Thursday, August 21, 2014

WA plumbers support BDS


The WA branch of the Plumbers Union has passed a motion in support of the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) campaign against Apartheid Israel.

The August 11 meeting passed the resolution which condemned Israel's "genocidal" assault on the people of Gaza. The motion declared union support for the BDS campaign and called on union members to do likewise.

Plumbers union president Seamus Doherty spoke at the Friends of Palestine rally on August 16 to express the union's support. He told the rally that the BDS campaign was effective around the world.

"Divestment is about changing business [practices] to not invest in Israel. We call on people: do not have anything to do with Israel."

He called on the Australian government "to introduce sanctions against Israel for committing genocide and war crimes against the Palestinian people."

"The plumbers union is calling on all other unions and Unions WA to support the BDS campaign. We need your assistance. If you're a member of a union, ask your union to support the BDS campaign. If you're not a member of a union, you should join."

Doherty, who is also a member of Socialist Alliance, told Green Left that his union would be raising this issue within Unions WA and the union movement more broadly. He also said that he would be asking his union nationally to raise divestment from Israeli companies with the industry's Cbus superannuation fund.

Meanwhile, Friends of Palestine WA has organised a protest outside the August 28 opening of the Israeli Film Festival in Northbridge as the next action in support of the people of Gaza.

[This article by Alex Bainbridge was written for Green Left Weekly. Photo above: Seamus Doherty by James Rendell and, below, the August 16 Friends of Palestine rally by Zeb Parkes. Video below by James Rendell.]