TRADE UNIONISM IN ISRAEL

RMTnews :: june/july 2007 :: www.rmt.org.uk 32 Our delegation from the Israeli Workers’ Advice Centre undertook a series of meetings with trade-union leaders and activists. The purpose of the visit was to introduce WAC to British trade unions and to develop fraternal relations in order to collaborate more closely in the future. As a new trade union movement, we were keen to learn from the vast experience of British unions. The visit was organised by Swindon TUC and RMT kindly provided accommodation. We met Fire Brigades Union general secretary Matt Wrack, Owen Tudor, Secretary of the TUC’s international department, members of the UNISON International Department, GMB’s International Officer and Nigel Costley, South West TUC’s Secretary. We also met local GMB activists in Swindon who organise Polish migrant workers, UNISON activists who told us about initiatives concerning health and safety, and Bristol RMT activists resisting the impact of privatisation. These were just three examples of initiatives within the British trade-union movement which inspired us. Our delegation also met John McDonnell MP. He explained his bid to lead the Labour Party as a representative of those who are fighting against the view that the globalisation of capitalism is a fait accompli. We see ourselves as part of this movement in Britain and elsewhere who believe in the potential of the working class to change the world for the better. The situation we face in our country is similar in content but differs in form. WAC, as a left-wing, dynamic player in the Israeli trade-union arena, sees itself as a promoter of ideas and perspectives of fundamental change. We at WAC believe that in order for solidarity among workers, and a socialist world- view to be achieved, they must first be reflected in recognition of the rights of Palestinian Arab workers, who suffer discrimination and national oppression in Israel. WAC started off as an independent NGO, giving advice to Arab workers who are citizens of Israel as to their rights, with the purpose of filling a vacuum which was created in the mid ‘90s. At that time, Israel launched itself onto the global market, and adopted the notions of the ‘free market’. As a result, in the last decade we have seen the near-total destruction of our social safety-net, which left hundreds of thousands in a state of poverty and hardship. There has also been a dramatic slump of organised labour and union density fell from 85 per cent to 30 per cent. Until the beginning of the ‘90s the labour, market was dominated by the Histadrut (General Workers Federation) which was able to force the hands of government and employers in a framework of collective agreements which gave workers generous social benefits. However, with privatisation, Histadrut did not have the strength or vision to resist, losing a lot of its strongholds to manpower companies, contractors and other forms of unorganised workforce. Today over ten per cent of workers are employed through personnel companies. In addition, five per cent of workers are migrant workers, receiving low pay and considered the most weakened in the work market. The vacuum created by the growing numbers of unorganised workers has led to the birth of new initiatives that help to promote workers rights. NGOs, human rights groups and others were created as part of this new phenomenon of which WAC is one. WAC is unique among these fresh initiatives not only due to organising Jewish and Arab workers within the same framework on the basis of equality, but also because it promotes a new type of trade unionism – one which strives to activate workers at the grass roots level. WAC Association has been acting for the past ten years to organise and promote the welfare of Arab workers within the building, agricultural and tourist industries. Last year it began to represent Jewish workers at the Educational Television. These small steps of organising one group of workers after another, and educating workers to take charge of their own working conditions, will not in themselves change the harsh and complex reality in which we live here in Israel. A fundamental change in the reality of occupation, oppression, poverty and the domination of capital requires the creation of a new international power-balance in favour of the working class. To read more about WAC visit their web site: www.workersadvicecenter.org Assaf Adiv reports as part of a delegation from the Israeli Workers’ Advice Centre that recently visited Britain BUILDING FIGHTING TRADE UNIONISM IN ISRAEL The WAC delegation visits Unity House