PCS and TUC Congress stand with Palestinians

NEU General Secretary Daniel Kebede gave a very moving speech at TUC Congress this morning to move composite motion 14.

“When the children of Gaza cry and we turn away we have already taken the side of the destroyer,” he said.

He said that when Palestine ambassador Husam Zomlot addressed Congress last year he explained that the union movement’s solidarity gave Palestinians hope.

“But hope is not enough when children are buried beneath the rubble,” he said. “For nearly two years Gaza has been pounded day to day and night to night. Lives extinguished, dreams erased.”

He said that Israel has deliberately targeted children in its attacks and they were being starved as a “weapon of war.”

“This is genocide in plain sight, in full view of the world,” he said.

He concluded his speech by saying Britain is complicit in genocide. He received a standing ovation at the conclusion of his speech.

Genocidal onslaught

Micaela Tracey-Ramos from Unison seconded the motion and highlighted that 1590 healthcare workers have been killed in Gaza.

“Israel is conducting a war on healthcare in Gaza,” she said.

Israel’s ongoing genocidal onslaught on Gaza has killed over 55,000 Palestinians, including 18,000 children. Key workers have been targeted by Israel, with 166 journalists and media workers, 120 academics, and over 224 humanitarian aid workers killed since 2023.

Micaela asked where was the action by the British government nearly two years since the beginning of the war and the “world witnessing war crime after war crime.”

She said that Israel’s president Issac Herzog, who is meeting prime minister Keir Starmer today, “should not receive any welcome in Britain but should be arrested for crimes against humanity.”

Sarah Carpenter from Unite said Israel had engaged in ethnic cleansing and genocide.

Moral duty to speak out

PCS President Martin Cavanagh spoke in support of the motion. He said: “PCS stands firmly with those resisting oppression, and we will continue to defend our members’ rights, our democratic freedoms, and our moral duty to speak out against genocide and apartheid.”

A PCS amendment, which was part of the motion, called for the repeal of the authoritarian proscription of Palestine Action under counter-terrorism laws. It also called for the right to peaceful protest following the arrest of activists, including Ben Jamal, on peaceful Palestine Solidarity Campaign marches, to be upheld and strengthened.

Martin said: “We believe this proscription represents a significant abuse of counter-terrorism powers and a direct attack on our rights to protest against the genocidal Israeli regime. Does anyone truly believe this proscription is proportionate? Does anyone believe this use of police resources should be the priority in our communities? Since the proscription it is clear that the policing has been particularly heavy-handed.

“Let us be clear: protest is not terrorism. Solidarity is not a crime. And silence in the face of injustice is not an option.”

On 10 August, 522 people were arrested at a single protest in Parliament Square, the single largest mass arrest in UK protest history. That was until last weekend, when 890 people were arrested for peacefully holding signs or wearing T-shirts. The vast majority of those arrested have been pensioners.

Police have warned that any public support for Palestine Action may result in arrest, with consequences including criminal records, travel restrictions, and career impacts – and up to 14 years in prison.

Liz Snape spoke on behalf of the TUC General Council and said that the TUC supported a just and lasting peace based on a two-state solution.

“We call on the Labour government to do everything we can to secure that peace,” she said.

The motion, which was carried unanimously, called on the UK Government to take meaningful action to secure an immediate, complete, and permanent ceasefire with full access for food and aid delivery into Gaza, an end to the siege and the release of hostages.

It called for the government to implement international court rulings and immediately recognise the state of Palestine, contributing to a two-state solution and immediately end all arms trade and military collaboration with Israel in line with international law. It also called for a total ban on all trade which aids or assists Israel’s violations of international law including with Israel’s illegal settlements.

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