Call from the General Federation of Trade Unions in Gaza to Labor Unions in the United States on the Eve of International Workers’ Day
April 4, 2025
To the Free Trade Unions in the United States of America and to every free worker and trade unionist fighting for justice, freedom, and human dignity,
We salute you on the eve of International Workers’ Day, a day that embodies the unity and solidarity of workers in confronting oppression and exploitation. We raise to you the voice of Gaza’s workers, who today stand at the forefront of confronting the most heinous forms of genocide, siege, and starvation, imposed on our people for decades and continuing to this day with direct support from the U.S. administration under Donald Trump, and previous administrations, in blatant violation of all humanitarian and international laws.
Dear members of American trade unions,
For over 16 months, Gaza has been subjected to a brutal assault that has resulted in the martyrdom of tens of thousands of innocent civilians, including thousands of workers, along with the systematic destruction of infrastructure, homes, hospitals, schools, and factories. The occupation has stripped Gaza of all means of life, sparing no service or productive sector from systematic devastation, leading to the collapse of healthcare, public services, education, and the economy. Millions of Palestinians now find themselves displaced, without food, water, shelter, electricity, or medicine.
The genocide is in a dangerous escalation. The occupation continues its policy of collective starvation by closing crossings and preventing the entry of humanitarian aid, placing our people at risk of mass famine while the international community remains powerless, silent, or even complicit in this crime against humanity. These policies are not merely intended to subjugate our people but are part of a settler-colonial regime aimed at completely erasing Palestinian existence.
Dear comrades,
Workers in Gaza are among the most affected by this catastrophe. Economic life has come to a complete halt, workplaces have been destroyed, and tens of thousands have been forcibly pushed into unemployment, with no social safety nets in place. Today, workers and their families live in inhumane conditions, deprived of their most basic rights, struggling to survive—whether from hunger or under bombardment.
This war would not have been possible without the unlimited U.S. support for the occupation, whether through military funding, political and diplomatic backing, or arms deals that kill our children, women, and elderly every day. The U.S. administration under Trump has continued what the previous administration started, becoming a direct accomplice in genocide, ignoring the voices of millions inside and outside OF the United States, and an overwhelming majority of the nation, who reject this brutal aggression.
Therefore, we call on you, the American labor unions, to translate your solidarity into effective actions that go beyond statements and speeches and create real pressure to stop this dirty war.
Basheer Al-Sisi, General Secretariat of the Palestinian General Federation of Trade Unions-City of Gaza
