Letter from ‘war monger’ attempting to justify her conduct and silence continues to backfire as anti-genocide group condemns betrayal of Palestinian civilians and of workers and movement
Unite members who have formed a group to campaign against Israel’s genocide in Gaza have written a response to the union’s general secretary Sharon Graham’s letter last week attempting to justify her lack of action to support Palestinians:
Response to the Statement by Sharon Graham on Palestine
On 26 March Sharon Graham, the General Secretary of Unite, and Andy Green, Chair of the Executive, issued an extraordinary statement attacking Palestine solidarity supporters. In particular it attempted to justify the leadership’s refusal to give any support to the Palestinians or Unite members campaigning to end Israel’s genocide in Gaza.
When Israel launched its attack on Gaza Unite issued a statement on 16 October which ‘unreservedly’ condemned and expressed its ‘revulsion’ over Israeli deaths on October 7 whilst merely ‘deploring’ the mass murder of women and children in Gaza.
It was only after concerted protests by Unite activists that after 4 weeks Unite issued a second statement on 3 November calling for an ‘immediate unconditional ceasefire by all parties in Israel and Gaza.’ There was no mention of Israel’s genocidal attack on Gaza.
Since then there has been radio silence. There has been no publicity about the national demonstrations and no support for members wanting to take solidarity action. Despite repeated protests and petitions by members Sharon Graham has failed to attend or speak at the national demonstrations. Graham even tried to persuade Peter Kavanagh of London & Eastern Region not to speak.
Unite did absolutely nothing until a letter was sent on 25 March to the Palestinian trade union PGFTU, whose offices in Gaza had been bombed more than two weeks previously on 7 March. The timing of this letter was no coincidence. It was sent one day before her statement.
The letter offered nothing but empty words. Graham and Green are explicit in their opposition to an arms embargo on Israel or persuading workers to refuse to handle arms intended for genocide.
Graham’s letter referred to Unite’s ‘longstanding policy’ but fails to mention that Unite policy includes ‘full support for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions’. This policy does not even appear on Unite’s website. For that you have to go to the United Left site.
Graham boasts that ‘Unite was the first major union to publicly and unambiguously call for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.’ This is not true. UNISON called for an immediate ceasefire on 26 October and on 18 October condemned Israel’s attack on the Al Ahli hospital killing nearly 500 people.
Graham has remained silent about the attacks on Gaza’s hospitals, ambulances and health care system and now its execution of children at Al Shifa Hospital.
The remainder of Sharon Graham’s letter represents a disgraceful defence of the arms industry and an attack on those who seek to ‘to undermine the defence industry or demand the disbandment of NATO and AUKUS.’ It is an industry whose purpose includes enabling genocide in Gaza and a possible nuclear war with China and Russia.
Sharon Graham has openly come out as a war monger who hides her aims behind the need to preserve jobs at any cost. We reject the argument that Unite must support war because our members’ jobs depend on it. A society where an increasing proportion of national wealth is geared to the manufacture of armaments is to the detriment of all our members.
When imperialism wages war it is workers who lose their lives. Yes there is a contradiction between representing members in the war industry and opposing imperialist wars. That is why we support the diversification of arms production into making useful goods that benefit humanity.
The idea that we must defend every job, even when it involves the murder of thousands of children is one we reject. Trade unions have historically fought for peace not war, against fascism, imperialism and racism.
Sharon Graham spits on the memory of the Rolls Royce workers in East Kilbride who, in 1973, refused to work on the engines of Chilean aircraft which had taken an active part in Pinochet’s fascist coup. A strong trade union organisation ensured that the Chilean airforce was all but grounded. Eventually it fell to Israel and South Africa to service these aircraft.
International solidarity is in the interests of all workers. Without solidarity the capitalist class can play divide and rule. Rather than building solidarity across national borders Sharon Graham prefers to play the role of a British nationalist wedded to Zionism.
Arms production is highly capital intensive. Britain’s ‘defence’ budget has steadily increased at the same time as cuts to the NHS and social services budgets. UNITE also has workers in the NHS, local government and social services. Unite members also use the NHS and are being forced to wait longer for treatment because of the cuts that enable increased military expenditure.
UNITE and its predecessor unions have a proud tradition of international solidarity. Former General Secretary of the TGWU, Jack Jones, fought in Spain against the fascists. At the time of Apartheid in South Africa we supported the struggle for liberation. An injury to one is an injury to all. We live in a society in which war is in the interests of capitalism not the working class.
Sharon Graham’s statement is an open declaration of war against those who support BDS and the liberation of the Palestinian people. The liberation of the Palestinians from Israeli Apartheid and an end to imperialist war is in the interests of all members of Unite.
