Eric Abetz
Annie McCann
Giovanni Tiso, Overland Journal
M scully
Lily P
J Pickett
Tahlia
Tahlia
Natalie Alexander
Violet Cully, Australian Services Union
Keiran Stewart-Assheton (Black Peoples Union)
April Cumming
Maxine Pasaurek
Paul from NSW
Hugh Nicklason
Alana Zepackic Black Peoples Union, CPSU
Simon Rendle-Short
Grace King NTEU
Hayden Roberts The Services Union
Tee Dunn
Bede
Kleo Cruse ASU
Scheherazade Bloul MEAA, NTEU
Aliasghar
Pitaya Chin
Lili G
Lauren Smith
Tamara Ryan (Australia Unemployed Workers Union) Australia Unemployed Workers Union
Erin McFadyen
Thomas Robertson Industrial Workers of the World
Caspar Cumming
Felix Grant AEU
Tom Lynch
Michelle
J McCauley
Amy Norris
Sinead Lewis
Thea Turnbull
Trenton Hoare
Jaymes O AMOU
Viric Blinters
Siobhan Paterson Electrical Trade Union
Katie MacLaren
G Heywood
Rhiannon Camino
Dan Hickey HACSU
Jordan A AEU
Ruth Roberts
Robert Cook CPSU
Yi-Hung Chen University of Queensland Union
Oliver Blackmore CPSU
Carey Wolhuter Health Services Union
Gabrielle Arellano
Jacinta G
Eliana Elias
E. Papanastasiou
Declan Furber Gillick Australian Writers Guild
Anna venville
Meret MacDonald
Cal Ashton CPSU
Loretta Gasparini Professional Scientists Australia
Leon McDade HACSU
L Lovell AEU
Michael Morgan NTEU
Nick Carter IEU
Kristin O'Connell Australian Unemployed Workers' Union
Claire Connelly MEAA
Simon Copland Australian Services Union
Danny Wardle NTEU
Kelly Albion ASU
Souheir Edelbi NTEU
James Conlan (ASU) James Conlan (ASU)
Joel Ribergaard AUWU
Erin Hodge USU
H Parsons
Yung En Chee National Tertiary Education Union
Kelly Fawcett Australian Services Union
Isabelle Moreton
Benjamin Ice MEAA
Pat Orr
Holly Burgoyne NTEU
Paul Springer AMWU
Warwick Gow The Services Union
Chris Woods CPSU and MEAA
Yasmin Hassan AEU
Lizzie O’Shea ASu
Tom Orsag CFMEU
Jenny Forward CPSU SPSFT Tas
V. Batten CPSU
Marcus Hooper self employed
Kirsty Mac
Tom Fiebig ASU Vic-Tas
Natalie Osborne NTEU
Nick Riemer NTEU
E Balfour PSA
Irene Sotiropoulou [no union, i am unemployed at the moment]
Jason Todd NTEU
Claire Dimauro
T Ryan Professionals Australia
Jeff Sparrow NTEU
Hala Abokamil HSU
Tristan Damen NTEU
Matt Mason NTEU
J Sherlock
Ella Marsden NTEU
Louisa Herrick United Workers Union
Kim Lam
Astrid Lorange NTEU
Jules Kelly AUWU Australian Unemployed Workers Union
Fin Healy NTEU
Serena Gent NTEU
Chris Stabback UWU
Taylor Manderson Professionals Australia
Christine McFetridge NTEU
Natasha Theocharous
Jeremy Heywood AUWU
Joseph Cornell CPSU
Kyra
Daniel Levy (Secretary) Australian Unemployed Workers' Union (AUWU)
Sinead Winn CPSU
Maximillian Thurnwald United Workers Union
Elizabeth O’Connor NTEU
Julia O’Connor Community and Public Sector Union
Mick Lawless - Dingo News MEAA
Andrew Stapleton Deakin Branch, NTEU
Kim Donnelly
Sam Wright AMWU
Elliot Dolan-Evans NTEU
Jamie Bosanko AMWU
Liz W
Michael McLoughlin United Workers Union
Eddie Seymour MUA
Lachlan McGregor CFMEU, USU
Loretta Ryan-Krawczyk Retail and Fast Food Workers Union
N Goldsworthy ETU
Iona Julian-Walters ASU
Meyvan Silva Hettige CPSU
Maximillian Thurnwald United Workers' Union
Sebastian Horey United Workers Union
Nanette White
Ari Russell United Workers Union
Phillipa Balk ASU
Victor Komarovsky ASU
B Shannon
Pauline McLoughlin ASU Vic Tas
Sarah
Phoebe C CPSU
Alice Bowman Unite the Union
Afra eisma Self employed
Aimee spanswick Gmb
Dan Moore MEAA
Lu Lin MEAA
Karen Pickering MEAA
Kelsey Hayes IATSE 15
Kayla O
Ruby McGrath-Lester CPSU
Mishal A Unison
Julian Frundt MEAA
Merve boyuk Spatial designer
Giselle thorley
Jan B.
Rosa Colbeck-Shackley Professionals Australia
Sinead Wilson NTEU
Jamie Rose Cleverly NTEU
Giles Fielke NTEU
Blair Williams NTEU
Scarlett Abramson NTEU
Tony Williams NTEU (Monash Branch) and RAFFWU
