Just some of the many inspiring expressions of meaningful solidarity by workers and unions from around the world so far this year.
- After sustained pressure from Palestine solidarity organizers, immigrant rights activists, healthcare workers, and trade unions, NYC Health and Hospitals dropped Palantir, making history as the first major hospital network to cut ties with the genocidal tech company. New York City public hospitals committed not to renew Palantir contract after activists raise concerns over Palantir’s complicity in Israel’s genocide of Palestinians and ICE violence.
- Dockworkers in over 20 Mediterranean ports launched strikes and protests against war and rearmament. From Turkiye to France, workers also sent a message against Israel’s genocide, and in solidarity with the Palestinian people — refusing to be complicit in the shipment of weapons, energy and other materials that enable Israel’s crimes. Vessels operated by ZIM, apartheid Israel’s flagship shipping company, were reportedly left unable to dock in Italian ports for some time, due to the workers’ actions.
- Investigations, collaborations and targeted actions by BDS and partners, including dockworkers unions, severely impacted attempts by shipping giant MSC to transfer steel for arms to Israel. Italian authorities detained three shipments at two separate ports for investigation, Spain refused to allow one vessel to dock, Greek dockworkers refused to unload one of the shipments and a Portuguese MP raised a question in the Portuguese parliament. As MSC rerouted and changed vessels in the face of such actions, BDS expanded efforts to Turkiye, Egypt and Malta, with effective coordination maximising pressure across the supply chain.
- The National Farmers Union of Canada (NFU) called on the Canadian government to take immediate action against Israel’s genocide of the Palestinian people by suspending the Canada-Israel Free Trade Agreement and enacting a comprehensive two-way arms embargo against Israel.
- The Irish Congress of Trade Unions, representing 800,000 members across the island of Ireland, declared itself an Apartheid Free Zone.
- The Scottish Congress of Trade Unions (STUC), representing over 550,000 members across Scotland, passed motions committing to becoming an Apartheid Free Zones and called on the General Council to “declare all workplaces Apartheid Free Zones." STUC also called for strengthening ethical procurement policies that exclude companies complicit in war crimes and human rights abuses.
- The BC Teachers Federation, a province wide labor union representing over 40,000 teachers, passed a resolution in support of BDS - making it the first province-wide motion to support BDS in the province of British Columbia, Canada.
- In New York City (US), public-sector workers used their collective power to challenge Israel’s apartheid and genocide. Local 113 investigators and finance employees voted unanimously to demand divestment of city pension funds from Israeli companies. This followed three other New York City unions challenging the use of workers’ retirement savings to fund Israel’s war machine.
- Workers in Belgium went on a spontaneous strike protesting a visit by an Israeli military official. Around 650 workers at the factory of Belgian firearms manufacturer FN Herstal in Liege, downed tools for two days to protest a visit to their premises by the Israeli military attaché to Belgium, Moshe Tetro.
- The teachers' Union Association of the University of Buenos Aires, one of the biggest in Latin America, declared itself an Apartheid Free Zone.
- The District Association of Education Workers (ADE) in Bogota declared itself an AFZ.
- Trade Unions for Energy Democracy (TUED) and Trade Unions Confederation of Americas (TUCA) held a panel on energy embargo and union solidarity with Palestine with BNC participation during the First Conference on the Transition Away from Fossil Fuels in Santa Marta, Colombia.