{"id":11483,"date":"2024-05-28T10:56:48","date_gmt":"2024-05-28T15:56:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.unesen.ca\/press\/?p=11483"},"modified":"2024-05-28T11:11:14","modified_gmt":"2024-05-28T16:11:14","slug":"statement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.unesen.ca\/press\/?p=11483","title":{"rendered":"STATEMENT"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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The labour movement has a long tradition of speaking out against war, human rights abuses and advocating for workers\u2019 rights globally. In this spirit, the Union of National Employees (UNE) joins the unions and labour activists in Canada and worldwide in calling for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza, a two-way arms embargo with Israel, and the facilitation of the immediate, safe and unhindered flow of humanitarian relief to respond to the humanitarian devastation in Gaza.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The UNE grieves the loss of all civilian lives in Israel and in Palestine. Approximately 1,200 Israelis were killed in the October 7th, 2023, attack by Hamas, and around 200 civilians taken as hostages, including children. As of April 23rd, 2024, approximately 42,510 Palestinians have been killed, including 15,580 children, and 3,661 have been forcibly detained and\/or kidnapped, including children (Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the ongoing retaliatory actions by Israel the whole population of Gaza, 2.1 million Palestinians, have been internally displaced several times within the enclosure of Gaza, while it is continually bombed. Israel has cut off fuel, electricity, water supply, as well as any entry of food or medical supplies. This constitutes collective punishment under international law and is a war crime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over the last seven months, we have witnessed unrelenting violence against the Palestinian civilian population, including the ongoing bombardment and destruction of homes, workplaces, hospitals, schools and universities, historic and cultural sites, and civilian infrastructures resulting in widespread starvation and disease. Medical staff, humanitarian workers and journalists have been targeted, which is another infringement of international law.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This violence has completely impeded the ability for Palestinian workers to earn a livelihood. These actions have constituted a grave violation of human rights and workers\u2019 rights. There is no better time than now to advocate for these protections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In its January 31, 2024 ruling,<\/a> the International Court of Justice (ICJ) found it plausible<\/a> that Israel\u2019s acts could amount to genocide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Palestinian human rights are a labour issue. <\/strong>In this spirit, the UNE also acknowledges the decades-long occupation and oppression of human rights of the Palestinian people. It is important to highlight that, since the 1970s, Israel has benefited from an accessible and low-cost Palestinian labour force. You can read more about the current labour conditions faced by Palestinian workers in the Report<\/a> of the Director-General of the International Labour Organization from May 2023,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We echo <\/strong>the call<\/strong><\/a> of the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW), the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), and the National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE), demanding that the Canadian government immediately suspend the trade of arms and military equipment with Israel. <\/strong>The Government of Canada has been a strong military, economic and political ally to Israel; between October and December 2023 alone it sent $28.5 million of new military exports to Israel (The Maple, February 2024). Workers, unions, human rights groups and people of conscience have been active across the country in blockading arms manufacturing companies. Nicaragua warned<\/a> Canada and three other countries of its intention to take them to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for continuing to allow the export of military goods to Israel, which Nicaragua said contributed to Israel\u2019s violations of the 1948 Genocide Convention in Gaza.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The UNE supports the Call to Action from the Palestinian General Federation of Trade Unions-<\/a> Gaza Strip<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

UNE calls on the Canadian government to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n