Sharon Graham asserts that we are a trade union not a political party. Trade unions have historically recognised that strikes alone are not enough. We cannot achieve our economic aims without a political struggle for socialism. The NHS would never have been created if Graham’s miserable, short-sighted, dog eat dog vision had been adopted.
Today the Labour Party has abandoned the working class and embraced the neo-liberal advocates of free market capitalism. About this Graham has nothing to say.
Implicit in Graham’s statement is a threat to the affiliation to Stop the War Coalition and Palestine Solidarity Campaign. Already the affiliation to StWC has been suspended.
We call on Unite to break from Keir Starmer’s support for genocide, his embrace of NATO and neo-liberal economics and to fight for a socialist society which is free from the fear of war. We salute those who have campaigned to close Israel’s arms factories in Britain and we particularly welcome the closure of Elbit’s factory in Tamworth as a result of Palestine Action’s campaign.
See also Labour CND statement: why Unite the Union is wrong to attack groups picketing weapons manufacturing companies.
Unite 4 Palestine
1st April 2024
Unite was contacted for comment and given a copy of the statement, but did not respond.
In addition to the issues raised by Unite 4 Gaza, Sharon Graham has been alleged by insiders to have:
- banned Unite officials and national banners from pro-Gaza protests
- banned and smeared films and books exposing the ‘Labour antisemitism’ scam
- placed an official under investigation who refused to cancel a Palestine solidarity fringe event at Labour’s 2023 annual conference
- told her chief of staff to threaten a soon-to-retire official with the loss of a pension bonus if he did not soften his support for Palestinians
Her supporters also prevented debate and votes on Gaza at a meeting of the union’s elected executive earlier this month.
According to human rights group Euro Med Monitor, since 7 October last year Israel has killed over 40,000 Palestinians in Gaza and wounded more than double that number, overwhelmingly women and children and many of them with life-changing injuries, while Gaza’s health and school systems have been bombed into collapse, often using US- and UK-made weapons and systems. More than a million people have been forcibly displaced and Gaza is in famine because of Israel’s blockade of food and vital supplies. Israel is formally on trial for genocide before the International Court of Justice and ordered to stop its slaughter – and has been found by UN human rights investigators to be committing genocide.
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Seems to be a battle in Unite between The Workerists (SG et al) who put pay & conditions as ALL (though G’s grassroots building movement is good if they knew how to do it?) & The Holists who whilst seeing pay & conditions as key want to fight for the TOTALITY of workers lives.
A significant number of Unite’s members may be on NHS waiting lists (some in pain?), some might be desperate for their parents to get good social care, done might have family who are vulnerably housed etc etc.etc. Do we say Nothing To Do With Us Mate & walk on by? And equally re the Genocide in Gaza we should not walk on by when workers clock off so whilst leaning to the Holists perhaps things should be sorted out by democratic debate and IDEAS.
I recently spoke to a grassroots Unite activist and they said they joined to fight for workers h
HERE & all of the oppressed here and when we get a chance (tragically like Gaza) we should also support the oppressed internationally too.
W
Unite can and must do BOTH. Solidarity.
Which trade unions have called their members out on strike to protest against the war crimes of the Israeli state? 🤔
Interestingly at the TUC Conference in Oct22 Steve Turner voted on behalf of Unite members for an increase in government investment in the UK’s Arms Manufacturing Industry
No shit “Sherlock”?
And risk:
1. Prosecution, jail and punitive fines under the UK’s existing – as on the actual Statute Book – draconian Anti-trade union and anti strike legislation which makes such secondary action illegal in UK law.
2. Proscription from the Labour Party and vilified as “antisemitic by the entire LP establishment of Herr Starmer and his media supporters among the entirety of the UK media class.
Duh!
Billy no mates, the man with negative IQ.
Dave – Oh dear, if only we were all as clever as you obviously think you are.
Who said anything about secondary actions, Unite isn’t the only trade union whose members work in the defence industry.
Do you feel better now that you’ve had a good rant.
Actually Billy on these matters, having held a Post Graduate Diploma in Personnel Management and an MA in Industrial Relations for over thirty years, I am.
It is difficult enough under the body of anti-trade union legislation that has found its way onto the statute book since 1979 – supported, aided and abetted by all the UK Oligarch Class’s tame politicians regardless of nominal “party” colour’s (and your tinpot dictator ‘hero’ Herr Starmer is and will be no different) – for trade union’s to successfully prosecute industrial action for the basic pay and conditions of their members without the employer finding an existing legal route to prevent or undermine such industrial action.
