Labour Groups Mobilize Around Nakba Anniversary Amid Calls to End Complicity in Gaza Conflict
Three major trade union federations representing more than 80 affiliated unions across Ireland, Scotland, England and Wales have announced support for coordinated workplace actions in solidarity with Palestine on May 14, responding to calls from Palestinian trade unions to intensify pressure against what organizers describe as Israel’s genocide and apartheid policies.
The coordinated action, taking place under the banner “Workplace Day of Action for Palestine,” coincides with the 78th anniversary of the Nakba, commemorated annually by Palestinians as the mass displacement and dispossession that accompanied the establishment of Israel in 1948.
The Palestinian BDS National Committee (BNC), the largest coalition in Palestinian civil society and a body that includes nearly all Palestinian trade unions, welcomed the support from the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU), the Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC), and the British Trades Union Congress (TUC). All three federations are affiliated with the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC).
Trade Unions Expand Solidarity Efforts Across Britain and Ireland
The workplace actions are being organized in collaboration with Palestine solidarity organizations throughout Ireland and Britain. Major British trade unions affiliated with the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) have supported similar workplace initiatives since the beginning of the war in Gaza, according to organizers.
The BDS movement has called on trade unions, student groups and broader civil society organizations across Ireland, Scotland, England and Wales to participate in actions on May 14.
National demonstrations marking the Nakba anniversary are also planned in Dublin and London on May 16, while additional local demonstrations are expected in Belfast and Edinburgh.
Palestinian Labour Movement Calls for International Solidarity
Omar Barghouti, co-founder of the BDS movement, said workers have a unique understanding of solidarity and collective action.
“Of all people, workers understand well what solidarity means. The Palestinian labour movement has called for meaningful solidarity with our struggle to end Israel’s genocide and dismantle its underlying, decades-old regime of settler-colonial apartheid. Ending all complicity in Israel’s crimes is a profound moral obligation and a necessary first step of solidarity.
“14 May will be a powerful statement of solidarity in this respect. When workers from across Ireland and Britain take real action to end the complicity of their respective states, corporations and institutions, they recall the best traditions of international workers’ solidarity. They also contribute considerably to building the critical mass of people power we need to affect real policy change.”
The call for action follows appeals issued by Palestinian trade unions during May Day events earlier this month. Among the demands was a request to organize and amplify peaceful actions around the Nakba anniversary on or around May 15.
Nakba Anniversary Shapes Focus of Demonstrations
Organizers described the Nakba as the “planned ethnic cleansing and expulsion” of Palestinians and the destruction of hundreds of towns and villages during the establishment of Israel.
The issue continues to serve as a central point of mobilization for pro-Palestinian groups internationally, particularly amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza and rising pressure campaigns targeting governments, corporations and institutions seen as supporting Israel.
The BDS movement has increasingly focused on labour organizations as part of its broader campaign advocating boycott, divestment and sanctions measures against Israel.
Palestine Solidarity Campaign Urges Workers to Participate
Peter Leary, Deputy Director of Palestine Solidarity Campaign, said the workplace actions are intended to connect labour organizing with broader demonstrations planned for the Nakba anniversary.
“This workplace day of action comes as we prepare to march to commemorate the Nakba, the catastrophe inflicted on the Palestinian people by Israel since 1948. Workers and trade unionists have a vital role to play in building solidarity with Palestine. Israel can only carry out its crimes – including genocide, ethnic cleansing and apartheid – because of the assistance it receives from governments, companies and institutions in countries like Britain. By organising in support of the Palestinian-led call for boycott, divestment and sanctions, workers can help to end this complicity in grave violations of international law. We urge everyone to take action this Thursday and join us at 12noon on Exhibition Road in London on Saturday when we march in solidarity with the Palestinian people and their ongoing struggle for freedom and justice.”
The coordinated workplace actions mark one of the largest labour-backed solidarity initiatives organized across Ireland and Britain since the beginning of the Gaza conflict, reflecting growing engagement by trade unions in international human rights and foreign policy issues.