ILWU Local 10 Motion Condemning the Israeli Attack on the Aid Ships to Gaza
Published: 23/06/10
this resolution was adopted by the ILWU Local 10 Executive Board on 8 June 2010
BY EXECUTIVE ACTION
Whereas, Israel’s recent killing of unarmed people in international waters on board the ship Mavi Marmara bringing aid to the Palestinian people in Gaza has provoked the anger of trade unions around the world, and
Whereas the Mavi Marmara was the largest of the vessels in a peaceful flotilla trying to break the Israeli blockade of Gaza by bringing medical aid and construction supplies, and
Whereas, the International Dockworkers Council (IDC), the International Transport Workers Federation (ITF), the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), the Confederation of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) and the largest union in Britain UNITE have all condemned the bloody Israeli attack as an unjustifiable escalation of war against the Palestinian people, and
Whereas, in a stunning display of solidarity with the Palestinian people the Swedish Dockworkers Union is refusing to work Israeli ships from June 15-24, and
Whereas, on June 7, 2010 the Palestinian Trade Union Movement issued a call to dockworkers’ unions world wide to take action in opposition to Israel’s massacre of people in the Freedom Flotilla and it’s illegal blockade of Gaza, and
Whereas, the ILWU and especially Local 10 have a long record of defending the right of determination of the Palestinian people and against Zionist repression, and Whereas, most recently the ILWU passed a resolution at the 2009 Convention commending the South African dockworkers union for taking a strike action against an Israeli ship in Durban to protest the massacre of 1400 Palestinians by the Israeli army in Gaza,
Therefore be it resolved that Local 10 joins the chorus of trade unions internationally condemning this Israeli attack, demanding an end to the Israeli blockade and an end to U. S. military aid to Israeli without which the bloody repression of Palestinians would not be possible, and
Furthermore, by Executive Action we call on the ILWU International officers to lend their voice in protest with other unions against this atrocity by issuing a policy statement in line with the ILWU’s past position on the question of Israeli repression of Palestinians and call for unions to protest by any action they choose to take.
