The British Trade Union Congress voted to support the BDS movement

The British Trade Union Congress (TUC) on October 4, 2023, at its annual meeting in Brighton, voted for the first time in its history to support the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement for Palestinians. This important decision represents a major shift in the British labor movement's approach to the Palestinian issue.

Historic vote in support of Palestine

At this meeting, representatives voted in favor of a proposal put forward by the Artists' Union of England (AUE) and supported by the largest trade union in Britain, Unison. This proposal allows the TUC to actively campaign for the immediate end of all military cooperation and arms sales to Israel. This support for the BDS movement has been explicitly accepted by the TUC for the first time.

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Pressure on the British government

Peter Lerry, deputy director of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, described this historic vote as a sign of the British government's failure to meet its legal obligations. He added that unions must continue to apply political pressure and take action in the workplace to prevent the complicity of companies and institutions in Israel's crimes against the Palestinian people.

Lerry also announced that this proposal will lead to a national event on November 26, where union members will participate in a day of action in solidarity with Palestine. This proposal specifically assigns the TUC the task of "responding to the call of Palestinian workers for solidarity" and has been approved as an effective strategy to pressure Israel to end its crimes.

This decision was made particularly in the context of only a week after the announcement by British Foreign Secretary Edward Miliband regarding the imposition of comprehensive sanctions against trade with illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank. These sanctions will also include settlements located in East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights of Syria.

Louise Haigh, a cabinet minister, stated in her speech at the TUC conference in Brighton that these sanctions represent a change in the British government's approach and "increase pressure on the Israeli government."

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