DELEGATES at the TUC Congress in Liverpool yesterday, voted unanimously for Motion 75 Qatar to strip Qatar of the World Cup.
The motion ‘Calls on the General Council and all unions to put pressure on FIFA to put Qatar on notice that the exploitation of migrant workers must end or they will be stripped of the World Cup’.
Calling for safety, mover Neil Vernon of UCATT said: ‘If Qatar won’t act they must be stripped of the World Cup World Cup Twenty Two which must not be played in a blood stained stadium.’
Delegates went on to vote unanimously for Composite 3: Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) which ‘Resolves that the trade union movement should now call for the TTIP negotiations to be halted and adopt a clear position of outright opposition to TTIP and the other trade agreements currently being negotiated.
The motion was moved by Gail Cartmail of Unite. She warned: ‘TTIP is a deal that would mean the irreversible sell off of our NHS.
‘I’m holding a ratchet. A rachet allows a motion in one direction while preventing a motion in the opposite direction.
‘After the Health and Social Care Act over 70 new contracts are in private hands. It is happening already, galloping privatisation.
‘Cameron is more than happy to open health to private companies. The Health and Social Care Act is the beginning of privatisation not the end.
‘Let’s ratchet up our campaign.’
Speaking in support Simon Renton UCU said: ‘Congress, I urge you to support this motion and adopt a clear position of opposition to TTIP.
‘The treaty is a very real threat to our public services not least post-school education, not just the NHS.
‘The inclusion of the Investor-State Dispute Settlement Clause in the treaty would allow companies to sue our national government if they don’t like its decisions. We need to send a clear message corporate interest must not trump public interests, so we need to say no to this deal.’
Delegates went on to vote unanimously for the TUC General Council Statement on Gaza, that calls on the UK government and the EU to end immediate arms trading with Israel, including all military industrial collaboration.
It also reiterates its call for the suspension of the EU- Israel Association Agreement until the rights of the Palestinians are established.
The statement was introduced by the TUC General Secretary, Frances O’Grady, who revealed: ‘In July I pressed Cameron face to face to stop the arms race to Israel. We welcome the ceasefire and any relaxation of the Blockade. It must end.
‘But Israel is continuing with a further seizure of land in the West Bank.
‘The General Council has a long standing commitment to go to Gaza to express our solidarity with the Palestinian Trade Unions.’
Congress went on to pass Emergency Motion 1: ‘The Situation in Ukraine, expressing concern that the fighting today has displaced more than a million people.’
The motion adds: ‘Congress is concerned the crisis has also witnessed attacks on trade unionists and enabled the empowering of fascist groups, including the Odessa Massacre which saw that city’s trade union centre burn to the ground.
The motion calls on ‘the General Council to hold an urgent meeting to consider how best to support those fighting for trade union rights and against fascism in Ukraine.’
It also calls for a permanent cease fire, a peaceful negotiated settlement and opposition to the use of British Troops in the Ukrainian conflict.
Mover Peter Pinkney, said: ‘Thousands have been displaced as a result of the conflict supported by the West, 200 US advisors are already there. Ukraine is now riven through interference by foreign countries.
‘We ask that British troops are not sent there.’
