What we do

The Irish trade union movement has one of the most committed positions in the world in relation to the Israel Palestine conflict, and seeks to promote the cause of the Palestinian people in the international labour movement and also with the Irish Government. The cause of the Palestinian people has been championed in the Irish trade union movement by Trade Union Friends of Palestine. At the Biennial Conference of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) in July 2007, two motions were adopted overwhelmingly in support of Boycott-Divestment-Sanctions, for the holding of an International Conference in Dublin and for an ICTU top level delegation to visit Palestine and Israel and report back on its findings.

The delegation visit in November 2007 resulted in a hard-hitting report with a series of recommendations to Congress for actions to further the cause of justice in Palestine. The 2009 ICTU Conference in a motion adopted unanimously endorsed these recommendations, called for support the BDS campaign championed by Palestinian civil society, and sought war crimes trials to be instigated for crimes committed by the Israeli Army in its onslaught on Gaza.

The Congress position on Palestine has been endorsed by resolutions adopted at the annual conferences of a range of member unions, including the largest northern and southern Irish public sector unions (NIPSA and Impact).

In April 2010 the ICTU held an international conference to further highlight the issues and to further the implementation of Congress policy in relation to Israel-Palestine. The aim of the conference was to build support for Congress policy and learn from other trade union actions around the world; to strengthen ICTU's relationship with the labour movement in the Middle East and beyond and to continue to encourage international trade union debates and discussions about how international trade union solidarity can contribute to a peaceful solution that respects both the UN resolutions and human & trade union rights. The Conference was chaired by Congress President, Mr Jack O Connor.