The 2024 ICTU Global Solidarity Summer School commenced today in Limerick with a welcome from Shane Curtin, Limerick Trades Council and TUI, who related little-known tales of Limerick’s progressive tradition in welcoming visitors, including Kenneth Kaunda and Che Guevara.
The formal conference was chaired by Anne Pigott and opened by ICTU President Justin McCamphill, who summarised some of the international work of Congress and affilates, including Palestine and the recent antic of the far right in both jurisdictions.
On Saturday, I addressed the United Against Racism rally in Belfast after having attended the ICTU rally at Stormont on Thursday and the counter protest on Friday. And while the far-right seem to have withdrawn for now in the UK, we know that they will go away refine their tactics and come back to again harass and victimise people based on their race or religion,
He told over 70 delegates from a wide range of trade unions.
At the rally, I touched on the Irish experience during the famine and of how many more millions would have died if they had not found sanctuary elsewhere. As I said on Saturday we cannot now turn our backs on others in their hour of need. We must continue to stand in solidarity with all those who have arrived on our shores for a better life.
The second day of the summer school will open with a session on Trade union Action - at national and European level, to Resist the Far Right. Delegates will hear about the work of the ETUC Elections Contact Persons Working Group and the Anti Far Right Working Group, their evaluation of the ETUC campaign for the European elections, the lessons learnt, the planned next steps for the Anti Far Right Working Group and the work of the ICTU Anti-Racism project during 2023/24.
The first session was on the right to strike, with international legal experts Paapa Danquah, Legal and HTUR Director at ITUC and Jeff Vogt, Rule of Law Director, Solidarity Centre.
Following a comprehensive examination of the dispute on the interpretation of Convention 87 with respect to the right to strike to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) pursuant to article 37(1) of the ILO Constitution. The resolution adopted by the Governing Body expressed serious concern about the implications of the dispute on the functioning of the ILO and the credibility of its system of standards.
The session heard the background story to how the dispute began, the journey to the ICJ and the work of the ITUC in coordinating a global trade union response, and the issues at stake for workers and trade unions right around the world.
This was followed by a workshop aimed at helping trade union and human rights activists hone their skills when talking about Palestine by offering communication tips on how to engage in such conversations, and by building participants’ confidence to know how to respond to various arguments.
This was led by Sarona Bedwan from MAKAN - a Palestinian-led transformative education organisation that strengthens voices for Palestinian rights. MAKAN help to transform the existing narrative on Palestine-Israel to one that upholds freedom, justice and equality for all by delivering educational workshops and trainings on Palestine, creating useful resources and tools for human rights advocates, and connecting people and organisations active on the issue to one another.
In his opening address, Justin McCamphill outlined Congress’ thinking on Palestine in recent times. Welcoming the Irish government’s recognition of the State of Palestine and calling on the new UK government to do likewise,
it is the view of Congress that recognition needs to be followed by real steps to hold Israel to account for its war crimes against the Palestinian people. We have seen Israeli actions for many years being carried out with impunity and no consequences for the Israeli Government and a continuation of this approach will continue to undermine any possibility of a Palestinian state in reality. It is now time for the Irish Government to implement and enact the Occupied Territories Bill and the Illegal Israeli Settlements Divestment Bill in the Oireachtas.