Attempting to take industrial action over a non membership pay and conditions issue involving a third party – in this case the recipient of arms supplied by an employer for whom the trades union members work – will certainly be open, at a minimum, to either the Government or the employer (possibly both?) using the existing extensive body of legislation to claim illegality on at least the count of illegal secondary action on the part of the Union involved as a Registered entity and its members.
And such legal action with punitive results against the Trades Union if it ever got that far – which it will not because the known existence of such a threat results in self censorship on the part of the key actors (in this case the Trades Union and its members), – would without doubt be enthusiastically supported by Herr Starmer and his Junta which you cheerlead for at every opportunity.
In fact you can take both of those facts – the legal position and Starmer’s support for it against both trades unions and original LP values – to the bank.
Whilst I happen to be a pensioner on limited income I’m willing to publicly back that up with a £1,000 wager on the table.
Are you willing to match that Billy? Put up or shut up about matters you are clearly totally ignorant about.
Dave – Should we all be as impressed as you obviously are with yourself?🙄
Quelle surprise! Billy no mates is running away again.
This time we’ve captured it on video:
Dave – Oh for goodness sake grow up and get a grip of yourself. there is nothing for me to run away from. Are you desperate for some attention?
All I’ve done is highlight that none of the other trade unions whose members are involved in defence manufacturing have had much to say.
The only thing that Sharon Graham appears to have done to attract all this faux outrage is to stand by her election platform of
“We are a trade union, not a political party or single-issue campaign group.”
Thank you for going to the trouble of confirming that Sharon Graham is right to stick with the platform that she was elected on by giving us all such a detailed explanation of how current trade union legislation would make it difficult for Unite to take any meaningful action.
ps, it is shame about your had to spoil it with your rather silly attempts to be condescending tw?t.
And all I have done Billy in response to your original condescending post which implicitly criticises trade unions for not calling out members on strike over Israeli war crimes:
” Which trade unions have called their members out on strike to protest against the war crimes of the Israeli state? 🤔”
is point out that it would be considered illegal secondary action under UK law. A statement you challenged:
“Who said anything about secondary actions, Unite isn’t the only trade union whose members work in the defence industry.”
and again you had to be given chapter and verse. The wager still stands if you have the bottle?
So which is it Billy? Do you accept that the Union’s are not taking the action you were originally belly aching about not taking for the the reasons which have been patiently explained to you or are you going to maintain the fiction that UK Trade Union Law regarding illegal secondary action has nothing whatsoever to do with the lack of action on the matter by trade unions?
If the latter put your money (which now stands at £1,500) where your mouth is son or shut the fuck up and withdraw.
Dave – Oh dear, what a load of silly nonsense!
And all I have done Billy in response to your original condescending post which implicitly criticises trade unions for not calling out members on strike over Israeli war crimes:
is point out that it would be considered illegal secondary action under UK law.
So what you are saying is that I didn’t actually say anything condescending, you just took it upon yourself to attempt to put words in my mouth again. All I have done is draw attention to the facts
A statement you challenged:
Again did I really? I’m struggling to see how my subsequent response of “Who said anything about secondary actions, Unite isn’t the only trade union whose members work in the defence industry.” in my second post can be construed as a challenge, a challenge to what?
You then go on to compound your nonsense by saying
So which is it Billy? Do you accept that the Union’s are not taking the action you were originally belly aching about not taking for the the reasons which have been patiently explained to you or are you going to maintain the fiction that UK Trade Union Law regarding illegal secondary action has nothing whatsoever to do with the lack of action on the matter by trade unions?
I wasn’t aware that this was in dispute in anybody’s mind (apart from yours apparently). Which bit of my post clearly agreeing with you did you fail to understand. I even thanked you for your efforts “Thank you for going to the trouble of confirming that Sharon Graham is right to stick with the platform that she was elected on by giving us all such a detailed explanation of how current trade union legislation would make it difficult for Unite to take any meaningful action.”
Which makes your big gotcha look rather rather silly and pointless.
If the latter put your money (which now stands at £1,500) where your mouth is son or shut the fuck up and withdraw.
WTF you think you are trying to bet on is anybody’s guess.
If you are that desperate for an argument then please piss off back down your 🐰🕳️and have one with yourself.
Billy, can you explain to us all why pointing out the legal reasons why it is [quote] “we have heard barely a peep out of any of the other unions that have members working in the defence industry” is:
A. Being “clever”?
B. Being “impressed” with oneself?
C. Seeking “attention”?
You really should put your brain in gear before going off on one.
Dave – I would have thought that would be obvious to anyone reading my comment, even you. I suggest you re-read the whole thread.
Either way you cut it Billy your original statement was critical of trades unions in the way you framed it. The words are the words as we used to say back in the day at the Union Conferences.
