UK Friends of Standing Together

Two national trade unions declare support for Standing Together

In the past week, the Annual General Meeting of the Fire Brigades Union (FBU), and the Annual Assembly of Delegates of the train drivers’ union Aslef, have passed resolutions supporting Standing Together.

As Standing Together’s political perspective and theory of change is fundamentally rooted in class, and organising Palestinian and Israeli Jewish workers to engage in co-resistance and shared struggle, winning support from trade union and labour organisations internationally is especially important.

UK Friends of Standing Together welcomes the FBU and Aslef resolutions, and looks forward to working with members of both unions to build support for Standing Together’s work.

If you’re a trade union member, please consider proposing our model motion in your local branch. You may also want to reference or adapt text from the FBU and Aslef resolutions, below. Email us at ukfriendsofstandingtogether@gmail.com if you’d like to discuss building support in your union, including arranging speakers for union meetings.

The FBU resolution, which we previously reported on here, says:

“FBU supports the small but growing movement in Israel, opposing the war and calling for a just, peaceful and democratic solution addressing the rights of the Palestinian people. The union pays tribute to those in Israel such as Standing Together, who fight against racism and discrimination and seek to build dialogue and unity between Palestinians and Jews. Despite the current isolation of such initiatives, they offer a source of hope for the future.”

The Aslef resolution, submitted to the AAD by Sheffield Midland branch, reads:

“This union condemns both the 7th October attacks by Hamas on Israel, and the Israeli’s state’s grossly disproportionate response.

“This union believes that though the Palestinian people has the right to resist occupation, this does not justify the targeting of civilians to be murdered or taken as hostages.

“Similarly, although this union believes that though Israel has the right to
defend its civilian population from terrorist attack, this does not justify the continued occupation and subjugation of the Palestinian people, or the indiscriminate targeting of civilian areas for military action.

“This union believes that neither Hamas nor the far-right Netanyahu
government have anything to offer Palestinians or Israelis in terms of lasting peace or a just settlement to conflict in Israel-Palestine.

“This union believes Palestinians and Israelis both have a right to security and life. This union believes the conflict can only have a just resolution through a framework based on equal rights for both peoples, including an equal right to self-determination: a genuinely independent Palestinian state, in contiguous territory, alongside and with equal rights to Israel.

“This union will support those voices on both sides who have shown
tremendous courage in promoting peace and dialogue and a just settlement and a democratic solution, such as Standing Together, a joint Palestinian-Israeli social movement, which is organising anti-racist, anti-war, and solidarity activity within Israeli society.

“This union opposes the rise in antisemitism and Islamophobia in the UK and worldwide. This union will work with the wider anti-racist and trade union and labour movement to campaign for peace and a just settlement to the conflict.

“Therefore, this 2004 AAD instructs the Executive: