UK Workers Want Their Unions To Campaign For Palestine – Fraser McGuire
Fraser McGuire sums up the flurry of motions passed at recent union conferences on Palestine and the need to both keep driving through policy positions and put principles into practice.
As Israel’s genocide in Gaza continues, and the drumbeat of war grows louder with attacks on Iran and NATO’s new 5 percent military spending targets, it is of the utmost importance that the wider labour movement reaffirms commitments to internationalism and anti-imperialism – and puts these principles into practise. In other words, trade unions must speak up for Palestine – AND turn words into action.
Over recent months, rank and file trade union members and activists have won victories at conferences to drive union positions on Gaza forward, but lots of work remains to transform motions and policies into actions to undermine British complicity in Israel’s genocide.
TUC Equalities conferences, including those for Young Workers and Disabled Workers, have seen the adoption of motions calling on unions and the TUC to oppose Israel’s onslaught against civilians in Gaza, while also putting more pressure on the British Government to end its facilitation of the genocide through the provision of arms and intelligence.
Ann Galpin, on behalf of the TUC Disabled Workers Committee, expressed solidarity with Palestine, focusing on those who have been injured and disabled as a result of Israel’s tactics, and their indiscriminate targeting of populated areas. She said “We know that the outcome of war and those injured within war will be more disabled people. Disabled people who could go on and live fully fulfilling and wonderful lives, but lives fundamentally altered, lives that now encounter a multitude of barriers. We do not want to see war and we do not want to see people disabled because of it. We welcome the UK government’s decision to halt trade talks with the Israeli government, which the TUC has long called for. But we need our government to go further.”
At the TUC Young Workers conference, after an address by Husam Zomlot – Head of the Palestinian Mission to the UK – a motion was passed calling on the Young Workers committee to support demonstrations and solidarity actions, including by promoting them to Young Members in TUC affiliated unions. This motion also called on the committee to promote affiliation to the Palestine Solidarity Campaign. Young trade unionists have been on the frontline of calling out failures within the wider labour movement to show practical solidarity for Palestine, as well as supporting the campaign for Histradut to be expelled from the International Trade Union Confederation.
Scottish TUC’s annual congress saw several motions passed in solidarity with Gaza and against the ongoing genocide. A number of attempts to composite the motions were unsuccessful, and all were passed individually by the conference delegates. A key outcome from these motions is that STUC must now call upon the British government to end arms sales to Israel, and also for the Scottish government to ensure that arms manufacturers do not receive grants through the Scottish Enterprise scheme.
At PCS conference earlier this year, members reaffirmed their support to the Palestinian cause, against “Israel’s cruel and unjust apartheid system”, as well as for a free and independent Palestine. Crucially, PCS General Secretary Fran Heathcote stated that the union was committed to backing members facing disciplinary action for refusing to work on arms export licences.
Education unions have been central to developing practical strategies to oppose the genocide in Gaza. The NEU adopted a motion calling for an immediate arms embargo with Israel at their annual conference. This motion, which included a reaffirmation of support for the Palestine Solidarity Campaign and Stop the War, also called on the union’s executive to ensure that national and local demonstrations were advertised and members encouraged to attend with trade union banners. Crucially, it also encompassed the need to ensure school support staff’s pensions are not invested in companies complicit in breaches of international law, and the need for the union to challenge the presence of arms companies in schools and colleges.
At UCU congress 2025, motions were passed condemning the use of legal injunctions and other measures to stifle Palestine activism, which has been widespread on University campuses over the past 18 months. Similarly, decisions were adopted for the union to campaign for UK universities to end ties with companies complicit in human rights violations and the genocide in Gaza. You can read a full list of motions passed at UCU congress here.
Additionally, at the General Federation of Trade Unions (GFTU) biennial conference in May, an emergency motion on Palestine was passed without opposition. Brought by the Social Workers Union (SWU), the motion called for an end to British government complicity in the genocide, for the ending of arms sales to Israel and the establishment of a targeted boycott, and to back workers taking action in solidarity with Palestinians. SWU General Secretary John McGowan said “Israel is using starvation as a weapon of war, mass killings and forced displacement. That is genocide!”
Unison’s national conference also saw the successful adoption of key motions in solidarity with the Palestinian cause, although there was debate after a number of motions which amounted to normalisation with Israel were proposed. Delegates to the conference made clear the need for Britain to formally recognise the state of Palestine, as well as highlighting why trade unionists should support the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement.
As the international situation deteriorates, and calls for higher arms spending intensify, the pressure placed on those who stand against militarism and war will only grow. Trade unions need bold leadership that is willing to stand its ground.
With a number of other key union conferences coming up, including Unite’s policy conference in July, organising for practical opposition to Israel’s genocide in Gaza is of immense importance. The aforementioned positions of so many unions clearly reflect the view of the overwhelming majority of workers in this country. And those unions who do not speak up for an end to all arms sales – or back the BDS movement – are against the majority view both in the labour movement and society as a whole.
Solidarity forever – free Palestine!
- Fraser McGuire is the Chair the TUC Young Workers Chair. You can follow him on Instagram.
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