Britain’s largest trade union appears set to adopt a controversial anti-Israel motion – prompting fury from Labour insiders at the prospect of the key party funder attempting to isolate the Jewish state.
A government minister is among those warning the measure set to be voted on at the Unison conference this month will make workers financially worse off. One MP blasted the union – which represents 1.3 million workers – for supporting campaigns and groups which “delegitimise and demonise Israel”.
The motion calls for the adoption of a BDS (boycott, divestment and sanctions) policy and for voluntary donations to the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC).
It has the backing of the union’s executive body, and so is highly likely to pass.
Prior to the 2024 general election, Unison gave nearly £1.5 million to Labour – more than any other trade union. The union holds two seats on party governing body, the National Executive Committee (NEC).
With Labour struggling in polls and Sir Keir Starmer facing a possible leadership challenge from Andy Burnham if he wins the Makerfield by-election, some senior party figures lambasted the union’s warped priorities.
One minister told the JC: “Sadly this sort of motion is entirely predictable, yet still disappointing. It is astonishing that given the challenges facing working people Unison’s NEC is backing a motion like this – frankly there are more important things the Labour movement should be focusing on."
Luke Akehurst, Labour MP for North Durham, went further, saying it was “disappointing” that “Unison continues to push BDS and associate itself with the extremism of the PSC”.
He added: “It’s possible to campaign for a two-state solution and draw attention to the plight of the Palestinians without associating your organisation with campaigns and organisations, like BDS and PSC, which delegitimise and demonise Israel.”
The motion calls on the government to “legislate to prohibit trade with the illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank and suspend the arms trade and UK Israel trade and partnership agreement until international and human rights law are respected”.
It says: “We call for continued support to help branches implement Unison’s policy on BDS, prioritising pensions and procurement”, and encourages “branches to affiliate to the Palestine Solidarity Campaign [PSC]”. The PSC website say affiliation involves a fee of £25-£50 on top of any donation a branch chooses to give.
Covering three pages of the 179-page draft conference agenda, the motion additionally calls for “a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, including the withdrawal of Israeli troops, full access to humanitarian assistance, an end to the blockade and a just peace plan that respects international law and successive UN resolutions, providing for a viable, contiguous Palestinian state alongside Israel”.
While praising the government for recognising a Palestinian state, it criticises Labour for failing “to take sufficient action to demand the Israeli government comply with international law” and urges No10 to “impose further sanctions on those responsible for violations of international law”.
Unison’s general secretary Andrea Egan suggested she would use the union’s influence over the Labour Party to pursue anti-Israel policies.
Speaking at a pro-Palestine demonstration in May, she said that the union would be at the “forefront of the movement for Palestine”.
She told the crowd at a Nakba Day protest: “We’re the most powerful trade union affiliated to the Labour Party and we will continue to demand that they ban trade with the illegal settlers, they suspend the UK-Israel trade and partnership agreement and fully suspend the arms trade.”
She added: “Until then, we must all continue using BDS to put pressure on the companies involved in the occupation and the genocide in Gaza.”
Unison General Secretary Andrea Egan speaks at Nakba 78 March pro-Palestine protest in London (ZUMA /Alamy)Alamy Stock Photo
Unison was criticised at last year’s Labour conference, including by the Jewish Labour Movement, for introducing a motion labelling Israel’s actions in Gaza a “genocide”, which the government says is a matter for international courts.
In an unusual move, Unison’s then-general secretary Christina McAnea introduced the motion. Several Labour sources told the JC her motive was fear of losing her re-election campaign to a left-wing challenger.
Left-winger Egan defeated McAnea by 58,579 votes to 39,353, a turnout of less than 10 per cent of members.
Before her election, Egan criticised Tory and Labour government policies on Israel in posts.
In November 2023, the month after Hamas’ October 7 attack, Egan said Israel’s actions amounted to “genocide” and criticised former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, saying: “Who would listen to such a corrupt politician who has benefited over the decades on selling war! However Hillary what does a Hamas-free Palestine look like !!”, she posted on X.
The same month, she said former home secretary Suella Braverman’s description of pro-Palestine protest as “hate marches” was “inflammatory and insulting”.
In June last year, she said Unison should oppose the proscription of Palestine Action, claiming it is “a non-violent group not unlike those Keir Starmer once defended as a human rights lawyer”.
Steve Scott, director of TUFI’s successor, Britain-Israel Trade Union Dialogue (BITUD), expressed concern over the motion.
He said: “We are disappointed Unison NEC ignored their direct Israeli counterparts the Histadrut in this motion. If Unison want a better future for Palestinians and Israelis, the Histadrut are vital to this, boycotting them won’t solve anything."
He warned divestment could hit members financially: “Attacking council workers pension schemes puts in jeopardy their hard-earned retirement and threatens jobs in companies invested in”.
Unison general secretary Egan said: “Unison is proud of our solidarity with the Palestinian people and we make no apology for standing against Israel’s genocide in Gaza. We will continue to support the peaceful boycott, divestment and sanctions movement, answering the call of our trade union brothers and sisters in Palestine.”
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