THE TGWU conference yesterday passed Composite Motion 29 with just one delegate voting against it.
This called ‘for the immediate withdrawal of UK troops from Iraq, in order to comply with the United Nations call for the withdrawal of occupation forces by December 2005.’
Moving Motion 29, Daniel Murphy, Region Three (Ireland), said: ‘Hundreds of millions have been spent in Iraq on this illegal war.
‘Hundreds of millions that could have been spent on hospitals or schools.’
He added: ‘The troops out movement showed up the Iraq war for what it is – an aggressive grab for oil.’
Seconding the motion, Alan Birch, Region One (south east England), spoke on the issue of mercenaries.
He said: ‘48,000 mercenaries are employed in Iraq alone.
‘We need tough legislation to ban the use of these mercenaries.
‘We have to put more pressure on our sponsored MPs.’
The conference took the international debate as a group of motions.
Moving Motion 31, calling for a boycott of Israeli goods, Larry Gaffney, Region Five (Midlands), said: ‘This year is 40 years since the six-day war.
‘The occupation of the West Bank and Gaza saw the setting up of settlements and businesses on land taken from the Palestinian people.
‘It has led to severe human rights violations, particularly water shortages, with water diverted from Palestinian land.
‘It led to refugees – over four million, the largest number in the world.
‘Support the Palestinian General Federation of Trade Unions’ call for a boycott of Israeli goods.’
Seconding Motion 31 on the Middle East, Brin Smith, Region Three, said: ‘I want to speak on the boycott.
‘The government democratically elected by the Palestinians has been totally ignored by Israel, by Britain and the US.
‘Access to basic rights, including housing, education and even food, is way down on the list for the population.
‘Many are imprisoned and many are exiled in refugee camps.
‘This issue has to be addressed.
‘We should boycott Israeli produce.’
Motion 31 was passed overwhelmingly with only about 20 delegates voting against.
Summing up the international debate, Barry Camsfield, for the national executive, said: ‘On Motion 29, we want an immediate withdrawal and an end to the occupation and no extension of the conflict.’
He added: ‘In the war on terror we stood against the extension to 90 days detention without trial and we will continue to oppose and stand with our Muslim brothers who oppose it.
‘The executive supports Composite 31.
He continued: ‘On the boycott, we support, but we don’t take that boycott to mean a boycott of dialogue.’
He added that it did not mean a trade boycott, with workers refusing to handle Israeli goods, ‘but we do support our members looking at what they buy and they don’t buy Israeli goods.’
