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Top trade union promotes anti-Israel pension fund campaign above HMD pledge
Unison announces its backing of Palestine Solidarity Campaign’s ‘Is your pension invested in the occupation?’ campaign
January 28, 2021 10:56
Unison announces its backing of Palestine Solidarity Campaign’s ‘Is your pension invested in the occupation?’ campaign
January 28, 2021 10:56One of the UK’s biggest trade unions has launched a campaign on its website urging its 1.3 million members to question whether their pension is used to fund “the occupation of Palestine” - directly above a Holocaust Memorial Day message calling for reflection on “past atrocities and current hatreds.”
The public service union Unison announced their backing for the Palestine Solidarity Campaign’s ‘Is your pension invested in the occupation?’ initiative this week, offering its members a 55-page guide on “using your pension to support Palestinian rights.”
Meanwhile, as the pension fund initiative was launched on Monday, an article written by Unison general secretary Christina McAnea on the significance of HMD appeared on its website at the same time.
One Jewish member of the union contacted the JC to say they were “upset and uncomfortable” by the display of both initiatives together on the website.
They also pointed out the huge problem the Labour Party has faced with members conflating the Palestine issue with references to the Holocaust.
The pension guide targets Unison members in the Local Government Scheme (LGPS), and other funds that use investments.
It explains “what actions you can take to encourage your pension fund to put pressure on the companies that are involved in the occupation of Palestine”.
Unison’s head of international relations Nick Crook backed the initiative, saying “Unison has consistently campaigned against the occupation of Palestine.
“This important resource will help activists use the financial influence of their pension to put pressure on the companies that support the illegal settlements, which undermine peace and the prospects of a viable Palestinian state alongside Israel.”
But members logging on to the union’s website would have also noticed that directly underneath the pension guide was a blog written by Ms McAnea.
She wrote: “Unison was founded on the principles of equality for all and the union will always fight all forms of hatred and division. We will always be the light.
“And we will always stand with the Jewish community, not just today, but every day in the continuing fight against antisemitism.”
The JC has contacted Unison for comment.