Around the World, Dockworkers Blockade Israeli Ships

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.inthesetimes.com/working/entry/6286/dockworkers_around_the_world_create_a_worker_blockade_of_israeli_ships/

Wednesday August 4 12:40 pm
By Mike Elk

On June 20, ILWU Local 10 dockworkers in Oakland, Calif., refused to unload an Israeli Zim Lines ship for 24 hours. Their protest was supported by more than 800 rallying local activists, the San Francisco Labor Council and the Alameda County Labor Council (the equivalent of local branches of the AFL-CIO).

Workers around the world have been joining the call to blockade Israeli ships from being unloaded, in essence creating their own blockade to protest the blockade of food and humanitarian supplies Israel has placed on Palestinians in the Gaza strip. On June 7, by the Palestinian General Federation of Trade Unions (PGFTU), the General Union of Palestinian Workers (GUPW), the Federation of Independent Trade Unions (IFU), and several other organizations produced a call for dockworkers to refuse to unload Israeli ships.

Their statement, released after the flotilla massacre that killed nine people earlier this year, said:

Gaza today has become the test of our universal morality and our common humanity. During the South African anti-apartheid struggle, the world was inspired by the brave and principled actions of dockworkers unions who refused to handle South African cargo, contributing significantly to the ultimate fall of apartheid. Today, we call on you, dockworkers unions of the world, to do the same against Israel’s occupation and apartheid.


Recognizing how similar longshoreman boycotts had helped bring down the apartheid, the Congress of South African Trade Unions called for a boycott of unloading all Israeli ships. The Western Australian members of the Australian Maritime Union have also responded to the boycott, refusing to unload Israeli cargo, as have the Turkish dockworkers union Liman-Is.

FULL story at link.

[Jim Sagle]

1. World labor goes fascist? They'll rot in hell if they go down this road.

[maryf]

2. Do you know what fascism is??

these actions ain't it...

[Donnachaidh]

3. you need to re-educate yourself on the meaning of fascism

This action is NOT fascist. Not even close.

[Omaha Steve]

5. Strange

I came across a photo of an AFSCME (I'm AFSCME btw) local from the 60's protesting Nam. I was filled with pride. The article mentioned they too were called fascists!

[tom_paine]

10. Nothing changes, Steve. We are the same hominids we were 10,000 years ago

At least they don't burn witches anymore.

How long until that practice or something like it is reinstated? 200 years? 100? 50? It all depends on how fast the Age of Cheap Oil ends.

I wish it were not so, but it so very likely is.

[madrchsod]

6. union fascism...that`s a new one.

seems to me that would be a perfect right wing description of a labor union.

[Donnachaidh]

4. K&R! n/t

[femrap]

7. Good. nt

[maryf]

8. kick, nt

[TBF]

9. K&R nt

[blindpig]

11. kick

that's the kind of solidarity we need.

[maryf]

12. aw what the heck, kick again...

this is a good sign...