I would be happy to have Israeli Trade Unionists addressing AUT Council, IF we could find a union which stood up and said it opposed the occupation.From an International Confederation Of Free Trade Unions Press Release:
Brussel, 14 April 2005 (ICFTU Online). At a meeting in Brussels today organised by the ICFTU, Shaher Sae'd, General Secretary of the the Palestinian General Federation of Trade Unions (PGFTU) and Amir Peretz, Chairperson of the Israeli trade union centre Histadrut, discussed a series of key issues facing the trade union movements in Israel and Palestine and agreed to move forward quickly on finalising a joint cooperation agreement between the two organisations. Key issues for the agreement include access for Palestinian workers to employment in Israel, relief funds for Palestinian workers and their families, action to prevent and resolve cases of exploitation of Palestinian workers, implementation of a March 1995 Cooperation Framework, and perspectives for future cooperation between the two organisations.Read the whole thing. (Thanks: Stuart Elliott.)The two organisations reiterated their commitment to the "Road Map" for the achievement of a comprehensive peace between Israel and Palestine, based on the existence of two sovereign, independent and viable states, and plan in the near future to adopt a formal Cooperation Agreement following further consultations within their respective structures.
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"Today's talks were conducted in an extremely positive atmosphere, and we are convinced that the new start in cooperation between the Palestinian and Israeli trade union movements will bring real and much needed benefits to working people in both places in the near future", said ICFTU General Secretary Guy Ryder. "A just and sustainable peace can only be brought about if the economic situation, particularly of Palestinians, is drastically improved" he added.