You were the one who left the wriggle room in regards to that statement being open to no other interpretation than a criticism of the lack of action on the part of trades unions on the issue you were bellyaching about.
When it was pointed out to you that this would be illegal secondary action under UK Trade Union legislation you took the position that just because YOU did not say anything about secondary action that such a consideration was not relevant to the issue YOU raised in criticism.
When it was pointed out to you that what YOU think on that is a total irrelevance and that the lack of action on the part of Unions your original statement was criticising would in UK law open Union’s as a corporate body and their members to punitive fines and jail time for secondary action you doubled down.
You imply in your latest tirade of defensiveness that your statements are merely neutral. This is on the basis of your own subjective self-definitions and no one else on this site commenting on this exchange has agreed with your interpretation. In fact everyone without exception has interpreted your statements in the same way I have and most other sensible rational people would.
Ie:
(a) That you are criticising trades unions for not taking action on the matter – your original statement;
(b) You do not accept the legal position preventing trades unions from taking the action you criticise them for not taking;
(c) You refuse point blank to justify your position in (b) above even though there is the sum of £1,500 on the table.
The question remains. Do you accept or not that the UK Trade Union legislation outlawing the kind of secondary action you have criticised is the factor which prevents trades unions from calling “their members out on strike to protest against the war crimes of the Israeli state?”
A simple yes or no would suffice. If it is a no than to get your £1,500 all you have to do is provide evidence to the contrary for that position which is that UK anti-secondary action legislation for trades unions plays no part in trades unions not calling “their members out on strike to protect against war crimes of the Israeli state.”
So far you have refused to do this and are prevaricating. Which suggests to any normal person that you are not confident on the point.
But, seeing as I like you today – because I might not like you tomorrow – I tell you what. You publicly accept the point that UK legislation against such secondary action you have criticised trades union for not taking is the key relevant factor in them not taking that action and I’ll forgo my £1,000 winnings. Though I can’t speak for Toffee’s £500. You’ll have to sort that out with him.
Your call Sherlock.
“Dave – I would have thought that would be obvious to anyone reading my comment, even you. I suggest you re-read the whole thread.”
Only in your own head Billy. No one else commenting on this exchange is accepting or taking your position. Quite the contrary.
You demand similar answers to your own questions ie:
” Can you explain why me drawing attention to the fact that we have heard barely a peep out of any of the other unions that have members working in the defence industry was either “diversionary” or “off topic”. You really should put your brain in gear before going off on one.”
…..yet refuse point blank to justify your own statements when you go off on one.
A position which applies a very obvious double standard and marks you out as a blatant hypocrite.
However, your statement I have reproduced in this post (above) again can only be taken and interpreted by any sensible and rational person as a criticism of trades unions whose members work in the defence industry for not taking action against the sales of arms to Israel.
The blatant clue here to the interpretation of criticism on your part being the pejorative phrase “we have heard barely a peep out of any of the other unions”.
The question remains do you or do you not accept that the reason (which has been patiently pointed out to you) “we have heard barely a peep out of any of the other unions” or any union on this matter is down to the chilling effect on carrying out such action by trades union is down to the UK legislation against such secondary action?
Yes or no Billy. Make a decision and justify it with counter evidence if you can and if you have the bottle.
You do realise, by the way, Billy, that your continuous prevarication on this matter is making you a complete laughing stock with everyone who contributes and comments on this site as well as marking you out as a charlatan who consistently acts in bad faith like the fabled dog which always returns to its own vomit.
No one is standing with you on this matter. Every pathetic attempt on your part to wriggle off the hook you have impaled yourself on merely confirms to everyone on this site that you are a bad faith actor with no substance.
You cannot even troll properly. No one here marks you as someone of any kind of standing worth listening to. And that is totally down to you and no one else. You have hoisted yourself on your own petard and have nowhere left to go to salvage anything. Reduced to wasting your own time because no one here believes anything you utter.
A sad, pathetic wannabe troll screeching into a void of your own making.
Dave Hansell – Good points. But by answering our residents’ troll’s diversionary questions, we once again are been brought off topic – which really is about the scrutiny of Sharon Graham and her betrayal of issues of solidarity in support of Starmer’s neoliberal careerism.
These attempts at ‘sucking the story off-topic’ are being made on nearly every page. Maybe it’s time for a bit of collective action and policy on this???
Btw in the years running up to the 97 election the Liverpool Dockers were out picketing against the casualisation of their jobs. In the end they were hung out to dry by the Bill Morris of the T & GW on the basis that it would help get in a Labour government.
