OVER 100,000 workers, trade unionists, students and youth marched through central London on the 17th London National March for Palestine on Saturday.
Speakers at the rally outside Downing Street at the end of the march demanded that the new Labour government must stop exporting arms to Israel and recognise the state of Palestine immediately.
As the march was assembling in Park Lane near Hyde Park Corner, trade unionists with their banners spoke to News Line about the urgent need for unions to take action in support of Palestine.
Sammy Pratt, Holborn and St Pancras Unite branch member, said: ‘The trade unions must take action to stop arms to Israel.
‘They are operating a campaign of terror against the Palestinian people and traumatising them for generations to come to make sure that a Palestinian state is never achieved.
‘The trade unions must recognise Palestine now and fight for Britain to recognise Palestine too.’
George Gray, PCS member employed by Defra, said: ‘As trade unionists we have to fight for Palestine. The Palestinian people are currently undergoing a genocide and the British government is directly complicit.
‘They are supplying all the political support to the Israeli government as well as military support. Netanyahu is a war criminal and Britain must stop supporting him.
‘Under Labour we are going to see more industrial action, especially in the civil service. We need a proper pay rise in line with inflation.
‘We in PCS have been fighting for Palestine for a long time and we want legal clarification over the sale of arms to Israel. We can’t allow our members to be doing things against international law like arming genocide.’
George Briley, UCU Bath Spa, said: ‘A lot of the research that goes into making weapons for Israel is funded through universities and a lot of Ministry of Defence money for research and production of weapons comes through the universities.
‘It was great to see the students organising themselves around the country for Palestine. They were met with evictions, suspensions and expulsions. They must be defended by the trade unions movement.’
Joe Curran, Waltham Forest Unison, said: ‘We are working in our local authority to divert our pension funds from companies whose operations are complicit with Israeli genocide.
‘The trade unions must enforce a complete boycott. It’s time for the trade unions to fight for Palestine. It’s time for a general strike.’
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