Blair & Brown subsequently did NOTHING for trade unionists. So based on precedent there is no reason to be giving Sharon Graham and Starmer a scrutiny-free ride.
Bernie – I suppose that all depends on how effective or honest your‘scrutiny’ is, have you seen the latest MRP polls?
Bernie – “Dave Hansell – Good points. But by answering our residents’ troll’s diversionary questions, we once again are been brought off topic – which really is about the scrutiny of Sharon Graham and her betrayal of issues of solidarity in support of Starmer’s neoliberal careerism.”
Can you explain why me drawing attention to the fact that we have heard barely a peep out of any of the other unions that have members working in the defence industry was either “diversionary” or “off topic”. You really should put your brain in gear before going off on one.😔
Bernie,
Well played. Our resident loudmouth troll is now having a desperate mardy fit because he has been publicly contradicted with facts and evidence based argument and has nowhere to hide.
Dave – Thanks for your ‘contribution’.
It is a simple and straight-forward enough question, can you answer it?
I am guessing from your response that your answer to that is ‘no’.
On the contrary Billy I have answered the question on numerous occasions on this article.
Bernie is correct. Your pathetic attempt to criticise trades unions for not taking action is off topic and diversionary on the grounds that everyone with a working brain cell – which rules you out – understands.
That such action, which has been explained to you umpteen times already, is illegal on the grounds that UK Trades Union legislation classes such action as secondary action. Period.
Making your original criticism off-topic in another vain attempt to shift debate of the main issue which, as Bernie points out, are deliberately diversionary. People have sussed you out Billy.
You have been given every opportunity to justify with evidence your very obvious rejection of the relevance of this point to your very obvious criticism of unions on this matter.
To date, you have refused point blank to justify that position with a straight answer. Preferring instead to prevaricate and change the subject.
What’s it feel like Billy, sitting there every day, hour after hour, wasting your own time spitting bile and unevidenced bullshit into the void which no one without exception takes a blind bit of notice of because everyone has come to understand and comprehend that you are a bad faith actor contributing nothing worth listening to who gets his arse handed to him every time you open your ignorant and arrogant little gob?
It’s a thing called solidarity and it can be stretched to international workers solidarity. It was quite pronounced during the Great Strike of the 80s and the anti apartheid battle.
Dave Hansell. I totally agree with you. Well said.
Bernie – Have I really? ……………..and?
Toffee – Who’s a clever boy then 🙄
That’s the worse Norwegian Blue impression I’ve ever heard.
Bernie, According to Mick Lynch we must do anything to get the Tories out, so he says we must all vote for the Red Tories.
Quite frankly he’s an idiot. He thinks we’ve all come up on the down train. No doubt it’s the same ploy and reason given by Graham. They’ll be OK, and in due course they’ll take their seats in the Lords.
baz2001 – If only ‘the left’ had for once managed to get off their arses and get themselves organised then you too might have had something tangible to offer the electorate. You’ve had 4yrs and what have you achieved?
SteveH03/04/2024 AT 6:55 PM
Dave – Should we all be as impressed as you obviously are with yourself?🙄
Here’s the news, plums. In plain unadulterated King’s English.
You’ve been taken to the fucking cleaners – again – and have no other response but to sneer.
You are absolutely gutted that Dave Hansell has qualifications and expertise on the subject you (thought you could) pontificate about.
But then, Dave put you well & truly in your place, and like some jilted schoolgirl, you dismiss him with your sneering, in order to deny (to yourself) your overt demonstration of woeful inadequacy…
Well unlucky, soft shite, because it’s abso-effing-lutely glaring.
I’m so impressed with Dave’s response to you that I will front half of his £1000 wager with you….And Dave is welcome to 100% of his winnings, whereas I’ll be content with my stake back, with the knowledge you haven’t the fucking foggiest.
That’s how confident I am that he’s right…And you’re a gobshite.
Dave & The Toffee – see
“Dave – Should we all be as impressed as you obviously are with yourself?”
That particular individual has used that line 6 or 7 previously at least. It is not wit, but a knee-jerk bit of repetitive abuse.
Have I really? ……………..and? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Keep it down Bernie, the resident toddler is trying to have a kip.
Doh!was meant to read
Dave is welcome to 100% of his winnings, whereas I’ll be content with my stake back, with the knowledge you haven’t the fucking foggiest as my return
Fixed now 👍
Ooops
Toffee, now Billy’s reduced to Frankie Howard impressions.*
* Very apt given Howard’s role as the slave Lurcio in Up Pompeii.
Dave – What comes next, a repetition of your ‘infamous’ attempt to be a big tough bully.😟
Billy – What comes next after this kettle calling pot projection on your part?